Critical Success Factors and a Contractual Framework for Construction Projects Adopting Building Information Modeling in Vietnam

The application of building information modeling (BIM) in the Vietnamese construction industry is still in its early stage, both in perception and practice. This leads to a necessity of an effective legal system and standards for BIM implementation. In this study, a systematic literature review was conducted, including relevant references from journals, conference proceedings, and graduate-level theses published from 2008 to date, to identify legal issues and their potential solutions. The identified legal issues were analyzed in relation to the Vietnamese construction sector, and then verified and assessed through a survey. Both Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied to rank the BIM legal issues. The findings show that the most significant barrier in adopting BIM is the lack of consistency and participation of stakeholders in the BIM implementation process. Expert interview was conducted to evaluate the solutions for BIM legal issues in the Vietnamese construction market. Through surveys and expert interviews, various legal issues, risks, and barriers associated with the adoption of BIM in the Vietnamese construction industry were identified and addressed. Information about BIM contract awareness and experiences was also revealed, which would help verify the risks affecting the parties in a BIM-inclusive construction project, as well as those affecting information exchange and intellectual property rights in Vietnam. Finally, the paper suggests a set of critical success factors and a contractual framework that would lead to a successful BIM-inclusive construction contract in Vietnam.