The UK is still the leader in European countries implementing BIM, but Germany and Russia are “stepping forward” according to a study
In 2021, the UK remains the undisputed leader in BIM implementation in construction when compared to other European countries planradarThe latest European classification for BIM accreditation.
The company analyzed research, examined government documents and conducted interviews to find out why BIM was being used in each country, and evaluated the attitudes of construction professionals to digital technology tools in their industry.
It also examined where BIM’s rapid growth is likely to be in the coming years and what progress governments have made in adopting BIM designs.
The UK has long been considered a pioneer in BIM technology, with projects such as the rebuilding of Heathrow Airport using early BIM technologies in the 1980s.
But while the first Russian BIM projects did not appear until 2014, the country is on a steep upward trend. No other European country has passed so many laws for the standardization and mandatory implementation of BIM models in construction.
The highly developed German construction market also shows the advanced and widespread use of BIM. As part of its vision for the future digitization of the German construction sector, the government is investing in BIM standardization, qualification and support for BIM projects.
BIM application in Europe:
United Kingdom
The UK has the largest number of builders using BIM at Level 2 and beyond. The company continues to lead the early application and implementation of BIM in construction projects. Since 2016, all government-funded projects have had to use at least BIM Level 2, which has led to an increased awareness and use of BIM over the past decade. BIM is recommended for special projects, but not mandatory. Currently, only 62% of small businesses in the UK are actively using BIM compared to 80% of large companies.
Germany
70% of German construction companies use BIM at different levels. However, the majority of architects and design firms. BIM has been mandatory for projects over 100 million euros since 2017. From December 31, 2020, BIM will be mandatory for all public contracts in connection with the construction of federal infrastructures.
France
France does not yet have a single legal or statutory BIM standard, but 35% of property developers in France use BIM for their real estate projects. In addition, 50-60% of market leaders in the French construction market have switched to BIM, with Level 2 being the most common maturity level. At the end of 2018, the BIM 2022 plan was launched to encourage those involved in construction to integrate it into their workflow.
Austria
Austria has developed its own advanced BIM standard – ÖNORM A 6241-2 (which covers all BIM levels including 3). However, only 20% of small and medium-sized construction companies use BIM. BIM has been mandatory for budget control in the construction of public buildings since 2018. According to a recommendation by the European Commission, BIM has been mandatory in Austria for tenders and public works contracts since 2020. However, a law that prescribes a wider use of BIM in Austria has not yet been passed.
Russia
BIM technology is used by real estate developers and very large construction companies operating in large cities such as Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Ufa and Yekaterinburg. When it comes to legislation that sets BIM standards and their mandate, Russia is clearly a leader. Today there are 15 national standards (GOSTs) and eight sets of rules for information modeling in the country. As of March 2022, all government projects will have to use BIM technology, and more laws are in preparation.
Poland
Research from 2019 showed that 43% of developers use BIM, but the BIM protocol in Poland is not standardized. Polish laws regulating the use of BIM have stalled in recent years. In 2020 the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology published a roadmap for implementing BIM in public procurement. However, it is assumed that BIM in Poland will only become mandatory for major construction projects with the state budget in 2030.
Croatia
Croatia ranks lowest in terms of BIM implementation at the country level. Almost 25% of all Croatian architects and designers use entry-level BIM, i.e. level 0 or 2D CAD projects. BIM does not currently appear in Croatian building law.
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