Project Manager for the launch of what would be seen as Aust's most innovative BIM univ. prog.
Investigating, Structuring and Launching Aust's most innovative openBIM compliant university program
- Within eight months of conception we successfully launched Australia's first thoroughly (and formally) researched AND industry informed stand-alone suite of 'stacked' post-graduate programs in (primarily) BIM, with relevant associated Lean construction and Integrated Project Delivery content. Our intent was to meet the needs of industry as governments of the east coast of Australia complete over $200 billion of infrastructure and major construction projects over the coming five years
- buildingSMART Australasia (bSA) advised us to a). emphasise the importance of openBIM and IFC and b). due to rapidly changing technology, use a strong cohort of industry professionals as lecturers. We followed ALL bSA advice to the letter, and STRONGLY advocate the use of openBIM on our programs (we teach and demonstrate ONLY openBIM compliant software and IFC file transfer system)
- We were the first university BIM program in Australasia to be accredited by bSA
- Industry wanted post-graduate BIM education in concentrated periods of no longer than three days duration - we moved from our usual six days of intensive study for each of four subjects to eight 'micro-credentialled' subjects of three days each, with students able to complete all of eight such micro-credentials for a post graduate certificate, or choose as few or as many as they want with university issued micro-credentials (five credit points each) for those subjects
- Industry required no assignments or end-of-semester examinations that would interfere with professionals' already heavy work commitments - we constructed programs with ALL assessment conducted on practical and authentic lines during face-to-face teaching time - a first for BIM programs in Australia
- Industry required at least 50 per cent of the program time to be dedicated to practical work using BIM software that is IFC-friendly and openBIM compliant. We structured our courses to contain all the elements recommended by the work Sacks and Pikas (2014) in their seminal review of university programs in BIM.
In this set format of information submission, there appears to be no area for the upload of the actual research paper written. That being the case, I am taking two actions. The first is to upload the most salient aspects of the research exercise completed. The second is to upload tables and images that I was unable to upload in this section - they are inlcuded in the attachments section. I apologise for any formatting issues that have resulted from importing from a formatted word document to the system information collection pages. Tables did not transfer well and so have been included as attachments to this submission and appropriately titled.
KEY EXTRACTS FROM THE RESEARCH PAPER PREPARED
Abstract
For approximately a decade, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has grown from Computer Aided Design (CAD) to become an advanced set of integrated technologies that already has changed the nature of the design and construction of modern buildings and infrastructure. With an important increase of interest in and support for BIM by government in particular, reinforced by a requirement BIM use on government projects valued at $50 million or more in Queensland, any doubts about BIM’s future seem unfounded.
This increased interest in BIM has highlighted the need for enhanced education in the integrated disciplines and associated technologies of BIM. For many professionals, training workshops or short TAFE courses might satisfy needs. Notwithstanding that, the responsibility to innovate and integrate new education programs that meet emerging market demands remains with universities. The literature indicates that industry values the university-taught BIM skills that reduce BIM adoption costs (Wu & Issa, 2014; Russet et al., 2014: Ganah & John, 2014 in Abdirad & Dossick, 2016). When Bond University of Australia investigated contributing to BIM education, it commenced by reviewing literature regarding current BIM content in national and international university programs. The findings proved transformative for Bond, which thereafter sought to achieve leadership in BIM education by taking an innovative approach to BIM program research, development, and delivery.
This case study describes that approach, and the manner in which Lean construction (Lean) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) came to be included in the programs that eventuated. The purpose of this case study is to provide relevant, current, and important information regarding launching BIM related subjects, or programs, and/or those addressing Lean and/or IPD, in order to facilitate development in Australia, and internationally, of the richest possible BIM-Lean-IPD education resources for the benefit of the construction and infrastructure industries.
Keywords! Building Information Modelling, BIM, BIM education, Lean Construction, Lean, Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, construction and infrastructure.
Introduction
BIM involves modelling and improving information flow throughout construction and infrastructure projects’ life cycles, and openBIM recognises the need for technology-agnostic methods of exchanging information in achieving this (bSA n.d.). The value of BIM is the ability to build a digital twin - a virtual technology formed image of every detail of the completed project, before physical construction commences (Hardin & McCool, 2015). This facilitates review and adjustment of designs and documentation before commencement of construction work. The potential for cost savings from this is enormous, yet that is only a small part of the scope and potential of BIM, and openBIM in particular.
