Assessing gaps and opportunities in measuring the benefits of BIM in infrastructure design projects : What can we consider before, during and after the project?

While the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) is becoming more widespread, the industry is still seeking tools for measuring and quantifying the benefits of BIM. There are only few studies containing empirical evidence derived from case studies. Furthermore, most of these case studies measure the perception of stakeholders and do not necessarily provide any concrete measures, especially for the benefits of BIM in the design phase. In this research, we started by seeking quantifiable measures to assess the benefits of BIM in infrastructure projects. However, during the case studies, we recognised the need to assess the gaps and opportunities towards developing a more inclusive framework for measuring the benefits of BIM, with particular attention towards the design phase where such measures are lacking. Based on this recognised gap, qualitative and quantitative measures are identified for different stakeholders to be used before, during and after the project. The proposed set of measures are mostly derived from theory, with some pointers and cues emerging from the case studies involving discussions with team members of four Finnish infrastructure design projects, and the authors' observations when working within the industry.