Hi

I’m a student in the process of finishing MSc. In Applied BIM Management to be completed by 14.11.18.

I’m writing to you in connection with my MSc. thesis which, includes the hypothesis: Is 4D Building Information Management (BIM) improving construction management?

I have entered this study from a three tier approach. The objectives include:

1. Analyse the PAS1192-2 standards in relation to the temporal aspects of a construction project

2. Critically evaluate the methods used to determine the suitability of a 4D BIM software application for a BIM project

3. Develop a best practice evaluation tool to determine the suitability of a 4D BIM software application for a BIM project

4. Validation of the developed best practice evaluation tool

5. Analytical study of three 4D BIM software applications using the developed best practice evaluation tool.

I have developed an evaluation tool based on a Decision Support System (DSS), the resulting best practice evaluation tool will be used as part of an active research method to analyse three 4D BIM software applications which will include:

Synchro Pro                                    2017

Asta PowerProject                            2017 

Navisworks Manage                          2017

A comparative analysis will be formulated from the results of the study.

The purpose of this analytical process is to incorporate a DSS to aid in the decision making process of, which 4D software application is best suited to a construction project based on a project specific set of restrictions. The DSS is a semi-automated recommendation program which, is designed using a number of functions created using python code.

The aim is to populate a data base function within the program showing a number of projects that have used one of the three 4D applications. Recommendations will be derived from similarities between projects and their restrictions, the user will choose from a set of twenty seven CM restrictions made up of three sets of nine. The three sets depict the project management triangle - time, cost and quality. The nine choices made are each categorised by a 0, 0.5, 1, symbolising the restrictions that correspond with a specific project and the similarities between projects. Each application is rated between 0 – 10 for each attribute of the application and its ability to improve CM.

Please contact me and I can send you a hypothetical project example to enable understanding, showing project based restrictions in an xls. file which, was based on my PgDip in Collaborative BIM.

Also I have compiled a number of questions to ask users of each of the specific software applications to test the hypothesis of the study based on a specific project, which is aimed to include 4D visualisation managers and BIM managers that have been involved in construction projects world-wide within the last 2 years.

The questions include:

• Identify and characterise 4D BIM's impact on a project, through each phase
• How do 4D BIM managers use the chosen application to make decisions
• How is 4D BIM used to implement a strategy
• Opinion of the perception of stakeholders within a project, on how effective 4D BIM is in successful construction management.

Can I ask you to you complete the project based set of restrictions and project software attribute scores for the relevant software in the accompanying xls. files and to answer the questions above on a doc. file. (xls. files can be sent to you via email)

Also if I could ask for a means to verify the validity of your project involvement and subsequent software ratings to give credence to the study.

As a result your name, title, project and subsequent application ratings will be included in the analytical study.

Kind Regards,

Damien Kavanagh