The investigation into establishing a BIM program at Bond University began with a focus group/panel discussion on campus in mid 2018, involving three senior industry professionals, all BIM experts, and five academics, including the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Society and Design. This sponsorship of, and engagement in the initiative by senior management was seen as essential to success (Patching and Waitley, 1996). The president of buildingSMART Australasia (bSA) participated. That fact, together with the high regard in which industry peers held him and other panel members, added an important ab initio gravitas (Kezar & Eckel, 2016).
That initial meeting provided valuable insights regarding the type and extent of BIM education required. The concensus was that there was an increasing need for education covering the full extent of BIM, and about integrating BIM information technology (IT). That education needed to extend beyond (commonly taught) 3D modelling and 5D cost management to include 4D scheduling, 6D energy efficiency, and 7D facilities management. The emphasis on these needs aligned with the 2011 work of of Azhar, and with the 2013 work of Sacks and Pikas that posited the need for 12, 10 and 17 items to be covered in BIM university courses under headings of Process, Technology and Applications respectively. Those items are scheduled in Table 3 with notation regarding how they were addressed in the master’s program that is the subject of this case study. That initial industry meeting also confirmed that, because of the collaborative nature of BIM team environments, education courses should cover intellectual property rights, a matter often overlooked, even in modern contracts.
The BIM education literature is not overly broad. However, it is noticeably unanimous regarding several points:
• The importance of universities working with industry professionals in developing BIM subjects/courses (Wong et al., 2011; Thomson & Minor,2007 in Wong et al., 2011)
• The benefit of new subjects/courses embracing the cross discipline nature of BIM implementation. (Thomson & Minor,2007 in Wong et al., 2011; Denzer & Hedges, 2008).
• The importance of emphasising the value of International Foundation Classes (IFC) file system compatible software and technology in BIM courses, and even excluding non-IFC platforms, apart from mentioning their existence and shortcomings in terms of the openBIM philosophy (Mirtschin, 2018; Gier et al., 2007). This is important because BIM is intended for modelling functions and behaviours of all building systems and components (Hardin & McCool, 2015; Sacks et al., 2004 in Wong et al., 2011)
IFC is maintained by buildingSMART to facilitate seamless and trouble-free exchange and/or transference of information between a broad range of BIM software. It is central to the openBIM approach to modern construction design and delivery (Mirtschin, 2018; bSA n.d.).
The early literature review regarding BIM education revealed three approaches available to universities. Those were 1). integrate BIM teaching into existing or courses, 2). create new subjects or courses, or 3). adopt a combination of the previous two approaches (Sacks & Barack, 2010 in Wong et al., 2011). Most universities preferred the first option (Hardin & McCool, 2009). These authors attracted the researcher’s attention in emphasising that BIM facilitates Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) (Hardin & McCool 2009 in Wong et al., 2011).
IPD is a contractual delivery system in which, “… proper implementation facilitates advanced share of information and early identification of shareholders through a proper timing as vital keys to realise objectives of the construction projects, reduce risks and increase the chance of project success” (Zahvandi et al., 2017, p.99). Aschcraft (2014) stressed that several studies in the USA between 2001 and 2016 revealed that IPD was a key tool in successful implementation, and was especially effective when combined with Lean principles. It made sense to include IPD in the ongoing investigations.
Case Study Methodology
Being a case study, the methodology was participatory, and involved information gathering for the purpose of making decisions regarding the university’s potential BIM-related programs (Brookshier, 2018). The case study method involved:
• Revisiting notes taken from interviews and discussions with representatives of professional institutions
• Combining the two separate schedules used to firstly complete the initial investigation and make the decision to proceed into a more detailed investigation, and secondly to complete the project
• Constructing the case study by providing details regarding activities or groups of activities within that combined schedule, and
• Describing the outcome of the investigation
PLEASE REFER TO PROCESS STEPS GUIDE IN ATTACHMENTS TO FOLLOW THE NEXT PARTS OF THIS SUMMARY
Findings
Item/s 1(a) An academic proposed introducing a BIM post-graduate certificate to our program offerings. Investigations began with a brief literature review, which raised a question regarding whether BIM subjects should be included in existing programs, or a full BIM program should be launched (Sacks and Barak, 2010 in Wong et al., 2011). If modifying existing construction programs to include BIM subjects was preferred, investigating a post-graduate certificate program would identify the favoured individual subjects. Investigations continued to inform inclusion of any BIM content in current offerings by data.
