Proposing a Computational Modeling Framework for Generating Masonry Wall Units, Enhancing the Information Within a BIM

Abstract

In recent decades, the construction industry has undergone a technological shift incorporating innovative technologies, such as robotics. However, information requirements must be met to integrate robotics further. Currently, building information models (BIM) contain substantial project information that can be leveraged for robots to create construction tasks, but for some building systems, the level of development (LOD) is inadequate to support these new requirements. Therefore, this study proposes a framework to increase the LOD of building systems by considering location information (X, Y, Z), orientation, material type, and component I.D. The computational modeler, Dynamo, is leveraged to increase the model’s LOD, extract information, and facilitate robotic task execution in the future. A case study is presented for multiple masonry room configurations developed in Autodesk Revit, where masonry units are generated and placed into design locations based on the geometry of the wall system. The case study used concrete masonry units (CMU) and standard brick. The number of partial-sized and full-sized blocks for each configuration was recorded, along with the computational time required to generate the units. It was observed that room configurations with more openings had longer computational times when compared to rooms constructed from the same material. After running the script, the model is reviewed to ensure accuracy and prevent overlaps or gaps in the model. The workflow provides insight into the methods used to interpret model geometry and extract information.