When it comes to collaborative virtual design and construction, designers and contractors agree that the fractured, adversarial traditions of the construction industry and limits on digital technology are the two monsters blocking a building information modeling utopia, or "cheruBIM," a world in which projects are built faster, better, for less money, with less strife and fewer claims. As far as technology, interoperability deficits stand out as the biggest obstacle to cheruBIM, preventing team member-users from sharing digital applications from different software vendors.
"Despite the great advancements and passionate, hardworking individuals and organizations working on interoperability standards, there still seems to be many to choose from," says Michael LeFevre, vice president of planning, design and support services for Holder Construction Co., Atlanta.