Barriers and Opportunities of BIM Adoption in SME’s Structural Design Industry in Dubai- United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Adopting Building Information Modelling in structural designs provides an opportunity to improve efficiency of operations, enhance collaboration, and achieve cost savings. However, implementation of the model in the construction industry in the UAE has been hindered by barriers, and the situation remains complex. The research highlights the technical, financial, and organizational shortcomings that influence integration of BIM, focusing particularly on structural design stakeholders. The researcher adopted a mixed-method approach, starting with literature-based expert evaluation matrices and cause-effect mapping of barriers. It was followed by semi-structured interviews consisting of 30 consultants, architects, coordinators, and project managers from different organizations. A thematic analysis was conducted after the interviews to reveal context-specific challenges, which may not appear from secondary sources. The DEMATEL methods were applied to assess the relationship between the barriers and to prioritize them. Accordingly, the study concluded clear cause-and-effect relationships among various barriers to BIM implementation, citing weak support for BIM by senior management and interoperability issues as underlying factors, which, in turn, created numerous secondary-level issues. Moreover, the main contribution of the research lies in its use of a DEMATEL method, which identifies these cause-and-effect relationships, emphasizing BIM’s organizational and strategic elements, rather than its technical basis. The research thus indicates clear suggestions for how BIM implementations should proceed.

Keywords: Building Information Modelling (BIM), Structural Design, DEMATEL, Construction Industry, Organizational Barriers, Interoperability