BIM Awareness Assessment among Hydropower Professionals in Nepal

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has evolved into a comprehensive, collaborative method in construction project delivery. Most industrialized and developed countries have made BIM mandatory in the government and public projects, whereas developing countries are embracing and catching up BIM technologies to improve their professional's abilities and reduce claims in the construction projects. However, BIM awareness and professional's competence have become critical in implementing BIM in infrastructure projects in Nepal, particularly hydropower projects. The objectives of this study are to find the BIM awareness among hydropower professionals in Nepal and assess their response. The study used a questionnaire survey to assess the awareness. The results showed that only few professionals (12 percentage in this study) are aware of BIM and its application in Hydropower infrastructures. Majority of the respondents (more than 50%) were interested in BIM trainings and believed BIM implementation in future projects. The study indicated that lack of BIM training and lack of BIM awareness were the top factors affecting BIM implementation in hydropower projects in Nepal. The findings showed that about 66 percent of the respondents who used BIM in their projects mainly used during construction phase. More than 80 percent believed that BIM should be mandated for the hydropower projects in Nepal. The findings presented in this study could promote awareness among different professionals, organization, and construction team and encourage BIM implementation in Hydropower projects. The findings could raise awareness of BIM in Nepal's infrastructure sectors and its invaluable benefits in construction.