Implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Social Heritage Buildings in Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

Heritage buildings offer a sense of identity in every country. Preserving heritage buildings is important to ensure that bona fide aesthetic values are well maintained. However, the conservation and preservation of heritage buildings during operation and maintenance (O&M) has been taken lightly which can cause buildings to be abandoned due to the tedious work involved for the Facility Managers. Therefore, a need for advanced technology, such as Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM), is important to enhance the efficiency of O&M for heritage buildings in Malaysia. Even though BIM has many benefits, yet it is not widely adopted in Malaysia especially for heritage buildings. Therefore, this research highlights the awareness of BIM for social heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with various construction professionals that have experience in BIM projects and managing heritage buildings. These interviews prove that the current facility management practices for heritage buildings do not use advanced technology for upkeep and maintenance, particularly when producing dilapidation reports and measured drawings. Findings also show the challenges that restrict the implementation of BIM in heritage buildings and how to overcome the problems which have been categorized into three (3) elements: people, process, and technology. This research is expected to fill the gap in the implementation of BIM by supporting the initiatives by the Malaysian government for increasing productivity in construction projects through the adoption of new technology, like BIM, especially for heritage buildings.