Construction World September 2024

COMMENT

Over the last few years the construction landscape in South Africa has changed rapidly to now include technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM). This technology is changing how projects are planned and executed – and can be applied to civils and building. BIM is by no means limited to building, but infrastructure projects have been slower in the uptake. B IM streamlines processes and enhances collaboration in the delivery of projects. It is an IT “enabled approach that involves the application and maintenance of a fundamental digital representation of a building and all its information throughout the different stages of the project”. Simply put, BIM is a digital representation of a building or structure’s physical and functional characteristics. Various aspects, which have up to now largely been worked on separately, are integrated. These include architectural design, structural engineering, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems, and construction sequencing. This technology enables stakeholders to visualise, simulate, and analyse the entire project lifecycle. The process obviously fosters enhanced collaboration between all

parties concerned – from stakeholders to engineers to contractors, and makes design and planning more efficient as architects, engineers and contractors can create 3D models to simulate the real conditions. This enables troubleshooting in the planning and execution of the project and leads to cost and time savings that will have a direct impact on the bottom line. It seems like a win-win situation, but in the labour-intensive construction industry, BIM is often viewed as ‘too much’ of a winning technology against which there is a fair amount of resistance – especially in infrastructure projects where BIM is viewed as a threat to employment and traditional workflows. However, the momentum to embrace BIM in South Africa is slowly growing, with the recent BIMHarambee 2024 that focused on preparing people

and organisations to be ‘Fit for BIM? - People + Business’. It addressed two critical aspects of mature BIM adoption and implementation: People (skills, roles and responsibilities) and Business (organisational changes necessary for digital transformation). At this event it was highlighted that cities like Cape Town are leading the way by adopting BIM for managing their municipal infrastructure. Cape Town's Transport and Urban Development Authority is leveraging BIM to improve the planning, design, and maintenance of public infrastructure.

Wilhelm du Plessis Editor

EDITOR & DEPUTY PUBLISHER Wilhelm du Plessis constr@crown.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER Erna Oosthuizen ernao@crown.co.za LAYOUT & GRAPHIC ARTIST

PUBLISHER Karen Grant

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2 CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2024