Collaboration in the AEC Industry and the Role of Building Information Modeling in Optimizing it Case Study of the Yuan Ding School Extension

Collaboration is an essential factor to success in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. As projects become increasingly complex, involving diverse stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams, effective collaboration becomes crucial for maintaining clear information flow, timely decision-making, and efficient execution. Yet, the industry often faces challenges like fragmented workflows, miscommunication, and inconsistent data management which disrupt project success and efficiency. This thesis begins by analyzing the critical role of collaboration in the AEC industry, focusing on the challenges posed by complex projects and diverse stakeholders. It highlights the impact of information mismanagement and fragmented workflows on project efficiency, especially in international collaborations. These insights stem from the authors’ complementary internship experiences: one author gained exposure to the challenges of project coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration, while the other focused on the practical application of BIM for improving overall efficiency. Together, these observations formed the thesis’s focus on enhancing collaboration through BIM-based solutions. The study explores traditional collaboration practices and examines the limitations of 2D CAD workflows in modern AEC projects, identifying challenges such as communication inefficiencies, data fragmentation, and time-intensive processes, aggravated by the lack of real-time collaboration across disciplines. By highlighting these gaps, the thesis investigates how BIM facilitates real-time collaboration, centralized data management, and seamless interdisciplinary workflows, offering solutions to these inefficiencies. It emphasizes the role of BIM tools, cloud platforms, and standards in fostering interoperability, improving data sharing, and reducing rework, while also exploring advanced dimensions of BIM, including 4D (time simulation) and 5D (cost estimation), for their practical applications in optimizing project management and enhancing outcomes. This research incorporates the case study of the Yuan Ding Middle School extension, which serves as an ideal example of international collaboration among multiple firms and partially demonstrates the proposed workflow in action, highlighting the opportunities of applying BIM-based methodologies. Despite certain constraints and limitations as students conducting this research, such as restricted access to software licenses, the case study showcases the modeling process in Revit, creating a detailed and information-rich BIM model. This model, while adaptable for various purposes, was utilized for 4D scheduling and 5D cost analysis partially in Navisworks, with integration from other software. The findings underline BIM's potential to streamline workflows, improve project efficiency, and add value across various project phases, even in the context of limited resources. The thesis concludes by emphasizing the need for broader BIM adoption to address inefficiencies and foster enhanced collaboration in the AEC industry, arguing that despite challenges like technological adaptation and training, BIM provides a transformative framework for improving project outcomes.