Dive Brief:

• Since 2008, the use of building information modeling (BIM) software among structural engineers has doubled from about a third to two-thirds for steel structures, an industry survey found.
• Some are also starting to use BIM for cast-in-place concrete projects, but few engineers share their models with contractors because they fear liability issues.
• For all BIM's inroads, a two-dimensional file is still how most projects are delivered, according to Will Ikerd, BIM and structural consultant who co-chairs the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) committee that surveyed U.S. firms.

Dive Insight:

Firms must see a benefit to using BIM, even if it is not for deliverables. Just over three-quarters of the firms responding the survey said they do not charge clients extra for working in BIM models.