Item 1 (b) constituted a significant portion of the first phase of investigation. Introduction of BIM by universities in the USA and elsewhere met problems (Wong et al., 2011) and BIM-specific software was particularly problematic (Wong et al., 2011; Livingston, 2008; Gier 2007). Some early adopting universities focused on architectural students’ use of BIM, making sketching competence a pre-requisite for taking BIM subjects (Denzer & Hedges, 2008). This misaligned with modern approaches wherein BIM education preferably covered all aspects of 3D BIM (design), 4D BIM (scheduling), 5D BIM (cost), 6D BIM (energy efficiency) and 7D BIM (facilities management) (Abdirad & Dossick, 2016). The literature informed that the best BIM ourcomes are achieved in collaborative, open-communication environments, and proposed that teamwork and communication skills should be part of BIM program content (Natspec 2019; Abdirad & Dossick, 2016; Al Hattab & Hamzeh, 2015; Barison & Santos 2011).
A striking summary of opinion regarding broader curriculum in BIM education emerged from the literature:
• Because developing pedagogical strategies for BIM education is complex and challenging, educators should consider broader curriculum design issues and trade-off between educational outcome advantages and disadvantages (Abdirad & Dossick, 2016)
• BIM is beyond the notion of a model or tool. It is a project lifecycle process using the model and parametric building information to simulate virtually the physical, functional and task-related attributes of a project. It helps stakeholders make educated decisions and execute the project with reduced costs, schedules, rework and better quality (reference recorded from discussion with a conference presenter; content noted but reference not taken)
• A standalone BIM subject within a broader program can be disruptive because, although BIM topics are associated with other courses, students experience a learning environment very different from open, broad courses (Wu & Issa, 2014 in Abdirad & Dossick 2016)
The initial literature review revealed subtle complexities involved in launching a BIM program that the researcher had not considered. BIM involves disruptive technologies (Eastman et al., 2011) already addressed in existing subjects. That disruption would have a major impact on appointing lecturers for subjects, if any new program was to be sufficiently innovative to demonstrate education leadership. Further discussion with educators and industry practitioners was necessary to ensure it would be.
Item 1(c) Discussion with BIM knowledgeable Bond educators paralleled the preliminary literature review. Synthesised with information from the literature, this engagement with academics revealed two important factors:
- Academics were interested in including IPD content with any new BIM subject or program, and a popular adjunct lecturer promoted including Lean in the program. The literature strongly supported the BIM-IPD education combination (Lee et al., 2014; AIA and Uni. Of Minnesota, 2011; Thomsen et al., 2009; Matthews &Howell, 2005)
- BIM technology was developing quickly, making it prudent to either involve industry professionals in frequent reviews of BIM-Lean-IPD curriculum, or to engage them in subject delivery (Lee et al., 2014; AIA and Uni. Of Minnesota, 2011; Matthews &Howell, 2005).
Item 1(d) The approach of focus group engagement with industry representatives on campus is well supported by the literature. (Boon & Prigg, 2011; Kymmell 2008; Woo, 2006;) and it avoided creating a cognitive dissonance between academic learning and industrial work (Turk & Starčič, 2019).
The important learnings from that initial meeting included:
• Several Australian Universities offered BIM-related subjects, but only one offered a BIM masters degree. That existing course focused on important concepts of collaborative behaviour vital to the design process for the built environment
• There was need for more BIM-related subjects and programs in Australia, but they should be industry informed and designed to meet the needs of full-time professionals
• There was demand for a post-graduate qualification in BIM (level not specified)
• Having a separate post-graduate program should not divert attention from the need to have BIM subjects in all construction programs within five years
• The collaborative nature of BIM, especially in an IPD environment, raised potential for complex disputes, so including a subject addressing contracts and intellectual property rights in BIM programs was endorsed
• A focus on BIM management/leadership/coordination skills rather than technical BIM-IT skills was required, due to increasing demand for professionals with these skills as governments, especially in the eastern states, rolled out extensive infrastructure and construction programs. The literature endorsed this approach, warning against a seduction by technology that might lead to oversight of important construction-relevant control (Kymmell, 2008)
• Many BIM professionals saw BIM as an extension of CAD (2D) drawing technology, a limited view in line with literature findings (Turk & Starčič, 2019; Sauval et al., 2014; Woo, 2006). Any new program should dispel that inaccuracy, and educate people for involvement across the range of BIM competencies.
• The most salient information from the initial session was the importance of openBIM, and use of the IFC file format in all educational content of new subjects or programs. Several software suppliers made an argument that investing in an openBIM-IFC approach restricted introduction to the best software available in some BIM areas. Meetings with bSA and other industry representatives removed any doubts, and openBIM using IFC file format compatible software became central in the design and development of the Bond programs.
