Both the private sector and public sector in Brazil recognise that BIM could enhance productivity and efficiency in construction and facilities management. As of now, BIM is not well developed in Brazil, but wider adoption in the near future is highly likely. BIM is currently a hot topic in the construction sector, with an active lobby in favour of its implementation and steps having already been taken by the government to introduce initiatives related to BIM.
There have been some relevant projects that have, at least to a certain extent, used BIM, e.g. World Cup stadiums, Olympic Games venues, regional airports, the Museum of Tomorrow (“Museu do Amanhã”), as well as other buildings that were part of the revitalisation project of the port area in Rio de Janeiro.
Unfortunately, it is hard to ascertain to what extent or at which level BIM was used, or what the particular benefits and challenges were that the parties encountered in these projects.
In any event, the high costs associated with the implementation of BIM are likely a significant hindrance to its development in Brazil.
Currently, the adoption of BIM is not mandatory. Nevertheless, the public sector is discussing whether this requirement should be introduced and, if so, how the public authorities should go about implementing BIM.
A recent leading example comes from the state of Santa Catarina, in the south of Brazil, where the government has included BIM as a requirement in one of its projects. The government included experience of or qualification in BIM as one of the criteria for scoring points in the evaluation of bidders.
In the private sector, bigger construction companies might use BIM as an internal project management tool. Architects may also use BIM based on Revit. However it is currently entirely up to each company to decide whether or not investing in BIM is beneficial for their business.
At its current stage of development in Brazil, it is fair to say that the use of collaborative tools within BIM has not taken off because of discussions about who should pay for BIM. Although both the private and the public sector appear to be moving towards adopting or considering the use of BIM, there are different approaches depending on who presents the argument.
The public sector seems to be more focused on understanding the benefits of using BIM and the technical requirements to implement it. So far, there does not appear to be a wider commercial or legal discussion.
The private sector seems to have a better understanding of the technical features of BIM but is concerned about the associated costs and who will pay for them.
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