Comparing concurrent and sequential practices in cloud-BIM interdisciplinary collaborative design: an experimental study

Effective interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for success in building design, yet current sequential practices often hamper collaboration and lead to suboptimal outcomes. This study examines interdisciplinary collaboration during the detailed design phase within a Cloud-based Building Information Modeling (Cloud-based BIM) environment, aiming to identify effective practices and offer improvement recommendations. Following two initial experiments to refine the settings, five experiments involving architects, structural, and Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) designers compared concurrent and sequential collaborative design practices in terms of project efficiency, quality, and team dynamics. Results show that concurrent practices enable earlier issue identification, greater interaction, and faster resolution, but also lead to more clashes due to increased issue discovery. Problem identification, solution development, and execution behaviors are key contributors to the effectiveness of concurrent design. The study suggests that Cloud-based BIM platforms with real-time communication can support concurrent workflow and collaborative behaviors, improving design efficiency and quality. These findings may extend to other interdisciplinary design environments reliant on collaborative workflows.