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Much like CAD before it, building information modelling (BIM) appears to be more of a paradigm shift than a trend.

Building information modelling (BIM) use continues to rise, with a new report citing nearly half of North American designers are employing the project delivery method.

McGraw-Hill Construction's "The Business Value of BIM: Getting Building Information Modeling (BIM) to the Bottom Line," profiles adoption of the software-driven design process. Forty-nine per cent of respondents said they are using BIM tools; this number marks a 75 per cent increase over 2007. For Canada specifically, the rate is 48 per cent, with the U.S. West Coast leading the continent at 56 per cent.

Former CSC president John G. Cooke, FCSC, RSW, P.Eng., who has written about BIM for Construction Canada, was not surprised by the findings.

"BIM's usage will certainly increase in the future, especially with eventual adoption by the public sector," he said. "And it's here to stay—once the technology is adopted in an office, I believe it would be difficult to revert back to the old way of doing things. It will also be interesting to see how this technology affects future project delivery methods that seek to make the most efficient use of a collaborative BIM model."

Additionally, the McGraw-Hill report found current BIM users expect to double their application of it on projects over the next two years. Experienced BIM users are also drawing on their expertise to win new work, according to Stephen Jones, a senior director at McGraw-Hill and one of the report's authors.

"BIM leaders are quickly outdistancing their competition, and those who aren't preparing for this inevitable industry-wide transformation are going to struggle when the economy revitalizes," he explains. "More and more, owners are demanding the benefits of BIM on their projects. This is our future."

The report's sponsors include Autodesk, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), American Institute of Architects (AIA), buildingSMART Alliance, and a variety of national and international design and construction firms. It can be downloaded at www.bim.construction.com.

In related news, buildingSMART—developer of the National Building Information Modeling Standard (NBIMS)—is hosting an international conference as part of Ecobuild America in Washington, D.C., this December. The event focuses on the implementation and standards of information technology (IT) for design and construction. For more information, visit www.aececobuild.com.