NBS has revealed its eleventh annual survey, now the Digital Construction Survey,
previously the NBS BIM Survey.
With over 900 respondents, this
year’s report provides a more comprehensive picture of the sector’s digital
transformation, along with BIM adoption levels, and day-to-day usage of
technology.
With approaching three-quarters
(71%) of respondents now using BIM, it’s fair to consider this approach now
embedded across the sector, with adoption levels consistent for the past couple
of years.
The construction industry is
now on board with technology and confident that it will help solve the
challenges facing the sector, as demonstrated by eight in ten stating that
digital technologies deliver a better-built environment, with three quarters
(75%) saying that tech offers sustainability benefits.
The forthcoming Building Safety
Bill has forced safety to the forefront of the construction industry, and regulation
requires a digital “golden thread” of information. This is an accurate,
up-to-date digital record of all data required to maintain and operate a
building. This includes how it was designed, built, and any maintenance. This
log records all the processes, construction products used, and the decisions
made in construction and operation.
The golden thread covers
information and documents as well as information management processes, all
stored as structured digital information.
While eight in ten (78%)
respondents say they need to be working digitally and 70% say they need to have
adopted BIM to make the golden thread a reality, only half (51%) are clear how
they will do this.
The golden thread process is
made much easier with the data available through a digital twin. In addition,
having a digital twin enables access to all of the essential information in one
place and allows for constant monitoring and maintenance of the asset.
While three quarters (74%) of
respondents believe that digital technology is helping create a safer built
environment, digital twin adoption is still relatively slow, with only 16%
having worked on a project that used a digital twin in the past year.
In the past 12 months, half the
survey's respondents have worked on an off-site project, a clear sign that a
move to MMC is taking place, yet this figure shows there's still work to be
done if the government is going to embrace MMC on the scale it intends.
Over a third (35%) already use
immersive techs such as VR/AR, and a half (50%) plan to within five years.
These figures could indicate that a switch to digital technologies that can
improve data collection and analysis and safety is becoming the norm as
construction sites continue to become digital tech 'hotspots.'
The survey also reveals that
over three-quarters of the industry (77%) use cloud computing. This result is
higher than previous year, compared to 42% in 2020. A clear sign that
digital methods are being fully embraced and that steps towards the Golden Thread
are now coming into effect, providing a clear digital footprint.
The construction industry has
traditionally lagged behind others in the adoption of digital capabilities. The
Digital Construction Survey asked respondents to rank how various essential
technologies or ways of working will transform the sector for the better over
the next five years.
The top five are as follows, 1)
BIM, 2) Cloud computing, 3) Offsite construction, 4) Digital Twins, 5) AR/VR
mixed reality.
Commenting on the survey’s
results, David Bain, NBS’ Research Manager, said: “The adoption of new, digital technologies and ways of working
should help to improve outcomes, so it is encouraging that 80% of built
environment professionals agree that they are helping to create better
buildings and places. Also, 75% say these innovations positively impact
environmental sustainability, and 74% see them making a safer built
environment. The industry also recognises the key role digital and BIM will
play in realising the golden thread of information.
The use
of cloud computing and blended working has become commonplace, but BIM has the
most significant potential to transform the built environment for the better.
BIM is now part of many people’s way of working (71%), with almost two-thirds
of these recognising it as being about better information management, not just
software. However, there remain challenges in taking the benefits of BIM and
digital to all parts of the industry.”
Over 900 construction
professionals took part in this year’s Digital Construction Survey, which
included views from architects/engineers and other consultants (66%), contractors
(13%), clients (9%), and suppliers (9%) in the UK and beyond.
Click here to access the full report.