Item 1(e) The meeting described in item (d) was followed by a study of both the buildingSMART International (bSInt) and the bSA websites. Registration as a BIM education provider and offering BIM-Creds (the bSInt recognition of learning achievement in BIM principles) was considered but not pursued, the university preferring to seek bSA accreditation for its programs.
Review of the bSInt website provided a broader and deeper comprehension of the logic behind the openBIM approach, and the use of IFC compatible software.
Item 1(f) Broader consultations proceeded with adjunct staff experienced in IPD or Lean, prior to more extensive industry consultation being undertaken. There was a broadly prevailing opinion that IPD was unimportant, and was little more than an American version of Australia’s alliance contracting. An American speaker and several other industry professionals at the 2018 Future Infrastructure Summit, co-hosted by bSA and the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), endorsed that opinion. Nonetheless, it made sense, based on the literature read to that time, and the majority of informal opinions of colleagues in government and industry, to continue investigating the value of IPD as part of a BIM-related program. Further research would be undertaken during phase 2 of the project.
The Lean expert adjunct continued to lobby for including Lean in any new BIM and/or IPD program. That adjunct’s position was supported by the literature, as will be demonstrated in addressing item 3(a).
Phase 2 – Review of preliminary findings and gaining approval to proceed.
The activities in this phase are largely self-explanatory, but a brief overview is provided before addressing phase 3 of the schedule. In item 2(a), conclusions from information provided by industry professionals were compared with subject offerings at universities in Australia. This informed preference for launching a post-graduate program, to appeal to both industry professionals who held cognate undergraduate degrees, and to university alumni with cognate undergraduate degrees who might want to upskill for career advancement.
**
In addition, suggestions from bSA remained front of mind, especially in relation to:
• Commencing any program with a subject overviewing all aspects of BIM
• Emphasising that the program would follow the BIM framework promoted by bSInt and bSA
• Describing the importance of openBIM and explaining how it would be taught both in theory and by the substantial practical BIM components of any program
• Including at least one subject that addressed Intellectual Property Rights
The three items labelled 2(b) collectively represented understanding the information gathered to that point (from all sources) in the context of offerings from other universities, and the perceived current and future needs of the industry. Approval was given to proceed with broader and deeper investigations regarding the viability of at least a post-graduate certificate program, and if further research indicated it might be warranted, a full masters degree.
Item 2(c) described preparation of a project plan for the remaining work, which makes up phases 3 and 4 of Figure 1. The final item of phase 2, one that evolved during preparation of the project plan for the remaining work, was labelled 2(d) and referred to a discussion to ensure that all recommendations regarding BIM course content made by Sacks and Pikas (2012) would be considered in finalising the Bond program.
Phase 3 – Major Investigations and Program Structuring
Item 3(a) overlapped with items 3(b), 3(c) and 3(d), but began with a detailed discussion with the bSA president following the Phase 2 literature review, which began with a focus on Lean and IPD education, given that the earlier review of BIM education literature had been reasonably extensive.
In 2016, Kahvandi et al. reported there had been no comprehensive study regarding trends in IPD, concluding that this contributed to lack of familiarity among construction project stakeholders. This was possibly explained by IPD being a delivery approach often seen as appropriate to larger projects, where increased complexity was associated with increased risk and uncertainty, factors that positioned IPD as attractive (Lee et al., 2014). However, some traditional contracts consultants regarded IPD as a sophisticated form of cost plus contracting with the associated high risk to the client of that system, and a change from that position required attitudinal change in contractual, technological and cultural areas. There was scant evidence of education or research to suggest that this widely prevailed among industry professionals (Kahvandi et al., 2017; Lee et al., 2014). IPD education was necessary in university construction-related programs to prepare today’s students for competent contribution on IPD projects of the future (Lee et al., 2014). This is important given the comprehensive nature of IPD, which promotes involvement of all stakeholders from as early as possible in the project (Collins &Parrish, 2014; Thomsen et al., 2009) as do BIM (AIA, 2007) and Lean (Alves et al., 2012; Ballard, 2008; Matthew &Howell, 2005).
Ideally, different people from different disciplines within different organisations that have different objectives, needs and cultures merge into a cohesive, mutually supportive collaborative alliance of process and culture on projects adopting IPD and supporting technologies (Baiden et al., 2006, p.14).
The collaborative IPD approach has resulted in high percentages of projects meeting or bettering budget and schedule targets (Hanks, 2015; Hassan, 2013;), because all key factors of a project are considered in an integrated manner from the outset, by a team working in an environment of respect and trust, sharing risk and reward in a manner satisfactory to all stakeholders, working transparently with open communication towards achieving objectives clearly defined from project inception (AIA. 2007).
