(University of Witwatersrand, 2016-10) Moodley, Vidhyan; Mathye, Kurhula; Radebe, Simphiwe
It is anticipated that Building Information Technology (BIM) will lead to changes in the performance of professionals in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. However according to Goedert and Meadati (2008) full implementation of BIM in the construction industry has not yet been achieved, this is a problem as the industry does not have sufficient professionals that are BIM competent. The findings by Booyens et al. (2013) indicates it is quite clear that different companies recognize the necessity of keeping up to date with new technology and this is why they implement BIM technologies and processes in their companies and are requiring BIM competent employees.
Students that are not BIM competent by the end of their studies are put at a disadvantage. It is therefore essential for the emerging professionals to take cognisance of and understand BIM technologies and related practices while undertaking studies at an academic institution (Santos, 2010). Teaching BIM to students entering the AEC industry at a tertiary level will help ensure that they are sufficiently equipped to address the problems that the South African AEC industry is currently facing. This study aims to investigate the current BIM education status, the pedagogies used and the challenges faced when incorporating BIM into the curriculum, within the Schools of Architecture in South African Universities (Gauteng region).