Infusing Research Know-How into the Construction Sector: Pedagogies to Support Digital Construction in Ireland

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and BIM Management (BIMM) support digital construction and have the potential to revolutionize the construction industry. In countries where BIM has been most readily adopted, and national supports and mandates put into place, the use of these digital construction methodologies is yielding results. National governments work in various ways to encourage and support the use of BIM, and research is an important part of moving ahead the knowledge base, usability, and uptake of BIM. This paper focuses on the use of BIM in Ireland, the role of education in the shift toward digital construction, and the value of research conducted in one higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. This HEI, the Technological University of Dublin, has become a leader in BIM education and research. With hundreds of academic research papers having been produced at TU Dublin at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral levels, the authors believe it is time to review the storehouse of publications to assess its range, quality, and value to the Irish construction sector. This paper explains existing strategies for the implementation of BIM at national levels, and pedagogies that can be used to support this shift toward digital construction. The paper starts by discussing BIM adoption globally, the increasing use of BIM in Ireland, and the need for BIM education in Ireland. It then explains why research is needed to move the adoption of BIM forward and how student research can support implementation of BIM in industry. It proceeds to describe TU Dublin’s stepped and scaffolded approach for supporting student researchers, and then propose a plan for a study that will systematically map, critically analyze, and systematically review the results of BIM-related research generated at TU Dublin since 2020. The paper concludes with implications for future research.