BIM-Specific Prequalification Criteria in Construction Projects: Exploring the Nature and Timeline of Their Inclusion

Abstract

Building information modeling (BIM) can potentially enhance project visibility, improve productivity, and promote shared understanding among various construction project stakeholders. The benefits of BIM implementation in a construction project may remain a distant dream if there is no structured way to select a BIM-capable contractor. Existing studies have focused on identifying BIM prequalification (PQ) criteria in countries where BIM implementation is advanced. Therefore, considering the early stages of BIM adoption in many developing countries, this study identified the mandatory and desirable BIM-specific PQ criteria to be included in the short, medium, and long term, considering the perspectives of clients, contractors, consultants, and academicians in the context of engineering, procurement, and construction—turnkey (EPC–Turnkey) projects. Objectives were achieved by identifying the relevant BIM-specific PQ criteria through content analysis of the literature and interviews with experts predominantly from countries where BIM implementation is nascent. Following the literature review and interviews, a questionnaire survey of globally spread stakeholders assessed their extent of agreement or disagreement on including a criterion as a BIM-specific PQ criterion. The results showed that, while all the identified BIM-specific PQ criteria were rated on the agreement side, most respondents preferred including the criteria as desirable rather than mandatory, with their inclusion in the short and medium term (less than five years). In terms of stakeholder perspectives, there was no significant difference between the agreement levels of stakeholder groups. However, considering the overall responses, realizing the need to provide time for holistic BIM diffusion, the practitioners preferred a middle path to include the BIM-specific PQ criteria as desirable rather than mandatory within a timeline of the next five years. The study results can help project stakeholders assess bidders’ BIM implementation capability by considering the conflicting dual needs of BIM implementation urgency and the varying extents of BIM percolation among contractor organizations.