Abstract
BackgroundWith the rising adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the AEC sector, computational models supersede traditional ways of information provision based on textual documents and two-dimensional drawings. The use of models enables the streamlining of workflows, and the included virtual construction increases the quality of the final product, the building. To create a comprehensive description of a planned building, information from different sources must be combined, specified and regularly updated by the project’s stakeholders. The emerging models are highly structured, and instance files entail large amounts of data. However, in an unprocessed state, these models are of limited suitability for performing engineering tasks as the amount and structure does not match the domain-specific and purpose-oriented views.MethodsSelection and filtering data for the user’s needs is a well-understood task in computer science, and various approaches are available. A promising approach is the usage of formal query languages. In this paper, selected common query languages are examined and assessed for processing building model information. Based on the analysis, we come to the conclusion that textual query languages are too complex to be employed by typical end users in the construction industry such as architects and engineers.ResultsTo overcome this issue, two Visual Programming Languages representing a new, more intuitive mechanism for data retrieval are introduced. The first one, QL4BIM, is designed for general filtering of IFC models, the second one, VCCL, has been developed for Code Compliance Checking. Both languages provide operators based on the Relational Algebra to allow handling of relations - a highly required feature of BIM QLs.ConclusionsThe paper concludes with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of visual programming languages in the BIM context.
Highlights
With the rising adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the AEC sector, computational models supersede traditional ways of information provision based on textual documents and two-dimensional drawings
The first representative is a visual variant of Query Language for Building Information Modeling (QL4BIM), denoted as visual Query Language for 4D Building Models (vQL4BIM), which is applicable for general Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) filtering and processing
Visual information queries - vQL4BIM The textual and visual notations of QL4BIM are based on the same grammatical foundation
Summary
With the rising adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the AEC sector, computational models supersede traditional ways of information provision based on textual documents and two-dimensional drawings. To enable architects and engineers using model information as a reliable starting point for their duties, it has to be prepared in such a way that it meets the individual requirements of the respective process For this reason, BIM data has to be available in different forms, e.g. levels of development, model views or data formats. For the quantity take-off, for the verification of the model quality and for the optimization of the design planning, different information must be extracted from one or more sub-models For demanding tasks, such as the calculation of a Preidel et al Visualization in Engineering (2017) 5:18 pedestrian evacuation scenario, the raw data provided by the building model is mostly not sufficient. These pre-processing steps are a major challenge in the daily work of the domain experts as the available methods (textual query languages) do not enjoy a high level of user acceptance (Lee et al 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
