Knowledge Management in Construction using Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Abstract

Knowledge is generated in all the phases of a construction project during its lifecycle. It is stored in multiple formats (pdf, dwg, ifc, etc.) and is present at multiple locations (pdfs, cds, RFIs, etc.) in a project environment. This makes knowledge management in a construction project difficult. Various tools and techniques have been proposed in the past for successful implementation of the Knowledge Management (KM) process in organizations but none of them have had any significant impact on the overall process. Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be the technology which can help in overcoming some of the drawbacks of the previous models and has the potential to be a powerful tool in helping organizations to successfully implement KM. BIM is a combination of technology and processes which helps in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a facility. Among the many possible future uses/applications of BIM, Knowledge Management can be one of them. This research work presents a methodology to capture and store knowledge using Autodesk Revit®, the most widely used BIM software in the construction industry. This study also proposes BIM as a tool which facilitates the overall knowledge management process of an organization. The proposed methodology has been tested in a BIM consultancy firm and found to be useful in capturing and storing lessons learned in the BIM model. The observations and the validation process are presented in this study along with the applications and advantages of the proposed methodology.