Research Proposal Components
Working title: Relatively short and simple? Provide an appropriate level of the breadth/scope of study?
Aim (or RQ): Focused, unambiguous? Encapsulates the coverage and boundaries of the proposed study? Appropriately related to the programme of study?
Hypothesis: (optional) Conjectural statement of the relationship between two or more variables that can be measured?
Objectives: Appropriately cover all aspects suggested by the Aim? Statements of intended outcomes? “SMART”?
Justification and focal Literature review: Need for the research convincing? Initial literature review covering key texts (in relation to aim/objectives)? Critically reviewed? Range of sources including research journals?
Research Strategy: Discussion as to which research strategy(s) will be adopted? Chosen strategy justified? Evidence of reading of research methods texts in order to understand differing approaches to research?
Implementation: Evidence of reading of research methods texts in order to understand and justify research techniques used? Detailed justified explanation of proposed methods for data collection? Detailed justified explanation of proposed methods for data analysis? Understanding of potential problems and realistic strategies to minimise those problems?
Ethics: The ethical implications of the research have been appropriately considered?
Referencing: A standard method of referencing has been used? Is further work required on referencing technique?
Use of English: Argument development? Level of spelling and grammar appropriate for Masters level work?
Sample/Solution:
Table of Contents
2.0 Current Maturity of BIM’s in Construction Industry in the UK.. 5
3.0 Maturity of BIM using Succar’s Stages of Maturity. 6
4.0 Advantages and Challenges of Adopting BIM in the UK Construction Industry. 7
5.0 The Measurement and Estimating Implications in Cost Planning and Management 8
5.1 Cost Planning and Management 8
6.0 The Firms Ability to Adopt and Implement the BIM Approach. 10
7.0 The principle whole lifecycle analysis considerations 12
7.2 Comfort and health impacts. 12
8.0 The Techniques Which Can Be Used In Whole Lifecycle Analysis. 13
9.0 The key issues that your client needs to be aware relating to whole lifecycle analysis. 14
10.0 A sustainability strategy for the Local Government Authority Development 15
11.0 Sustainability Strategy Formulation and Scope Definition. 16
11.2 Evaluation/ Assessment Phase/ Impact Assessment 16
List of Figures
Figure 1: Maturity of BIM using Succar’s Stages of Maturity. 7
Figure 2: Cost Planning Approach. 9
Figure 3: Sustainability Development Approach Diagram.. 15
Executive Summary
The report addresses issues pertinent to Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the United Kingdom (UK). An evaluation of the BIM maturity level in the UK was carried out while outlining the advantages and disadvantages of employing the system model in the construction industry. The report has also covered the cost planning and measurements and the implications associated with the cost planning. The incorporation of New Measurement Rules (NRM) into the BIM model has also been highlighted while demonstrating my firm’s ability to implement the BIM system.
The sustainability of the structures to be established by the Local Government Authority has been evaluated in the report. The sustainability approach has been conducted through an assessment of lifecycle analysis considerations and techniques. The key issues in the lifecycle analysis have been highlighted in the reports whilst informing the local government authority on how to develop the sustainability strategy.
REPoRT 1 –BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING IN THE UK
1.0 Introduction
Building structures is characterized by a number of processes. These processes include; the structure cost planning, risk calculations, value engineering, tendering analysis, tasks administration, assets capitalization, cost management, and conflicts resolution among others. Additionally, these processes necessitate the client to find informed expertise to deal with any shortcoming related to the tendering and contracting process and other sustainability aspects (RICS, 2016).Through the use of an appropriate approach, quantity surveyors can envisage the construction progress for a successful outcome since they have the expertise to control most of the variables. The existence of feasible technology in the construction industry presents a selection of approaches to the quantity surveyor thus informing his/her decision.
This report is structured to demonstrate our firm’s ability to implement Building Information Technology (BIM). Additionally, the report acts as an advisory framework for the local government authority of North West England in matters pertinent to, estimation of implications in cost planning and management, project’s lifecycle, and the project’s sustainability strategy.
