Public PhD defence of Kannary Keth on "Design a BIM guidelines to support collaboration in construction sector in Cambodia"

The construction industry is an essential sector in driving global economic growth, as well as in Cambodia. The rapid growth of urbanization increases the demand for infrastructure such as buildings, roads, bridges, railways, etc. There are higher expectations for building performance, including more productivity, efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, construction nowadays is more complex. Meanwhile, many constructions in Cambodia have grappled with overrun costs and delays. Cambodia’s construction sector needs to modernize and make better use of digital technology to improve productivity, control costs and schedules, and promote sustainability, as has been seen in European countries and certain other Asian countries currently.

In recent years, Building Information Model /Modeling /Management (BIM) has been considered and exposed as a potential method for solving different problems in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). Moreover, BIM has emerged, both in scientific journals and those intended for professionals in the sector, as a digital approach for enhancing collaboration, reducing errors, and optimizing project outcomes across the building lifecycle. Many countries work so hard to adopt BIM into their industries. Several have developed their own BIM regulations and guidelines to align with international standards, such as the ISO 19650 series, which has been in place since 2018. As a developing country, Cambodia should also consider the implementation of BIM within its AEC sector and, eventually, establish its own regulations and guidelines to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of its construction industry.

This study aims to provide tools or methods that can serve as alternatives for the implementation of BIM in the construction sector in Cambodia. The objective of this research is to propose guidelines for the implementation of BIM in Cambodia, adapted to the Cambodian context.

Action research is a key methodology for answering research questions, which involves diagnosing, planning actions, taking measures, evaluating and clarifying learning. The proposed scientific approach is based on six pillars to help solve the problem. The first is to understand the state of the art; the second is to understand construction practices in Cambodia; the third is to understand BIM guide practices in European and Asian contexts. The fourth is to propose and develop, and the fifth is to implement a guide and working methodology adapted to the context and appropriate for stakeholders in the sector. Finally, we evaluate the proposed guidelines and then design better ones.