Abstract
In the field of infrastructure, the development and application of the openBIM (open Building Information Modeling) approach and related standards (principally Industry Foundation Classes) remain limited with regard to processes in O&M (Operation and Maintenance) phases, as well as the broader context of AM (Asset Management). This article deals with the activities carried out as part of a pilot project based on the need to manage the operation and assess the condition and value of existing infrastructure along the Cancello–Benevento railway line. The principal goal was to systematize information by digitalizing the infrastructure, in order to enable the assessment of possible performance gaps (compared to national railway standards) in the event of integration within the national infrastructure. In compliance with the project requirements, a digitalization strategy was designed for the definition of surveying activities and the implementation of openBIM systems for the development of an object library and a federated digital model, structured within the collaborative platform that was used, and allowing management, maintenance, and subsequent financial evaluation in the broader context of asset management. The project involved the collaboration of railway operators, a university, and a software company that implemented innovative concepts concerning IFC (specifically, IFC4x2 was used) through the development of dedicated software solutions. The digital solution we proposed enabled the use of digital models as access keys to survey and maintenance information (ERP platforms used by the railway operators) that was available in real time. This project was nominated at the buildingSMART awards 2021 and was one of three finalists in the “Asset Management Using openBIM” category.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilBIM methodologies, when applied to infrastructure (Infrastructure Building Information Modeling, I-BIM), are able to offer information management digitally, and in a manner that is more effective and of use with large-scale infrastructural assets.As is well known, it has been shown that these methodologies can be successfully applied principally in design phases, with considerable advantages in terms of cost reduction and improved management of both material and professional resources
The results obtained by the project with respect to both the primary objective and other goals were very positive, and both companies, EAV and RFI, have learnt fundamental lessons, regarding possible future scenarios involving the use of digital systems and new technologies, which can certainly optimize the management processes of railway infrastructure in both companies
OpenBIM demonstrated that it supports the exchange of information between all actors involved in the process, and showed the ability to support the digitalization and management of the railway infrastructure for the purposes of managing the lifecycle of assets by supporting information connections with other systems
Summary
BIM methodologies, when applied to infrastructure (Infrastructure Building Information Modeling, I-BIM), are able to offer information management digitally, and in a manner that is more effective and of use with large-scale infrastructural assets. It has been shown that these methodologies can be successfully applied principally in design phases, with considerable advantages in terms of cost reduction and improved management of both material and professional resources. The availability and management of information relating to the entire lifecycle of an infrastructural asset may prove to be the innovative element, from a strategic perspective, for infrastructure managers. Infrastructure (e.g., roads or railways), in the context of the application of BIM methodologies, involves the management of componentmodeling concepts in line with the development of a characteristic alignment of a given linear infrastructure, unlike modeling of assets related to the construction sector
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