There was an increase in use of BIM, Lean and IPD on complex projects (Alves et al., 2012) especially in Western States of the USA, that was largely attributed to increasing use of the AIA-IPD form of contract (AIA, 2010) and this was seen as creating a need for construction educators to focus not only on reducing/eliminating waste, but also on collaborative creation of value (Alves et al., 2012). The main challenge to the survival and growth of Lean was lack of practitioners, researchers, and educators (Alves et al., 2012).
In the USA, 26 per cent of universities offering construction management courses included Lean content, 88 per cent believed IPD should be taught with Lean, and 69 per cent stated IPD should be taught with BIM (Lee et al., 2014). However, these authors concluded that there was a continuing need for research regarding IPD education, noting very few US universities offered special classes in Lean, and commenting on a largely unexploited opportunity to teach using cross-disciplinary and collaborative principles of Lean and IPD.
The USA has strongly supported IPD. However, a US based speaker (on IPD) at the 2018 Future Infrastructure Summit stated that the concept initiated in Australia as Alliance Contracting. Lean evolved from quality principles of the manufacturing industry in Japan, with the book “The Toyota Way” (Liker, 2003) often referenced as the starter of the Lean movement.
BIM popularity has been boosted in Australia by bSA, by governments committing $200 billion to infrastructure and development in the Eastern States over the coming five years, and by the Queensland State Government requiring BIM use on projects over $50 million. However, IPD and Lean do not appear to be experiencing equally rapid growth. The perception of IPD being a complex projects application is a hindrance, as is reticence by Governments to move away from the lump sum traditional contracting approaches often regarded as delivering best value for taxpayers (Al Subbaih, 2015; Lee et al., 2014; Collins & Parrish, 2014). Some negativity towards Lean derives from the perception of some contractors that the cost of integrating Lean into their business will unacceptably erode already thin profit margins (Patching, 2018). Apart from the work done by the Lean Construction Institute, it appears that increase in the use of Lean and IPD will remain dependant on the career growth of future professionals currently studying construction programs at universities (Alves et al., 2012; AIA, 2010; Ashcraft, 2009) and upon universities successfully bridging the gap between industry and academia through research and publications.
A recent emphasis on practitioners moving beyond the traditional Lean core value of waste reduction and/or elimination, towards avoiding waste of human energy by eliminating adversarial relationships and encouraging structural change in project governance, is expected to facilitate broader acceptance of Lean (Tezel 2016). Following are important findings from the literature regarding the potential curriculum areas of BIM–IPD-Lean that were investigated:
• The following statement was regarded as most powerful, “ Your career and the prosperity of your company depend on becoming familiar with the tools, processes and value proposition of BIM.” (Young et al., 2009)
This comment followed growth in BIM use on projects in the USA from 28 per cent to 48 per cent between 2007 and 2009, with 42 per cent of 2009 users being at expert or advanced level. This despite 58 per cent of a survey’s participants regarding BIM as a technology that would be of only moderate, low or no importance within five years (Young et al., 2009). Notwithstanding that, the majority of participants who were using BIM at an advanced level reported positive return on investment and substantial potential for future gain despite seeing little future value in the use of 4D BIM, or BIM for energy analysis or facilities management (Young et al., 2009). Most practitioners interviewed in 2018 regarding a potential Bond program rejected that prediction. While 2009 survey participants might not have seen potential for BIM energy analysis, a key conclusion was that the future of the construction industry would see an integration of BIM, Lean and green (Young et al., 2009)
• Lack of appropriate education was seen as a barrier to successful Lean implementation in the UK (Bashir et al., 2010), an opinion supported by Sahan and Fox (2013) who found education issues to be sixth of the top ten barriers to Lean advancement in the UK. Lack of understanding, industry culture, commercial pressures and lack of senior management commitment were regarded as the most serious barriers. The success of Lean was dependent on its value being recognised as a contributor to organisational strategy achievement, and this would require knowledge enhancement through education (Oganbiyi et al., 2013)
• Johnson and Gundeson (2009) and Bradley et al., (2009) agreed with Young et al., (2009) that BIM, Lean and sustainable design and construction would shape change in the construction industry. (The combination of BIM, IPD and Lean was supported by the literature as a valid and important focus for education, and this was endorsed by industry professionals)
• There was a need for BIM education to extend beyond modelling skills, (4D BIM) scheduling and 5D BIM (estimating) to cover all aspects of designing, construction and facilities management. However, a continuing challenge for educational institutions was lack of interest in teaching some required material, or inability of already highly committed internal resources to teach it (Huang, 2018; Becerik-Gerber et al., 2011)
