Development of a building information modelling (BIM) migration path model for construction professionals

The construction professionals have the notion that by implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) in construction could overcome problems such as delay, cost overrun, clashes in project design and undesirable quality in construction. However, they failed to take the advantages of the BIM benefit as they are still trying to find the best way to take on board the BIM into current practices. Most of the professionals do not know ‘when’ and ‘how’ to apply BIM throughout the construction lifecycle. Several research models related to BIM has been developed to improve and encourage BIM implementation. Nevertheless, the developed models have limitations in highlighting the steps involved that could assist the construction professionals in implementing BIM effectively in Malaysia. Therefore, this research is aimed to develop a model that would be able to assist Malaysian construction professionals in implementing BIM in a structured way. A semi-structured interview was carried out with respondents that have various experienced and currently involved in BIM projects in the Malaysian construction industry. Findings show that the construction professionals are lacking in knowledge and experience in using BIM in various stages of construction. Thus, they were unable to fully capitalise the benefit of 3D models. Migration path model was proposed and evaluated as a strategic approach for BIM implementation in the Malaysian construction industry. The identification of five (5) activities (BIM Awareness, Develop BIM Strategy, Implement BIM, Monitor BIM and Expand BIM Implementation) with the three (3) enablers (BIM work contract, BIM work process and BIM technology) in the model is expected to be able to assist construction professionals to implement BIM with the right BIM concept and later, the benefit could be obtained for improving construction project. The proposed model could be as a guideline for construction professionals in implementing BIM, specifically in countries that new in BIM. The model is also expected to be able to fill the gap in BIM implementation by supporting the initiatives by the Malaysian government for increasing productivity in construction projects by using new technology like BIM

Implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Social Heritage Buildings in Kuala Lumpur

Heritage buildings offer a sense of identity in every country. Preserving heritage buildings is important to ensure that bona fide aesthetic values are well maintained. However, the conservation and preservation of heritage buildings during operation and maintenance (O&M) has been taken lightly which can cause buildings to be abandoned due to the tedious work involved for the Facility Managers. Therefore, a need for advanced technology, such as Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM), is important to enhance the efficiency of O&M for heritage buildings in Malaysia. Even though BIM has many benefits, yet it is not widely adopted in Malaysia especially for heritage buildings. Therefore, this research highlights the awareness of BIM for social heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with various construction professionals that have experience in BIM projects and managing heritage buildings. These interviews prove that the current facility management practices for heritage buildings do not use advanced technology for upkeep and maintenance, particularly when producing dilapidation reports and measured drawings. Findings also show the challenges that restrict the implementation of BIM in heritage buildings and how to overcome the problems which have been categorized into three (3) elements: people, process, and technology. This research is expected to fill the gap in the implementation of BIM by supporting the initiatives by the Malaysian government for increasing productivity in construction projects through the adoption of new technology, like BIM, especially for heritage buildings

The profile of supplementary agreement law cases

A contract creates a legal obligation upon the contracting parties. Generally, when parties enter into a contract, they are not locked up into its terms forever. If certain requirements are not met, change of contract can become a source of contention particularly if the parties contest the sufficiency of the change and their respective rights and obligations under the contract. However, it becomes norm in Malaysia to have Supplementary Agreement (SA) after execution of main contract. This can be seen trough Malayan Law Journal where more than 200 cases of SA appeared from the year of 1915 to 2012. For this study, the profile of SA case law is developed to determine the most common reasons for the use of SA and the legal issues arose that made the case been referred to the Court. The criteria of profiling are types of contract, types of Court, number of SA appeared, the parties involved, reason for SA and the issues arose. The cases are based on the Malaysian cases from the year of 1990 to 2011. From the analysis, the most reason for the use of SA is identified which is due to new issues that arise after the execution of main contracts, followed by the inadequacy of main contract and complexity of main contract. While for the legal issues, the issue arose are in terms the of validity of SA’s and implementation of SA. For the cases that has no issues or dispute regarding SA, the Court did not prompt any question of existence of SA and accept it as a legal document. Hopefully, by make this profiling, it will help people who are potentially involved in contract in future to prevent and minimize the dispute among parties

A Review of Disputes in Claims for Loss and Expense Related to the PWD Form of Contract Based on Malaysian Legal Cases

Construction disputes arising from claims have become common in this unique and complex industry. Resolving disputes leads to extra costs and is time-consuming. Most of the disputed claims in construction occur due to project delays. A claim for loss and expense is one of the claims incurred due to certain events that usually arise from the delay. Therefore, this paper aimed to identify disputes in claims for loss and expense related to the PWD form of contract based on Malaysian legal cases. Understanding why disputes occur in construction contracts can reduce the chances of their occurrence, and parties can establish a quick, cost-effective resolution process that will not jeopardise their potential in future business relationships when disputes arise. The research adopted a review related to construction law cases from 'Malayan Law Journal Report/Unreported'. Findings indicate that disputes in claims for loss and expenses related to the Public Works Department (PWD) form of contract can be categorised into contractual, documentation, and procedure. Understanding the contract provisions is a must for every construction party to obtain successful claims. This paper suggests identifying disputes related to PAM forms of contracts in the Malaysian construction industry, so that the contracting parties can understand the impact of the disputes

Building information modeling (BIM): exploring level of development (LOD) in construction projects

