BIM in Infrastructure : Using BIM to increase efficiency throughthe elimination of wasteful activities

Abstract: The construction industry has for decades been suffering from low productivity growth and  production  processes that could be made  more  efficient if the occurrence  of non- value   adding   activities   could   be  reduced.   Building   Information  Modeling,   BIM, provides a new set of tools and new ways of working within the industry that has been attributed to numerous  advantages of different kinds at different stages of construction projects. The  main  purpose  of this  thesis  have  been  to describe  how BIM  applications can  be used to achieve a more efficient construction process through the reduction of wasteful activities in infrastructure projects. Through this we aim to find ways to increase  the level of efficiency in production and to create  incentives  for construction companies  to increase the use of BIM applications in infrastructure projects. The findings presented in this thesis are based on a literature review, observations from a case study  and interviews.  The literature review has been conducted to gain a deeper understanding  for the studied  area  as well as for creating  a theoretical  foundation on which the analysis  is based.  The  case study  bridge  project  has provided  observations from  the planning   and  design  process  as  well as  from  the construction  process.  In addition to this, interviews  have been carried out with people involved in the project as well  as  with  other   experienced   people  at  the  company,   and  all  together  this  has provided  the opportunity to investigate how BIM can be used throughout the project chain, from design to production. In this study we have found several types of non-value  adding activities in construction as  well  as  identified   numerous   obstacles  for  successful  implementation  of  BIM  in infrastructure projects. In addition to this, the results from this study show that there are many  benefits related  to the implementation of BIM that can improve  efficiency in infrastructure   projects.   The   conclusion   derived   from   this   study   is   that  BIM applications  can  be  used  to  support  a  detailed  collaborative  planning   and  design process, which in turn  creates  the prerequisites for a more efficient production process through the elimination of non-value  adding activities.