Collaborative & Multidiscipline Working - From Theory to Practice in 48 Hours: A Case Study from BIM Region Northern Ireland

Latest statistics would indicate that the policy related to Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation is working, with awareness and usage figures for both the UK and Ireland going over the 50% mark for the first time. However, whilst these results are positive, there is a realisation that there is still a distance to travel before BIM use could be considered comprehensive. This would suggest that there is still a need for a greater number of case studies to promote collaborative working practices, the BIM process and the benefits and challenges associated with its use. This paper intends to assist in this regard by documenting the outcomes from a 48-hour BIM competition in which the authors participated. Although the project was hypothetical, it allowed for collaborative working via a cloud based platform, simulating real world practice and many of the working methods required to deliver BIM Level 2. The paper will focus on providing critical analysis of the challenges faced and the lessons to be learnt from the implementation of BIM processes on this project.