• BIM was slow to be integrated into AEC programs in the USA (Bradley et al., 2011) with little interest being shown in BIM-specific programs. This was mirrored in Australia where only one full BIM-specific program (and none covering BIM-IPD and Lean) existed in 2018
• A major obstacle in both industry and education programs in the past was the lack of interoperability of BIM related software systems (Bradley et al 2011; Young et al., 2009)
• Interestingly, 100 per cent of students in one US study expressed interest in learning more about Lean, while only 14 per cent regarded BIM as being beneficial to understanding construction methods. This informed the importance of providing clear information to students regarding the benefits to the broader profession of all of BIM, IPD and Lean
• Sacks and Pikas (2014) revealed gaps between what was being taught at university regarding BIM and what industry expected of new graduates. This was problematic where undergraduate degrees provided only the most basic of introductory subjects, and relatively few graduates proceeded to post-graduate construction studies
• There was a need for soft skills training in BIM, IPD and Lean related courses because of the importance of high levels of collaboration and open communications to optimal outcomes. The emphasis should be on open mindedness, ability to adapt, teamwork, leadership and communications (Gonzalez et al, 2015; Sacks & Pikas 2014; Macdonald, 2012). An early decision was made to emphasise leadership of BIM project teams in any program that the university launched
• Ideally, BIM should be both included in existing programs and introduced as stand-alone programs (Sacks & Pikas 2014)
• As governments place increasing demands for competence among consultants and contractors for BIM, IPD and Lean skills, there will be a demand on educational institutions to deliver those competencies (Hardin 2015; Sauval et al., 2014)
• Several BIM frameworks have been produced for professionals, including the bSA framework, and for educators, including the Collaborative BIM Education Framework (AIA & Consult Australia, 2012) which promoted, inter alia, collaborative BIM education (based on AQF), collaboration between industry and educational institutions in developing education programs, and importantly, the development of new BIM education programs
• The AIA and Consult Australia strongly supported industry adoption of, and education institutions teaching focus on openBIM and IFC-friendly technology. They also stressed the need for educators to work closely with industry to ensure that a noted skill shortage in BIM was properly managed and rectified (AIA & Consult Australia, 2012)
• An integrated framework informed by collaborative effort between industry professionals, educators and researchers is an essential pre-requisite for delivering effective BIM education (AIA & Consult Australia, 2012)
• The major source of information waste, as much a concern for projects in the design phase as materials waste during construction, is sub-optimal sharing of project information (Al Hattab & Hamseh, 2013). This point was emphasised during interviews with industry professionals, and it was decided that a focus on open information flows throughout design and construction phases would be a feature of any program launched, and that an emphasis on openBIM would be a core means of delivering that objective
• The literature presented a strong view that BIM, IPD and Lean each embraced principles from the other and so were synergistic processes that relied on each other to produce best outcomes. Al Hattab & Hamseh (2017; 2013) have emphasised this to be especially the case for BIM and Lean use
**Item 3(b)
This event was jointly presented by the LCI and bSA, and its timing was perfect in terms of the university’s investigations into BIM, IPD and Lean programs, and what the content of such programs should be. The information gained from conference presenters and professionals at the event left no doubt that Lean should be included, not only to enhance its appeal to contractors, but also to enhance the prospects of graduates having successful careers in a fast-changing industry. It would also contribute to an objective of LCI that contractors change attitude towards Lean and by doing so would be better equipped to contribute to higher levels of sustainability in construction, improved relationships among project stakeholders, and reduced construction costs.
Attitudes of conference presenters towards IPD were consistently positive. However, conference delegates demonstrated less enthusiasm. The general attitude aligned with a comment from one delegate that, “IPD was simply an American name for Australia’s alliance contracting and was little more than a cost plus arrangement designed for mega infrastructure and construction projects”.
While discussion with conference delegates and presenters was not guided by a survey questionnaire such as might be used in qualitative research data collecting, there were key questions asked in all discussions held at the conference and in relation to item 3(d). The collective responses to those questions are presented in Table 1, following the next paragraph.
Item 3(c)** On the recommendation of a senior BIM professional, an academic knowledgeable of and interested in BIM attended a training course to better understand course content currently demanded by industry. That exercise provided confirmation that the program under consideration for the university would more than adequately satisfy the industry’s current requirements.
