# Building Information Modeling Impact on Cost Overrun Risk Factors and Interrelationships
## 1 Introduction  
Construction cost overruns are one of the most common problems the construction industry faces worldwide, and Saudi Arabia's construction projects are not exempt. Among the numerous adverse effects of these delays are a decreased percentage of completed projects, project abandonment, and project cancelations [1]. These factors have budgetary implications or cause additional expenditures [2, 3]. This phenomenon has prompted academics and professionals to analyze the contributing risk factors. Conventional studies on construction projects have found the primary reasons behind project cost overruns and delays, which can be classified into four categories: project, people, environment, and management [4]. Building Information Modeling (BIM) studies, such as that by [PERSON] et al. [5], have shown that BIM can aid in faster completion of construction projects with higher quality, lower costs, fewer errors, and lesser time loss than conventional construction practices. BIM has become standard in many industrialized nations, including the US, the UK, and Scandinavian nations, including Norway, Finland, and Denmark [5]. [PERSON] et al. [6] suggested that increasing interest in BIM technology among nations and academic communities is a positive indicator for managing and controlling the above problems.  
Concerning conventional construction practices, considerable attention has been paid to risk factors related to the construction industry's delays and cost overruns. Moreover, many studies in BIM literature focus on factors contributing to delays (e.g., [3; 7; 8]), cost overruns (e.g., [9]), or both (e.g., [5]). However, there is minimal discussion on how BIM technology affects the performance of risk factors studied in conventional processes and their subsequent effects on cost overruns in Saudi construction projects. This study uniquely examines the impact of BIM adoption on 12 critical risk factors associated with project cost overruns. While most BIM research focuses on the direct effects of BIM on project costs, it often overlooks how this technology influences the risk factors contributing to cost overruns, underscoring BIM's potential to mitigate these key risks. Additionally, the study offers a detailed exploration of the interrelationships among these risks using PLS-SEM, a less common methodology in this field, providing deeper insights into the complex dynamics of risk factors.  
Therefore, this study aims to examine the impacts of BIM use on critical risk factors linked to construction cost overruns in the Saudi construction context. To achieve this, various objectives were proposed:  
1. to determine critical risk factors associated with construction cost overruns worldwide, particularly in the Saudi context;
2. to assess the influence of BIM usage on these identified risk factors within the Saudi construction industry;
3. to explore the relationships and interdependencies between significant risk factors in the context of BIM-enabled construction projects.  
This study contributes to the knowledge base by examining the contribution of BIM technology to the Saudi construction industry by evaluating its influence on risk factors associated with construction project cost overruns. In addition, the application of PLS-SEM, a less common methodology in this field, brings a unique analytical perspective, allowing for a deeper exploration of interactions among risk factors. This approach provides a nuanced understanding of how these risks influence one another, offering a comprehensive view of costs within Saudi construction projects. The insights gained from this study are valuable not only for local stakeholders but also for international partners and stakeholders.