Redes de relacionamentos baseados no BIM: contribuições da análise de redes sociais

Abstract

Several scientific researches related to Building Information Modeling (BIM) highlight how changes in information flow, communication and collaboration between different agents in the construction industry are among the main advantages of its adoption, being, therefore, fundamental aspects to allow the optimization of the benefits it brings to interconnections during the asset lifecycle in the construction industry. Nonetheless, little is known about the sociotechnical characteristics of the relationships between these agents, the influence they exert on the diffusion of digital processes in the sector, and on the appropriate methods to measure these aspects. Considering that these agents are organized in the form of networks, the Social Network Analysis (SNA) strategy has the potential of providing subsidies for the study of these networks, departing from the elucidation of characteristics related to the network topology, the intrinsic properties of the individuals that compose them and the relationships that these individuals have with each other. Seeking to explore and expand knowledge about the application of different methods supported by SNA within the scope of social networks based on BIM, this research applied a Systematic Literature Review to analyze the international scientific production on the subject in the period between 2011 and 2021. Data analysis included two stages, each organized around a specific method: bibliometric analysis and content analysis. The results obtained in the bibliometric analysis showed a recent and growing interest of the scientific community on the subject, with the vast majority of research having been published only in the last five years, concentrated mainly in Asian and North American countries. In terms of content analysis, the results showed that BIM-based networks have particular characteristics that distinguish them from traditional networks presenting structural behavior similar to small-world networks, with a high level of interconnection and reach between the individuals that compose them. In addition, it was identified that professionals who work with BIM tend to play prominent roles within the network, but do not compete or replace pre-existing traditional roles, as they tend to organize themselves in association with them, decentralizing the information flow, fostering a more balanced distribution of relationships, resulting in an increased level of collaboration.