Level of Development (LOD) is a protocol to address the basic guidelines information of Building Information Modeling (BIM). LOD is created to identify specific content requirements of a BIM model elements at a given time. It is used to reduce the problem of inadequate information needed in projects. This paper aims to explore the implementation of LOD in projects using BIM in the construction industry. In order to do so, the definition, purposes and content of each level of LOD had been identified based on past literature. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with BIM consultants from the public and private sector. The findings revealed that the implementation of LOD is varied depending on the requirements of construction players. From the use of LOD, it helps construction players to get the information that they need for a specific purpose in various project phases. The use of LOD in projects using BIM shows the capability and the level of understanding of construction players in using BI

Application of building information modelling (BIM) in design and build (D&B) projects in Malaysia

Design and Build (D&B) is one of the most suitable types of project delivery method that are being used to implement BIM. However, there is a lack of documented evidence to show on how BIM is being implemented in D&B project. This paper aims to explore the current practices of BIM in D&B projects in the Malaysian construction industry. A literature review was done to explore on application of BIM in construction projects and D&B project concept. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews with construction players were conducted as a primary data for this paper. The interviews were conducted with construction players that are currently involved and have experiences in D&B BIM projects. The findings revealed that the BIM process in D&B projects is much similar with activities in conventional D&B project. The differences were by the used of BIM software, the process of developing project design into a 3D model and the involvement of BIM related designation in the project. In addition to that, the process of BIM in D&B has been highlighted in this paper

Assessing Building Information Modelling (BIM) Maturity Level in Design and Build Public Projects: Case Studies of Public Projects in Malaysia

Design and Build (D&B) is one of the most common project delivery methods to incorporate with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and has brought to light many innovative benefits, including collaboration and integration of work processes. However, there is still confusion and a lack of empirical evidence in the construction industry regarding the interpretation of success in a BIM implementation, especially in D&B projects. Hence, this paper is aimed to assess the current maturity level of BIM in D&B BIM projects. A quantitative method by means of a survey via questionnaire has been used by adopting the "Migration Path Model of BIM for Construction Professionals" to 31 respondents in three (3) public D&B projects. The findings revealed that the implementation of BIM in those three (3) selected projects does not meet the requirement of BIM maturity in projects. Nevertheless, the BIM competencies of the projects gradually increase throughout the shift of project years. The low level of BIM maturity implies a need to have a standardised policy and guideline in determining the maturity and competencies of BIM implementation in projects at the national and market levels. Thus, it is expected that the results of this research will assist in ensuring the benefit of disruptive technology like BIM could be reaped by the construction industry

Building Information Modelling (BIM) as an effective communication channel among Malaysian construction professionals in design and build (D&B) projects

Effective communication is crucial in every construction project to overcome problems in traditional construction such as a misunderstanding, frequent verification and clarification, disappointment, lack of trust, and conflicts among construction players, resulting in cost overruns, time overruns, disputes, and project failure. However, the current practice in the traditional Design and Build (D&B) construction results in the ineffectiveness of communication due to miscommunication arises. Hence, this paper aims to highlight the benefit of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as an integrated communication platform for Malaysian (D&B) projects. A systematic literature review has been adopted on the effectiveness of BIM for communication in construction. The discussions reveal that BIM adoption able to enhance effective communication platforms, especially for the D&B project that involves many collaborations throughout a project's lifecycle. From the current practices of BIM in Malaysian D&B projects, it can be concluded that it is vital for Government to strengthen the enforcement of BIM adoption in the Malaysian construction industry, as it facilitated the delivery of information throughout the project's lifecycle, collaborative and coordinative work, and reduce the redundancies of information which consequently produced many benefits to every construction stakeholders significantly enhancing productivity to ensure the deliverable of project success

Exploring determinants shaping recycling behavior using an extended theory of planned behavior model: An empirical study of households in Sabah, Malaysia

Household waste and the exploitation of the environment are among the alarming and unsustainable consumption patterns that are harmful to the ecosystem. Hence, this study aims to determine the factors influencing recycling behavior by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to an analysis of how recycling practices are fostered among citizens and how sustainable development goals (SDG) are upheld. The extended TPB model includes moral norms, convenience, and the cost of recycling. A total of 170 responses were received via the purposive sampling technique. The research model was analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM). Results show that subjective norms, moral norms, convenience, and the cost to recycle positively influenced recycling behavior. Environmental awareness was found to heavily influence attitudes, but attitudes were not found to translate into behavior. This research provides significant insight and a better understanding of recycling behavior and adds new momentum to the growing literature. The implications of these findings are further discussed

The State of the Art of Materials Management Research in the Construction Industry

Materials management is a vital element in managing projects as materials contribute more than 60% of the total project cost. It also plays a key role because the success of every construction project relies heavily on having materials on time and at a reasonable cost. Thus, it affects the overall project performance. Despite the importance of materials management for construction projects, construction contractors are still suffering from the loss of productivity, project delay and cost overruns due to the absence of proper implementation of materials management. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to review the state of the art of materials management research in the construction industry. A literature review from books, journal articles and conferences papers related to this topic was carried out. Findings show that previous research related to materials management studies were focused more on large construction contractors while small and medium contractors have received little attention. Hence, a study that focuses on the small and medium contractors is needed as this group undertakes more than 90% of the activities in the Malaysian construction industry