An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of building information modelling uses towards bim adoption for BIM-based projects: Contractors perspective

Abstract

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a modelling technology that is associated with a set of processes to produce, communicate, and analyse digital information in a construction life-cycle. BIM is important for various stakeholders including contractors to adopt in order to boost project performance. However, the previous report showed that the adoption of BIM among contractors is still low compared to other stakeholders. This is because the contractors have no profound understanding of BIM and its requirements. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to determine the uses of BIM from the contractors' perspective by adopting BIM from the planning phase to the construction phase as well as to determine the reliability and validity of the research instrument. A component questionnaire on Building Information Modelling (BIM) had been developed to determine the uses of BIM among contractors in Malaysia. This study was conducted in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, which involved 100 respondents, in order to affirm the development of valid and reliable instrument. The reliability test and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were used to measure the instrument to produce an empirical verification of the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Literature search and a pilot study on contractors involved in BIM-based projects were carried out from which the appropriate items were extracted. From these, twenty (20) items remained and were to be completed in the study: fourteen (14) items were BIM uses from the planning to the designing phase and six (6) items were BIM uses in the construction phase. The fourteen (14) items used to measure from the planning to the design phase comprised existing condition, cost estimation, phase planning, programming, site analysis, design review, design authoring, structural analysis, lighting analysis, energy analysis, mechanical analysis, other engineering analysis, sustainability evaluation (LEED), and code validation. Meanwhile, six (6) BIM uses for the construction phase consisted of 3D coordination, site utilizing planning, construction system design, digital fabrication, 3D control and planning, and record model. All twenty (20) items had high reliability index value, which was between 0.7 and 0.8. Accordingly, the factor analysis outcome resulted in two (2) components, obtained with 40.938% of cumulative variance, while the factor loading for each component ranged from 0.5 to 0.7, reflecting the dimension of the two (2) components. Hence, the result obtained proved that the instrument of this study had high reliability and validity.