Construction collaborative networks: the case study of a building information modelling-based office building project

Abstract

This paper proposes a model that captures the factors for the deployment of building information modelling (BIM) that are responsible for business interoperability in the context of collaborative business processes' construction networks. To validate the theoretical model, a case study is presented regarding a construction collaborative network, where a BIM-based office building project will be developed. The Business Interoperability Quotient Measurement Model (BIQMM) uses an interdisciplinary approach to capture the key elements responsible for collaboration performance and BIM platform configuration. Through the quantification of the relevance of each element to the particular collaboration scenario, and with the combination of the BIQMM with a multi-criteria decision-making tool, the analytical network process (ANP) approach, this model enables a quantitative analysis of business interoperability for BIM-based projects, so that an overall interoperability score can be calculated for enhanced performance measurements. The case study presents the application of the BIQMM and ANP and provides a comprehensive framework for interoperability measurement in BIM solution selection. This paper concludes by recognising that relationships between business interoperability and true architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) performance improvements and subsequent economic benefits derived from BIM-based approaches need to be further developed.

Keywords:

• business interoperability
• BIM
• construction networks
• collaborative processes

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank to Fundação da Ciência e Tecnologia for funding our research units.