Learning Opportunities and Career Implications of Experience with BIM/VDC

This paper aims to identify the impact of building information modeling (BIM), or Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), technologies on construction education and the architectural, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC/FM) industry, as well as the career implications for a person proficient in BIM. To identify the impact of BIM technology, an extensive review of the literature on BIM utilization in higher education and the AEC/FM industry was conducted. In addition, the lessons the authors have learned from years of BIM practices were introduced to further identify the specific benefits and challenges of adopting BIM in construction and engineering management (CEM) education as well as in the AEC/FM industry, for both vertical and horizontal projects. Surveys also were conducted to measure the estimating time contractors would save with a BIM-based estimating strategy compared with a traditional estimating approach. The findings concluded that personal skill sets in BIM have a significant impact on a student’s career opportunities. The authors also emphasize that first and foremost CEM faculties need ubiquitous access to the latest technologies as well as accompanying training to produce confident graduates for the AEC/FM industry, eventually improving students’ career opportunities. It is expected that a BIM-based paradigm shift in the classroom and the AEC/FM industry would be highly achievable when the identified benefits and challenges of BIM adoption are well known to the educational institutions and the AEC/FM industry, followed by the implementation of the recommended approaches in this study.