Risk Identification and Management Strategies for BIM Projects

The construction industry is undergoing a digital transformation in which Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a key technology. The potential of BIM in several areas such as design optimization, time management, cost management, and asset management/facility management (AM/FM) is widely acknowledged by the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation) industry around the world. However, BIM implementation in construction projects is faced with problems such as project delay and cost overruns. The lack of identification of risks in BIM projects and standard guidelines on mitigation techniques furthers poor performance, dissatisfaction, and disputes between employers and project participants, which results in low BIM adoption rates. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to identify the potential risks in BIM implementation under the primary categories - (1) technical, (2) contractual, (3) management-related, and (4) personnel-related risks in BIM projects and present solutions to reduce, manage, and mitigate risks. To meet the objective of this paper, a survey was designed and conducted in the Hong Kong construction industry in which over 140 respondents from different disciplines, with experience in BIM projects, have participated. Based on the analysis of the survey data, the most severe and frequently occurring BIM risks and their potential mitigation strategies were identified and discussed in this paper.