BIM in Latin America
We know that BIM is already an integrated and widely accepted methodology in Spain. The numbers speak for themselves: today, more than 40% of construction projects have the BIM certification.A reality that’s growing by leaps and bounds, but
how is BIM advancing in Latin America? Has it made its way into major projects?According to studies,
the BIM market in this region of the world will grow by up to 11% in 2020, but we see clear signs that this growth is much slower than expected.We review different
Latin American countries , speak with experts on the subject, and review current legislation and studies to
understand the present and future of BIM in these countries.
Current state of BIM in Latin America
The integration of BIM into large Latin American projects is not uniform. In countries like Chile , Colombia, and Peru, it is already a reality . It is widely accepted in large public projects and has a high hiring rate for BIM professionals . However, this implementation is not growing at the same pace across the continent, and the truth is that in most Spanish-speaking countries, the transition to BIM is progressing very slowly.
Since each country is a different case, we review its individual situation.
BIM in Costa Rica
Aaron Piedra, BIM MANAGER
We spoke with Aaron Piedra, a professional who faces the implementation of BIM in the construction sector on a daily basis.
Costa Rica is a country that is promoting the use of BIM processes in new construction . “Today, it is still an issue in public works, however, many private companies and foreign investors are trying to incorporate it into their work processes. They do so, mostly motivated by requests from foreign clients.”
BIM in 2018
This will be a big year for BIM in Costa Rica . Events like the National Construction Congress will provide an opportunity to connect companies, promising young entrepreneurs, and foreign investors eager for new opportunities in the sector.
BIM in Colombia
Angélica González, BIM Manager
We draw on the experience of Angélica González, a Colombian BIM Manager, who tells us about the current situation in her country.
Colombia is perhaps the country with the greatest BIM awareness of all those evaluated today. Its implementation has the seal of approval of associations that champion the integration of the new methodology in companies across diverse fields. Its greatest advocates have been the leading national and European construction companies, which through training, process development, and implementation have been making the transition to BIM in all phases of their projects. On the other hand, “institutions have not expressed the intention to include the methodology in public projects as is the case in some neighboring countries.”
A sought-after profile
For the past three years, we’ve seen an increase in demand for professional profiles with knowledge of BIM systems . However, “these profiles are scarce in the country, so many companies are choosing to train their teams and begin a gradual implementation based on their capabilities. The initiative of these companies has led more and more companies in the sector to adopt an efficient, popular system that offers the opportunity to train their own teams.”
BIM in 2018
This will continue to be a great year for the growth of BIM in this country. New projects and initiatives created in a completely BIM-inclusive environment will emerge. A 2018 full of opportunities for BIM to continue growing.
BIM in Venezuela
Johnny Monges, BIM Specialist Designer
We review the construction situation in the country with Johnny Monges, instructor of our online BIM Master’s program and a BIM specialist designer.
Although we’re already seeing some hints of BIM implementation in private companies, the truth is that this methodology hasn’t fully entered the construction sector’s operational operations in Venezuela. In fact, we may be looking at the country with the least BIM presence of all those we visited today.
Low investment in BIM projects
“The lack of foreign investment and the inability of local companies to adopt this approach means the process is slower than in other Latin American countries,” comments Johnny Monges.
“On the one hand, there are no protocols or standards in the increasingly scarce public works sector. The private sector also lacks the necessary tools to make methodological or training investments .”
Boosters
Associations such as the Chamber of Construction and the College of Engineers of Venezuela are paving the way for the future implementation of BIM as a standard in the country, but this requires a change in the country’s approach to foreign investment.
BIM in 2018
This could be a decisive year for BIM implementation in Venezuela . The responsiveness of foreign companies investing in local projects will be key in assessing whether BIM fully embraces the Venezuelan reality.
BIM in Peru
Christian Cabrera Mendoza, Civil Engineer – Electronic Engineer
We spoke with Christian Cabrera Mendoza, an engineer and BIM specialist, who updated us on the current state of the Peruvian construction industry.
Promoting change in Peru is no easy task. “The early days of BIM implementation in this country, so driven by new technologies, have become a challenge for private companies .” While it’s true that BIM arrived in Peru in 2014 with the help of large corporations, it wasn’t until the last two years that we began to see its advantages and nuances.
“The future of BIM in this country depends on young architects and engineers receiving comprehensive, high-quality BIM training. This is the incentive large companies need to take the plunge and invest in professionals who can ensure the proper implementation of this new methodology.”
BIM in 2018
Peru has an International BIM Congress that is responsible for ensuring that the quality standards of this new methodology are met year after year, as well as supporting companies in benefiting from all the advantages that BIM offers to Peruvian industry.
BIM in Ecuador
Hector Santacruz Nuñez, Engineer, BIM specialist
We spoke with Héctor Santacruz, who tells us about his experience in the many attempts at implementing BIM in Ecuador.
“In Ecuador, there is no BIM implementation standard , although from my perspective, that’s the beauty of BIM: the ability to implement it tailored to the needs of the project and the company itself,” and based on each company’s corporate standards, covering the entire project lifecycle.
“BIM is primarily applied in Ecuador at the private sector level; there is no state policy to manage or shed light on the need for or implementation of BIM solutions.” The main players in BIM in this country are private companies , mostly construction companies, known for the level of detail they can achieve in both bills of materials and interference analysis using BIM.
BIM in 2018
The future of BIM this year lies in its adoption in the country’s major private projects.
Unfortunately, these new technologies are not being implemented rapidly in most Latin American countries. According to the data collected, we see that in most of the countries analyzed, their implementation is slow and inconsistent. We hope that foreign investment and public organizations will join forces to make BIM a reality.