The benefits of, and barriers to, implementation of 5D BIM for quantity surveying in New Zealand

Building Information Modelling (BIM) models are relational and parametric in nature, and 5D BIM is where model objects include specification data and other properties which can be directly used for pricing construction work. There is huge potential for its use by quantity surveyors (QSs) for such tasks as quantity take-offs, estimation and cost management, in a collaborative project environment. Perceptions regarding the benefits of, and barriers to, the implementation of 5D BIM by quantity surveyors in Auckland are presented, based on structured interviews with 8 QSs. Results suggest that 5D BIM may provide advantages over traditional forms of quantity surveying in Auckland by increasing efficiency, improving visualization of construction details, and earlier risk identification. However there are perceived barriers to 5D BIM implementation within the construction industry: a lack of software compatibility; prohibitive set-up costs; a lack of protocols for coding objects within building information models; lack of an electronic standard for coding BIM software, and the lack of integrated models, which are an essential pre-requisite for full inter-operability, and hence collaborative working, in the industry. Further research is recommended, to find solutions to overcome these barriers to inter-operability between 3D and 5D BIM, in order to facilitate the cost modelling process.