2.0 Current Maturity of BIM’s in Construction Industry in the UK
Building information modeling espouses virtual digitized representation of physical features of places and construction structures. UK’s BIM Task Group, a governmental regulatory body describes BIM as “value-creating collaboration through the entire life-cycle of an asset, underpinned by the creation, collation and exchange of shared 3D models and intelligent, structured data attached to them” (BIM Task Group, 2016).
Software developed for building modeling backdates as far as 1970s come early1980s. These building technological innovations had to be run in expensive and complex hardware thus limiting their popularity. Due to the constraints associated with Chuck Eastman’s Building Description System and other ancient systems, ArchiCAD’s Radar CH developed a personal computer based system (ICE Group, 2015).
The UK government is dedicated to transform the construction industry. As compared to the past approaches which had no capabilities of providing complete solutions to the involved parties, BIM had digital features capable of processing data whereas managing the design to delivering quality end product. The penetration of building information modeling in the UK industry gained popularity and positive reception. The building technology has been favored by its intuitive intelligence complemented by its capabilities. Transitionally, the approach has improved construction industry performance(ICE Group, 2015).On the other hand, government reports depicted that the programme incorporation in the building sector has saved £2.2bn since 2013.Additionally, the progress has proved it’s possible to meet the overall state’s target to save 15-20% of the construction expenditures(Oliver, 2015).
BIM adoption started taking pace in the year 2010 when the government encouraged the building sector to adopt BIM in their construction activities. Further, the UK’s Construction Project Information Committee (CPIC) stated that in all the constructions activities, BIM had to be used with collaborative 3D features and all the data had to being electronic form. The National Building Specification (NBS) also compiled different researches showing BIM adoption in the UK (ICE Group, 2015).
3.0 Maturity of BIM using Succar’s Stages of Maturity
Kassem, Succar and Dawood (2013) identified three BIM maturity stages. Collectively, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) was termed as the overall objective of the maturity model after the third stage (final stage) (Kassem, Succar and Dawood, 2013).Thus according to this evaluation model, UK can be said to have reached the IPD long-term goal. This means that UK has already experienced the “PRE-BIM” stage characterized by convectional construction practices eminent before BIM invention. Consecutively, the modeling stage in which the BIM was implemented raised awareness to the UK government thus the construction industry started gauging the system applicability to the building sector. Further, the collaborative stage of BIM maturity in the UK was characterized by controversies surrounding the system. This included non-collaborative dispositions and information was lost in the communication channel. This stage also necessitated the formulation of collaborative processes by the system users in the UK (Khosrowshahi and Arayici, 2012).
In the Integration stage, the need skills for an operable system had been widely preconceived in the UK. Thus different entities had developed collaborative working skills. In the integration period, the BIM system had the capability to multitask. Finally, UK attained the BIM’s long-term goal known as IPD. Thus the contemporary BIM status in UK can be said to have attained ultimate maturity through the development of Integrated Design and Delivery Systems (IDDS) in the system (Khosrowshahi and Arayici, 2012).
The Succar maturity stages of BIM have conformed to the NBS BIM Levels which are; Level 0, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 and finally the 4th dimensions building information modeling. According to Succar’s stages of maturity, Level 0 is the pre-BIM stage, Level 1 is the same as the modeling stage, Level 2 conforms to the collaboration stage, Level 3 is the integration stage and lastly the 4D BIM is depicted by the IPD stage in Succar’s model(Khosrowshahi and Arayici, 2012; NBS, 2014).
Figure 1: Maturity of BIM using Succar’s Stages of Maturity
4.0 Advantages and Challenges of Adopting BIM in the Context of the UK Construction Industry
4.1 Advantages
- The BIM system plays a pivotal role while making collaborative decisions in the UK building sector (Oliver, 2015).
- BIM gives clarified designs that are easily understood
- The design and cost are well related and informative
- Capability of simulating the visualizations vividly while offering documents free from errors
- Reduced waste due to the high precision in the system
- Predictable costs and performance even before construction
4.2 Challenges
- BIM system needs the expertise to work with the models necessitating training
- Training costs and the model’s start-up cost
- Challenges associated to change which required change management program(Oliver, 2015)
- Matters associated with ethical data sharing and interoperability
- Few or no information technology infrastructures capable of running BIM applications