An Investigation into 'Lean-BIM' Synergies in the UK Construction Industry

This article highlights the advantages of Lean Construction (‘Lean’) and Building Information Modelling (‘BIM’) that have received much attention. Individually, each promises transformative and beneficial effects on the construction process, prompting researchers to consider the possibility of synergies between the two. An early example is the hypothetical ‘Lean-BIM Interaction Matrix’ of Rafael Sacks and his collaborators. In this, Lean principles are set against BIM functionality and  synergies predicted. Early tests of the proposals were through retrospective case studies. Further promising results have been demonstrated in construction projects in the USA. This suggests that  similar results might be possible elsewhere, prompting the present UK study. The methodological  approach is case-study based on projects where the contractor purports to be using (i)Lean principles,  (ii)BIM, and (iii) both. Evidence will be collected through a variety of means (including interviews, documents, and observation). The research is currently at a stage where data has been collected from the first few case-study projects.