Abstract

Global environmental changes, energy consumption, and the scarcity of water have all imposed the need to implement sustainable development strategies worldwide. The construction industry and its healthy practices are not exception, as it should take more strides to alleviate harmful impacts of unsustainable construction practices on the built environment. Sustainable construction has many aspects such as passive design, selection of the appropriate materials and construction techniques, energy efficient systems, and water conservation. In Egypt, current situation regarding energy consumption, accelerated urbanization, and high pollution rates are urging the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) professionals to convert current conventional construction approaches into more sustainable ones. One of the useful in this regard is to capitalize on technological innovative means to narrow the gap and advance the sustainable green construction mission. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a relatively recent technology within the construction industry that, when properly introduced, can help in providing adequate project quality, accurate time and quantity take-offs schedules, and project costs reduction. For instance, this tool can result in more efficient design practices, which contribute to reducing waste generation, energy consumption and promote passive design strategies. This study aims at analyzing the impact of BIM implementation on the sustainable construction practices and assessing current BIM implementation trends during the design process phase in the AEC industry. In principle, the study tackles BIM adoption situation factors of influencing and the barriers, and opportunities confronting its implementation within the Egyptian consultancy firms. Building on the literature review, this study discusses the sustainable design and constructability concepts in the construction industry and the manner by which BIM can be effectively utilized the pre-construction phase. Furthermore, the study describes the BIM implementation obstacles, success factors, and the role of government and other stakeholders in adopting BIM for achieving sustainable construction industry. To meet this objective, interviews were conducted with BIM users and experts to investigate the BIM implementation situation in the Egyptian consultancy firms and needed actions for successful BIM adoption in the Egyptian construction market. The academic knowledge with the interviews provide the researcher with the base to articulate the ideas and develops the discussion to figure out the critical issues regarding BIM adoption in Egypt. In this manner, the research provides some recommendations for successful BIM adoption in the Egyptian construction industry. In addition, the study recommended adopting BIM as the technological pillar towards sustainable construction industry in the country's 2030 sustainable development strategy. The research also encourages the collaboration between the construction industry stakeholders to set a roadmap for adopting BIM in the Egyptian construction industry. Finally, build on the literature and the experts' opinions, the research recommended practical actions for the industry players to ensure a successful transition towards BIM implementation.

Degree Name

MS in Sustainable Development

Graduation Date

2-1-2019

Submission Date

June 2018

First Advisor

Abou-Zeid, Mohamed Nagib

Committee Member 1

Ghanem, Gouda Mohamed

Committee Member 2

Tarabieh, Khaled

Extent

152 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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