Industry Expectations Help Drive BIM in Today’s University Undergraduate Curriculum

Over the past few years, the construction industry has seen increased usage of technology to help reduce time and cost on projects¹. New forms of collaborative software, such as building information modeling (BIM), are being introduced into the construction industry, helping the industry shift from the traditional design-bid-build process to a more efficient design-build process². What core competencies are needed for new graduates to ensure qualified personnel are entering the construction workforce? To gain a better understanding of the industry’s current requirement with new technologies available, a survey was conducted to help understand what the construction industry desires from a recent graduate. A second survey was conducted among academic institutions to provide insight into what skills schools are providing students. A site visit to an academic institution was also conducted to obtain a more in-depth analysis of their teaching style, techniques and concepts. This research was supported by FIATECH, an industry consortium that supports the developing usage of new technology in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries.