Building Information Modeling Platform Research Articles

BIM-LCA Integration for the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Urbanization Process

The construction sector is one of the most polluting industries, generating between 30% and 40% of the worldwide environmental burden in terms of raw materials, direct and indirect energy consumption, waste, and CO2 emissions. Recent advances in computer science and data management have facilitated the evaluation of present and future impacts, thus improving the sustainability of architectural designs. Powerful software tools, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), allow environmental indicators to be incorporated into the construction elements that make up the project to evaluate it during the design stage. In this work, the state of the art of ecological indicator application through BIM platforms is studied. Barriers and uncertainties are also identified. Subsequently, a model is proposed to evaluate the environmental impact of an urbanization process or a project through several ecological indicators (carbon footprint, water footprint, and embodied energy). To perform this analysis, the most important aspect is to determine the quantities of each construction element and their clear decomposition into subelements, since both aspects add certainty to the analysis. For this purpose, construction cost databases are a good instrument for introducing environmental awareness. The reliability of LCA data, which can be obtained from generic databases or ecolabels such as environmental product declarations, becomes crucial.

Using BIM for Assessing Buildings Life Cycle Impacts

Facing the recent implementation of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) process in the construction industry, several potentialities have not been fully explored yet. Among them, is the integration of BIM in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis in order to automate the assessment of the potential environmental impacts. To date, despite the existing studies on the subject, there is still a need to define and establish a recommended assessment framework and software tool for LCA purposes when BIM methodology is used. This research analyses the current state of the implementation of the LCA analysis in the BIM process. Additionally, it compares the results from the use of two LCA software. For this purpose, a case study was modelled in the Autodesk Revit BIM platform and exported to two LCA specific BIM tools: Athena Impact Estimator and Tally. The life cycle impact results from both BIM tools, as well as the required workflows, are discussed and compared in order to validate results and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each. The results show that the implementation of the LCA method can be optimized in time and reliability by using the BIM process. Concerning the selected software, Tally has a better interoperability capability, user-friendly interface and a wider range of possible locations for the building. On the other hand, Athena Impact Estimator requires a detailed building characterisation to perform a comprehensive environmental impact assessment and has a broader materials database.

Interoperability and data exchange within BIM platform to evaluate building energy performance and indoor comfort

Most applied strategies during the building design process require careful consideration of indoor air quality and thermal conditions. This requires a detailed analysis involving multi and interdisciplinary efforts during the design process and thus, in turn, manifold interactions among various analysis methods and their simulation tools. An undesired consequence of this activity may be major problems in terms of data clashes and data losses. These difficulties may be overcome by utilizing a three-dimensional (3D) building model that not only includes the building's functional and physical specifications but also incorporates its thermal capacity and environmental dynamics. For this, building information modeling (BIM) can be employed as a base. The interoperability of the programs thus utilized need to be identified and ensued, as this is not yet clearly defined in the literature for these complicated analysis methods. This study thus aims to improve the building design process by developing a method to determine the interoperability of the utilized programs for evaluating a building's energy performance and indoor comfort through the BIM approach. A case study is conducted to verify the applicability of the proposed method and to identify the interoperability limits during the data exchange. To this end, three main analysis models are developed and evaluated. The architecture of the building is developed with the 3D building model as specified by the building's physical conditions; the indoor comfort conditions are developed with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of natural ventilation as specified by temperature, humidity, and air velocity; and energy performance is developed with a building energy model specified by the building architecture and its systems. These are then all integrated through a BIM platform. Therefore, the complexity of software integration is eliminated by the BIM-based proposed methodology.

An evaluation process for natural ventilation using a scenario-based multi-criteria and multi-interaction analysis

This study examines natural ventilation with respect to human thermal comfort conditions using a scenario-based, multi-criteria, and multi-interaction analysis. The proposed methodology evaluates the design development process in terms of decisions on building physics and building geometry during the early design stages to maximize human thermal comfort conditions and reduce cooling load requirements. The methodology integrates a detailed three-dimensional (3D) building and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling within a building information modeling (BIM) platform during the design development stage, which is developed and structured to optimize the evaluation process. The operational characteristics of the building in respect of windows and shutters have important effects on natural ventilation, which in turn influences thermal comfort, and cooling load. Thus, the multi-interaction analysis of natural ventilation is considered with operational schemes of enveloping that are integrated into a 3D model of the building, which is further transformed to a CFD model. Then, four scenarios using a manually operated building opening are created using the BIM platform. Thus, multi-interactions are achieved by developing a 3D-building model, that not only include the building’s functions and physical specifications but also incorporates the envelope’s thermal capacity coupled with openings that have various operational scenarios for natural ventilation. The results show that the correlation between the air temperature and velocity can provide a comfort zone and decrease the cooling load for energy consumption. The numerical results for one scenario 2 show that if the temperature and velocity values are increased together, human sensation as predicted mean vote (PMV) ranges from 0 to 2, which is considered tolerable for summer comfort, whilst the cooling load is reduced by almost 3%.

OSD

PurposeThe paper aims to leverage the importance of the integrated automatic structural design for tall buildings at the early stage. It proposes to use an automatic prototype to perform the structural design, analysis and optimisation in a building information modelling (BIM)-based platform. This process starts with extracting the required information from the architectural model in Revit Autodesk, such as boundary conditions and designs different options of the structural models in Robot Autodesk. In this process, Dynamo for Revit is used to define the mathematical functions to use different variables and generate various structural models. The paper aims to expand the domain of automation in the BIM platform to reduce the iterative process in different areas such as conceptual structural design and collaboration between architects and structural engineers to reduce the time and cost at the early stages.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins with an exploratory research by adopting a qualitative methodology and using open-ended questions to achieve more information about the phenomenon of automation and interoperability between structural engineers and architects and gain new insight into this area. Furthermore, correlation research is used by adopting quantitative and short questions to compare the proposed prototype with the traditional process of the structural design and optimisation and the interoperability between architects and engineers and consequently, validate the research.FindingsAs an outcome of the research, a structural design optimisation (SDO) prototype was developed to semi-automate the structural design process of tall buildings at the early stages. Moreover, the proposed prototype can be used during the early stage of structural design in different areas such as residential buildings, bridges, truss, reinforced concrete detailing, etc. Moreover, comprehensive literature regarding using automation in structural design, optimisation process and interoperability between architects and engineers is conducted that provides a new insight to contribute to future research and development.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the time limit, the paper results may lack in a comprehensive automatic structural design process. Therefore, the researchers are encouraged to expand the workability of the prototype for a comprehensive automatic design check such as automatic design for the minimum deflection, displacement of different types of buildings.Practical implicationsThe prototype includes implications for the development of different automatic designs.Originality/valueThe focus of this paper is the optimisation of the structural design in the BIM platform by using automation. This combination is one of the novelties of this paper, and the existing literature has a very limited amount of information and similar work in this area, especially interoperability between architects and engineers.

Digital project management in infrastructure project: a case study of Nagpur Metro Rail Project

The traditional approach followed in the construction industry often struggles to deliver the project on time and within budget. Lack of precision and exactness in the process of information flow leads to conflict between stakeholders. Inability to understand and interpret 2D drawings often leads to reductions in productivity, more chances of defects resulting in rework, wastage of resources, extra cost and time. Design management, document control, quality assurance, timely completion, cost control, risk mitigation, maintaining safe construction environment, and effective operation & maintenance of services are among the most common challenges faced by the construction industry. Could we address the challenges with the application of 5D Building Information Modeling (BIM)? The research is carried out to identify the potential of integrated 5D BIM-based digital project management system for infrastructure projects by analyzing a case study of Nagpur Metro Rail Project, the 5D integrated BIM implementation challenges and benefits achieved were studied. To carry out the study, unstructured interviews, discussions and questionnaire surveys among various stakeholders working on 5D BIM platform in Nagpur Metro were conducted. The purpose of the study was to understand various stakeholders’ role on 5D BIM platform, the process involved in 5D BIM, challenges observed in those process and benefits achieved as compared to the traditional approach. Reduced rework, reduced coordination problems, better communication between various stakeholders, reduced documents errors, fewer claims, reduced paperwork, reduction in time and cost overrun, reduction in lifecycle cost are amongst the many benefits. Training of employees, non-availability of GIS team, conversion of 2D drawings to 3D models, non-availability of BIM contract from the starting phase of the project were some of the identified challenges. The results show that 5D BIM-based digital project management system integrates all the processes, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the project, right from design to operation and maintenance stage.

Envelope Thermal Performance Analysis Based on Building Information Model (BIM) Cloud Platform—Proposed Green Mark Collaboration Environment

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and sustainable buildings are two future cornerstones of the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. In Singapore’s context, the Green Mark (GM) scoring system is prevalently used to assess the sustainability index of green buildings. BIM provides the semantic and geometry information of buildings, which is proliferated as the technological and process backbone for the green building assessment. This research, through vast literature reviews, identified that the current procedure of achieving a Green Mark score is tedious and cumbersome, which hampers productivity, especially in the calculation of building envelope thermal performance. Furthermore, the project stakeholders work in silos, in a non-collaborative, manual and 2D-based environment for generating relevant documentation to achieve the requisite green mark score. To this end, a cloud-based BIM platform was developed, with the aim of encouraging project stakeholders to collaboratively generate the project’s green mark score digitally in accordance with the regulatory requirements. Through this research, the authors have validated the Envelope Thermal Transfer Value (ETTV) calculation, which is one of the prerequisite criteria to achieve a Green Mark score, through a case study using the developed cloud-based BIM platform. The results indicated that using the proposed platform enhances the productivity and accuracy as far as ETTV calculation is concerned. This study provides a basis for future research in implementing the proposed platform for other criteria under the Green Mark Scheme.

Enabling the diffusion of sustainable product innovations in BIM library platforms

Building Information Modelling (BIM) objects represent buildingproducts in design, simulation, and procurement processes. This paper explores how BIM objects could be created and exchanged to enable the diffusion of innovative products with enhanced sustainability performance. Two BIM library platforms were examined by taking a new approach that integrates the concepts of sustainable value, diffusion of innovations, information, software usability, and platform ecosystems. The findings show that the diffusion of sustainable products can be inhibited due to problems with the mechanisms for creating and exchanging BIM objects, quality of BIM objects, the usability of BIM library platforms, and participation on the platforms. This study deepens understanding of the problems by focusing on ventilation products in Sweden. Identified shortcomings in the current practices of BIM platform owners and participants would be reduced by effective platform strategies, certification schemes for BIM objects, and BIM object creation processes integrated with product lifecycle management.

An Internet of Things-enabled BIM platform for modular integrated construction: A case study in Hong Kong

In recent years, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been acting an important role in the delivery of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) project. However, the full potential of BIM to MiC project cannot be realized without accurate information collection, timely information exchange, and automatic decision support throughout the project life cycle. In order to fulfil such requirements, this paper aims to develop an Internet of Things-enabled BIM platform (IBIMP) for the MiC project. A real-life project located in Hong Kong were deeply explored for developing the platform. The IBIMP consists of smart construction objects (SCOs) equipped with smart trinity tag (STT) and GPS sensor, smart gateway system, data source management service, location-based service, rule-based progress control service, as well as decision support services for prefabrication production, transportation, and on-site assembly processes. With the combination of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) technology and BIM technology, the barriers that hamper the possible functions of BIM can be overcame. By using application scenarios of a subsided sale flats MiC project in Hong Kong as examples, this study demonstrates how problems encountered by independent stakeholders such as inconvenient data collection, lack of automatic decision support, and incomplete information can be addressed by the IBIMP.

Propostas de incorporação de BIM no curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo

Building Information Modeling (BIM) vem sendo indicado como uma das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação que está transformando a indústria da construção civil. Contudo, pesquisas apontam que experiências didáticas de inserção do processo BIM no Brasil são relativamente novas. Assim, há uma necessidade de incorporar as possibilidades oferecidas pelo BIM durante o curso de arquitetura e urbanismo. E acredita-se que essa incorporação deve ir além da inclusão de disciplinas que visam o ensino de softwares. Nesse sentido, esse artigo apresenta parte dos resultados de uma pesquisa de mestrado e possui o objetivo de apresentar possibilidades oferecidas pelo BIM no ensino de arquitetura e urbanismo. As proposições apresentadas baseiam-se em: (1) fundamentação teórica; (2) revisão sistemática de literatura; (3) revisão de literatura sem meta-análise. O artigo apresenta um panorama sobre a aplicabilidade do BIM no ensino dos conteúdos obrigatórios de arquitetura e urbanismo, bem como possibilidades pouco exploradas pelos docentes. Advoga-se a favor de inserção do BIM no ensino de construção, conforto ambiental, história, representação geométrica e projeto, em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, e não apenas a criação de disciplinas de BIM em informática aplicada. Os resultados apontam que o BIM pode ser aplicado em todos os campos obrigatórios do currículo de arquitetura e urbanismo. Além disso, verificou-se que mesmo recente, as experiências didáticas encontradas indicam um avanço em termos da exploração das possibilidades oferecidas pela plataforma BIM no ensino. Ressalte-se que este é um processo evolutivo que demanda o treinamento de discentes e docentes, bem como o investimento em infraestrutura no ensino.

HBIM Modeling from the Surface Mesh and Its Extended Capability of Knowledge Representation

Built heritage has been documented by reality-based modeling for geometric description and by ontology for knowledge management. The current challenge still involves the extraction of geometric primitives and the establishment of their connection to heterogeneous knowledge. As a recently developed 3D information modeling environment, building information modeling (BIM) entails both graphical and non-graphical aspects of the entire building, which has been increasingly applied to heritage documentation and generates a new issue of heritage/historic BIM (HBIM). However, HBIM needs to additionally deal with the heterogeneity of geometric shape and semantic knowledge of the heritage object. This paper developed a new mesh-to-HBIM modeling workflow and an integrated BIM management system to connect HBIM elements and historical knowledge. Using the St-Pierre-le-Jeune Church, Strasbourg, France as a case study, this project employs Autodesk Revit as a BIM environment and Dynamo, a built-in visual programming tool of Revit, to extend the new HBIM functions. The mesh-to-HBIM process segments the surface mesh, thickens the triangle mesh to 3D volume, and transfers the primitives to BIM elements. The obtained HBIM is then converted to the ontology model to enrich the heterogeneous knowledge. Finally, HBIM geometric elements and ontology semantic knowledge is joined in a unified BIM environment. By extending the capability of the BIM platform, the HBIM modeling process can be conducted in a time-saving way, and the obtained HBIM is a semantic model with object-oriented knowledge.

BIM-based framework for temporary facility layout planning in construction site

PurposeThis paper aims to propose an innovative building information modelling (BIM)-based framework for multi-objective and dynamic temporary construction site layout design (SLD), which uses a hybrid approach of systematic layout planning (SLP) and mathematical modelling.Design/methodology/approachThe hybrid approach, which follows a step-by-step process for site layout planning, is designed to facilitate both qualitative and quantitative data collection and processing. BIM platform is usedto facilitate the determination of the required quantitative data, while the qualitative data are generated through knowledge-based rules.FindingsThe multi-objective layout model represents two important aspects: layout cost and adjacency score. The result shows that the model meets construction managers’ requirements in not only saving cost but also assuring the preferences of temporary facility relationships. This implies that the integration of SLP and mathematical layout modelling is an appropriate approach to deliver practical multi-objective SLD solutions.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed framework is expected to serve as a solution, for practical application, which takes the advantage of technologies in data collection and processing. Besides, this paper demonstrates, by using numerical experimentation and applying Microsoft Excel Solver for site layout optimisation, how to reduce the complexity in mathematical programming for construction managers.Originality/valueThe original contribution of this paper is the attempt of developing a framework in which all data used for the site layout modelling are collected and processed using a systematic approach, instead of being predetermined, as in many previous studies.

Applying BIM to achieve sustainability throughout a building life cycle towards a sustainable BIM model

The research addresses the issue that there is no an integrated approach or model to activate and implement sustainability in a project throughout its life and not benefit from the potentials of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology in achieving and supporting all sustainability aspects as a human need. Therefore, the research aims to establish and achieve a Sustainable BIM Model for applying within projects throughout their life cycle, managing the relationship between BIM and sustainability, and obtaining best interoperability performance. Consequently, sustainability and the potentials of dealing with it by modern techniques and tools were investigated and identified to simulate its indicators and criteria. Besides, strategies to establish sustainability that can be activated. Then related sustainability indicators to the performance of project aspects were collected and categorized to facilitate linking with BIM platforms. Moreover, the potentials of the overlap between sustainability and many BIM platforms were examined and demonstrated, and their employability in supporting sustainability aspects in a balanced manner. Eventually, a methodology to manage the relationship between BIM and sustainability was deduced and formulated to achieve a Sustainable BIM Model during a building life cycle.

Integrating construction supply chains within a circular economy: An ANFIS-based waste analytics system (A-WAS)

The circular economy agenda makes it paramount for construction supply chains to reduce material waste. Although a collaborative platform called Building Information Modelling (BIM) offers a means of supply chains integration, it has not been efficiently upscaled for delivering waste efficient building designs. This study, therefore, develops a BIM-based computational tool for building waste analytics and reporting in the construction supply chains. A Construction Waste (CW) prediction model using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was developed and integrated into Autodesk Revit BIM platform. The model development process reveals that “Gross Floor Area” and “Construction type” are the two key predictors for CW. The results of the study show that the tool offers useful insights into CW minimisation opportunities. The study makes a huge contribution to CW management practices by developing a computational approach to CW measurement. The contribution of the study is fundamental because achieving accurate waste prediction is crucial to waste prevention through adequate design principles and BIM.

BIM-based draft schedule generation in reinforced concrete-framed buildings

Purpose Project schedules have a vital role in the effective management of time, cost, scope and resources in construction projects, and creating schedules requires schedulers with construction knowledge and experience. The increase in the complexity of building projects and the emergence of building information modeling (BIM) in the architecture, engineering and construction industry have encouraged researchers to explore BIM capabilities for automated schedule generation. The scope and capabilities of the developed systems, however, are limited and the link between design and scheduling is still underdeveloped. This paper aims to investigate methods to develop a BIM-based framework to automatically generate schedules for concrete-framed buildings. Design/methodology/approach This system first extracts the required data from the building information model, including elements’ dimensions, quantities, spatial information, materials and other related attributes. It then applies construction rules, prior knowledge and production rate data to create project work-packages, calculate their durations and determine their relationships. Finally, it organizes these results into a schedule using project management software. Findings This system provides an automated and easy-to-use approach to generate schedules for concrete-framed buildings that are modeled in a BIM platform. It provides two schedules for each project, both a sequential and an overlapped solution, which the schedulers can modify into a practical schedule based on conditions and available resources. Originality/value This research project presents an innovative approach to use BIM-based attributes of structural elements to develop list of work-packages and estimate their durations, and then it uses a combination of rule-based and case-based reasoning to generate the schedules.

Potentialities of a Highway Alignment Optimization Method in an I-BIM Environment

The BIM (Building Information Modeling) approach potential in the civil engineering field opened novel scenarios in the design idea concept, from planning to executive and constructive phases. The related advantages are numerous and not only limited to a real-time interaction among the involved subjects, that can actually operate in an optimized 3D shared environment. Owing to the sharing information philosophy and to the features of various "smart objects" combined in the project, this innovation reduces potential errors and increases the effectiveness of the design solution in terms of both functionality and cost. Despite these advantages, the highway alignment design problem remains very complicated and not easy to solve without appropriate supporting tools. In recent years, several efforts have been spent in defining highway optimization procedures for helping designers in the selection of an optimal solution in compliance with numerous different constraints. Introducing these procedures in a BIM environment may represent a crucial step in the improvement of the highway design procedures, exploiting the full representation and modelling potential of the approach. In this paper, the authors present the advantages of a 3D highway alignment optimization algorithm, based on the Particle Swarm Optimization method, and its possible implementation in a BIM platform. A proper I-BIM environment can exploit the potential of the alignment optimization algorithms, simplifying the analysis of the different solutions, the final representation and the eventual manual modifications.

Estudio constructivo del Palacio de los Niños de Don Gome (Andújar, Jaén), gestionado desde el proyecto HBIM

<p>Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a collaborative system used extensively in the design and management of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries. Current platforms manage the information as data centres (i.e. databases) related to graphical representations located in 3D parametric models. Today, these new technologies are nowadays being incorporated in heritage assets. This paper aims to establish a methodology, based on these efficient platforms, for studying built heritage, including historical and construction aspects by adding the chronology of those interventions made in the historic building. This case study is focused on the Palace of the Children of Don Gome, a historic building located in the city of Andújar, in Jaén (Spain). The interest of this case study lies in the historic innovations and areas added to this palace. Likewise, the collection and manipulation of the graphic information and data related to the interventions have been based on an interoperable 3D graphic model, which allows users to include all the related documentation from different disciplines associated with the conservation and heritage restoration processes. In this paper, the construction process carried out during the last restoration of the building is studied. Specifically, it analyses the last building intervention in 1989, in particular an area of the coffered ceiling slab in the northern nave, located on the first floor. Within this model, all the elements that constitute the roof of the tower, mudwall walls, slabs and coffered ceilings of the northern nave have been studied, using photogrammetry for data acquisition and 3D modelling, and these data are included in a 3D digital model of the building generated using ArchiCAD software. Moreover, the system will be used to improve the management of the information obtained during heritage maintenance, creating a record of the whole building life cycle. As well as the historical documentation and graphical research, and the analysis of the procedures carried out during the last refurbishment of the building, new building construction system proposals have arisen which have been modelled to fulfil the Level Of Development (LOD) 300. Further analysis of these construction solutions used provides knowledge of how large 16th century palaces were built, and the kind of restoration conducted by architects at the end of the 20th century. The results obtained show how current BIM platforms are able to record construction and evolutionary aspects of a building’s history, by identifying all the original elements and classifying them before their demolition. Also, by making a detailed inventory of the whole coffered ceiling in which the position and the temporal order (original – later addition) of the elements are included, it is possible to virtually replace those elements in their original positions, reducing the visual impact of the intervention. On the other hand, multiple errors in projects based on graphical systems of representation, mainly Computer-Aided Design (CAD), may derive from contradictions in the official sources consulted, such as the plans of the cadastre, the city council, and those produced through manual measurement procedures. However, in this paper, real graphical documentation has been generated using specific 3D surveying techniques for capturing geometry and accurate measurements, as well as by utilising the BIM system.</p>

Integrating Building Information Modeling and Prefabrication Housing Production

Abstract The decision-making system in Prefabrication Housing Production (PHP) lacks efficiency and collaboration because relevant information is stored and managed in heterogeneous systems of various stakeholders, who are commonly geographically isolated. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has advantages of combining its object-oriented attributes and the production-oriented characteristics of PHP to support decision-making and collaborative working for raising working efficiency. Given the emerging recognition of BIM and PHP, an integrated conceptual framework based on existing studies is needed in order to facilitate their recognition and guide future research. Based on a critical review of 65 papers published in the peer-reviewed journals from 2005 to 2017, a conceptual framework is proposed for the integration of BIM and PHP. The framework involves three pillars, including smart BIM platform (SBP), smart work packages (SWPs), and smart PHP objects (SPOs). A gateway with interoperability function is created between the three pillars to facilitate the communication and interaction with the central database. The results can help develop the system architecture of BIM and PHP, which can then be used to benefit various stakeholders to facilitate the integration.

Construction of a building tower using the integrated BIM platform with timelines for optimization of time

The planning of works in the field of civil construction is an important step to ensure the progress of the same, the Bim platform allows something that facilitates the work with functionality and resources, aiming, thus, economy productivity and results in constant evolution. The materialization of this stage occurs through the elaboration and execution of schedules that are proposed to avoid the wastage of time and to estimate the final deadline of delivery of the project. However, the action of external agents such as the weather, in addition to outdating the schedule and their difficulty in showing simultaneous activities generate delays in the follow-up of the services. For this, the creation of management programs focused on the planning and execution of these works helps in the maintenance of the already existing schedules, corroborating for the routing of the tasks. BIM (Building Information Modeling) software used, is in charge of a broader characterization of the project management, in turn, modeling becomes observed in multiple dimensions, going according to each step, your needs according to the Enterprise. It is a tool that gathers and integrates the information generated during the construction period. The objective of this article is to aggregate the BIM platform to the scheduling models used in order to expand the functions and management possibilities in the construction of a 5-floors building tower located in the city of Manaus. The methodology used is in the alignment of the activities to be developed that are included in the Physical-Financial schedule, with its deadlines within the BIM program to create a critical path and better visualization of the development of simultaneous tasks. This combination of Information will create the 3D model of the project according to the level of detail desired, through this virtual perspective of the entire construction, offering versatility to the planning, a fast and effective way in the Civil construction promoting the control of all the data of the Work.

BIM-based energy consumption assessment of the on-site construction of building structural systems

PurposeSteel and reinforced concrete are among the most common structural materials used in the construction industry. Cost and the speed of construction have been usually the main criteria when selecting a building’s structural system, whereby the environmental impact of the structural material is sometimes ignored. Availability of an easy-to-use tool for environmental assessment of the structural alternatives could encourage this evaluation in the decision making. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an automated tool for the environmental assessment of the on-site construction processes of a building structural system, which calculates the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the structural system as a parameter for comparison.Design/methodology/approachThis assessment tool is implemented using a building information modeling (BIM) platform to extract structural elements and their key attributes, such as type, geometrical and locational data. These data are processed together with a productivity database to calculate machine hours, and then predefined energy and carbon inventories are used to assess the energy consumption of the structural system in the erection/installation stage.FindingsThis assessment tool provides an automated and easy-to-use approach to estimate energy consumption and carbon emissions of different structural systems that are modeled in a BIM platform. The results of this tool were within the ranges reported by the available studies.Originality/valueThis research project presents a novel approach to use BIM-based attributes of the structural elements to calculate the required efforts, i.e. machine hours, and assess their energy consumption and carbon emissions during construction processes.