REFER TO TABLE 1 IN ATTACHMENTS AT THIS POINT
A senior industry professional invited the author to observe a complex laser scanning exercise in preparation for the upgrade of multiple services to a hospital operating theatre complex over a weekend. There was no opportunity to open the twenty-metre long services duct to inspect the ‘as constructed’ installation. The laser scanning demonstration was so impressive, providing high resolution, finely detailed images in complete darkness, that the decision was taken to include content about laser scanning (and photogrammetry) in any program launched.
After programs launch, rapidly advancing BIM-related computer technology raised the capability of photogrammetry to such a level that Bond invested in a drone and software to test process images of campus. The software group provided an experienced professional to work with students to produce 3D images of buildings on campus, and these were used in a presentation at the 2019 Future Infrastructure Summit to an enthusiastic audience response. Students on the exercise gave a 100 per cent positive evaluation on all aspects of feedback on the conclusion of the subject for which the exercise was conducted.
Item 3(e) The extensive and intensive research/preparatory work undertaken led to recommendations being submitted to senior university management, and decisions being made to proceed with:
• A ‘stacked’ masters degree that could be completed over three trimesters within one year
• Successful completion of all subjects in the first trimester earned a post-graduate certificate in Building Information Modelling and Integrated Project Delivery (BIM-IPD). This comprised eight (industry informed) five credit point micro-credential subjects, each to be conducted highly interactively and experientially over 18 hours (three days). Those subjects were:
o Foundations of Intelligent Construction (with strong emphasis from commencement on openBIM)
o Intellectual Property Rights and introduction to IPD
o 3D BIM, including Virtual Reality (VR)
o 4D BIM – Schedule Optimisation
o 5D BIM – Cost Modelling
o 6D BIM – Environmental Sustainability Assessment
o 7D BIM – Facilities Management
o BIM and Big Data – Geographical Information Systems
• From program launch, each micro-credential was constructed with two days dedicated to BIM, and half a day each to Lean and IPD
• That was later adjusted and all micro-credentials were delivered over three days in the first trimester of the program, and the IPD and Lean subjects were covered later in the masters program
• All micro-credentials’ assessment was conducted during face-to-face hours to meet industry requirements
• The second trimester of the program was dedicated to the post-graduate diploma in BIM-IPD, made up of two ten-point six-day subjects and a 20 point 12 day capstone project
• The third and final trimester of the program completed the Masters Degree in BIM-IPD, made up of an additional two ten-point six-day subjects and another 20-point 12-day capstone project
Table 2 cross maps the program content recommended by Sacks and Pikas (2014) (widely regarded as the most extensive completed in the BIM field during the past decade) with that included in the university’s suite of BIM-IPD programs (Lean is included, but not mentioned in program titles)
REFER TO TABLE 2 IN ATTACHMENTS AT THIS POINT
Phase 4 – final approvals and launch
Items 4(a) and 4(b) cover three important approvals, two internal and one for CRICOS codes to allow offering the programs to international students. Item 4(c) involved appointing lecturers, eight from industry and two from Faculty, for the launch subjects, and having the adjuncts write their course material on consultants’ rates arrangements, contemporaneously with various approval processes.
Item 4(d) involved working with potential industry lecturers and Bond personnel, to identify and configure a BIM laboratory, established for 12 students to meet Bond’s low students-to-staff ratio guidelines. Cognisant of the strong emphasis on practical experience for this program, technology was arranged in four groups of three standard Bond IT specification workstations. Each two of these three-desk pods was equipped with a high-specification computer, complete with Bluetooth VR equipment.
Items 4(c), 4(f) and 4(g) are largely self-explanatory and respectively involved:
• Arranging for supply of appropriate industry relevant openBIM compatible and IFC-friendly BIM-related software and licences. The licences included some required for teaching Geographical Information Systems (GIS). All software providers were generous with their offerings
• Arranging trimester contracts for eight industry professionals who would teach launch program subjects, and allocating formal teaching responsibilities to two internal lecturers in order that lecture material could be finalised, and security/access cards issued for lecturers to begin facilities testing
• Lecturers testing all required hardware and software in the BIM lab, and consulting with the university’s IT staff where refinements were necessary. Included in this phase was the uploading and testing of a VR model (from a Revit-IFC output of design documentation) of an extension to a building on campus. This VR file was used in demonstrations for the first student cohort on the BIM programs
These activities were followed by a marketing campaign of which central pillars were bSA emailing its members to notify them of the new programs, and a Faculty approved, video based Facebook campaign.
Ethics and study weaknesses
This case study was completed in compliance with ethics approval (number AP200626) issued by Bond University Research Services.
Study weaknesses include:
• The study author was the university’s project manager for the investigations and industry engagement aspects, as well as for the process of structuring the programs and subjects, applying for various approvals, and identifying and recommending lecturers for the program, and must therefore admit the potential for unintended bias in the writing of this case study
• There was no intention to preparing a case-study report while conducting the investigation and launching the programs. All participants were advised that their information would be kept confidential, but none were asked to sign research-related consent forms, and the interviews undertaken were not audio recorded. The most important information provided by each interviewee was recorded in hand writing during or immediately after discussions. Professionals whose information might provide a means of easy identification have been contacted since commencement of this study, and all agreed with the conditions of the Bond University Research Services consent form.
Final discussion and conclusions.
The format of this paper necessitated a much of what would normally be presented in a separate discussion section being included with the main content, prior to presenting conclusions. The final points of discussion are presented with some conclusions, in this section.
Commencing investigation into the viability of introducing BIM education into built environment programs at Bond University with an introductory review of literature regarding BIM education proved sensible, and one that might wisely be followed by other universities facing similar decisions. In addition, having the bSA president and two experienced BIM professionals attend our first industry discussion proved fortuitous. The insights gained from that single session, together with the ongoing guidance and support of bSA, were of unquestionable value in both forming investigation strategy and finalising curriculum structure. Similar engagement with relevant professional institutions is strongly recommended for other education institutions considering launching new programs, especially Built Environment related programs.
The bSA-supported decision to include Intellectual Property Rights in a BIM-IPD program might appear superfluous, in context of the highly collaborative, no-blame culture of BIM-IPD projects. The subject was included based on experience that even the strongest of contract clauses and the best of contracting parties’ intentions have not always succeeded in preventing projects proceeding to dispute resolution processes at various levels.
Employing industry professionals as adjunct lecturers is recommended for universities launching courses involving rapidly changing technology. It ensures up-to-date teaching, and exposes students to potential employers, to the potential benefit of both. The early decision not to rely only on academic research in formulating new programs, but rather to use research to inform direction and to design specific content and models of delivery based on industry advice, proved to be immensely valuable, and is strongly recommended to other education institutions planning to launch programs to meet emerging market demands.
The following outcomes were achieved, and these might provide a sense of the importance of maintaining some aspirational objectives in program investigation and design:
- A gap was identified in the Australian education landscape in that no post-graduate programs existed for the project management of the three in-demand specialist skillsets of BIM, Lean and IPD on complex projects. A leadership position was adopted and the university launched a first-of-its-kind program embracing all three topics. This was innovatively structured as a three-component stackable masters degree to appeal to both industry professionals seeking to upskill, and students completing a construction-related program and wanting to study BIM-IPD-Lean to enhance their employment potential. The program comprises a post-graduate certificate, post-graduate diploma, and masters degree, completed in three single trimester stages, within one year.
- We maintained a focus on education innovation by structuring the post-graduate certificate to comprise eight micro-credential subjects (each of 18 hours face-to-face teaching hours) to meet industry demands (a first in Australia). Each three day micro-credential:
• Is taught on campus in a highly-interactive environment that includes at least 40 per cent of time dedicated to practical experience
• Earns five credit points
• Includes all assessment being completed during the on-campus learning time for each micro-credential (in response to industry requirements)
• Additional aspects of the programs that were included to meet industry requirements include:
o Using a high proportion of respected practicing professionals to deliver subjects and, in doing so, ensuring that content was current with rapidly developing technologies
o Preparing students for employment as BIM-IPD-Lean project managers/project leaders/project coordinators rather than primarily as technicians
o Ensuring that, overall, the curriculum contained at least 50 per cent practical experiential learning
The new programs launched integrate education on BIM, IPD, and Lean in a manner informed by industry, that will produce graduates capable of immediately contributing to an industry in which the skills learned are, and are expected to continue to be, in high demand.
The manner in which the program/s were researched, structured and developed demonstrates leadership in the construction project management arena, and the content of the programs represents cutting edge construction education innovation. The model of progressing informed both by relevant published academic research, and by recent advice from respected practicing professionals and professional institutions, is highly recommended.
Unquestionably, much of the material from our stacked masters degree programs will, probably within 3 to 5 years, need to be integrated into standard undergraduate and postgraduate programs as BIM-IPD-Lean evolve to be an every day part of the construction professional’s life, in much the same manner as CAD emerged from a rapidograph and T-square background, and eventually gave inspiration to BIM. For now, what the program offers fills a current gap in construction education demand, and its development has provided a clear model for an agile project management approach (seven months from concept until readiness to launch, complete with CRICOS codes) to curriculum research and program development, for the benefit of all universities in the international education community.
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