Building Information Modeling Platform Research Articles

Use of BIM with Modular Construction in Future Construction Techniques

Modular construction technology and applications are rapidly evolving. Modular construction is a process in which entire rooms or sections of rooms are built in a factory setting along with electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work and then transported to a final site for assembly. With modular construction, a building is built off-site, under controlled facility conditions, with the same materials and to the same codes and standards as conventionally built facilities, but in half the time. The modular construction method is used to build various types of buildings (whether they are apartment houses, office buildings, or hotels). This construction method is used for both permanent and relocatable projects. These projects can be built with two types of modules. These are 2D panels or 3D modules. These can be combined to form a third type, hybrid modular construction. Each has its advantages. 2D panels offer easy logistics and flexibility in building design and are mounted on site. Factory productivity is increased by using 3D volumetric solutions. They only need to be installed once they are delivered. The hybrid modular structure has the advantages of the previous two. With the recent development of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the use of modular construction methods in conjunction with BIM becomes more common. As with any method, this one has advantages as well as disadvantages. Disadvantages of this method, such as a higher number of complex decisions, front-loaded design, etc., can be solved with BIM. Furthermore, the BIM platform can resolve the disadvantages of traditional construction methods, such as the difficulty of pre-project planning and coordination among members of interdisciplinary professions. With BIM and the modular construction method, physical conflicts between the structural system and its mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems can be easily identified early in the design process, and resolution can be expedited. This article includes general information about the modular construction method, future application scenarios, use, and advantages of BIM. The document analysis method, one of the qualitative methods, was used, and in the light of the data obtained, comments and scenarios were tried to be created about the future of BIM and modular construction techniques. What distinguishes this study is that the concept of quality is examined in detail by using these two methods together.

Mechanism to motivate information sharing behavior on the BIM platform for construction projects

ABSTRACT The full realization of building information modeling (BIM) value requires multi-party collaborative application of the BIM platform. The effective application of the BIM platform requires all parties involved in construction projects to share information and data. However, contractors are reluctant to provide key information to BIM platforms without receiving any incentive. Employing the principal-agent theory and incentive theory, from the perspective of the owner, this study proposes an information sharing incentive model for the BIM platform. The model was verified by numerical simulation and a case study. The results of the study found that, with incentive mechanisms, contractors were willing to provide information to the BIM platform. And through the effective application of information provided by contractors to the BIM platform, the project could realize added-value so as to improve project benefits. The research results of this paper are beneficial to improve the theories related to BIM collaborative application and BIM platform management, and can provide support for the construction of information sharing incentive mechanism of BIM platform for owners.

Graph-based decomposition for electrical wiring design in interior finishing

Electrical wiring design within interior finishing is subject to various practical criteria, thereby resulting in time-intensive manual implementation. Despite this, most applications offer only basic collision detection tools, limiting design capabilities. In response, a graph-based decomposition approach is introduced, framing electrical wiring design as an optimization problem on a non-uniform grid graph derived from building information. This method breaks down the problem into two distinct subproblems, which are sequentially solved to achieve an optimal overall solution. Through experimentation across synthetic and real-world instances, performance improvements are demonstrated compared to two conventional integer programming solvers, yielding cost reductions averaging 12.3% when compared to a leading commercial application for interior design. These findings demonstrate the potential integration of this approach into building information modeling platforms, offering an efficient toolset for electrical wiring design in interior finishing.

Evolutionary game analysis of collaborative application of BIM platform from the perspective of value co-creation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the support for multi-party collaboration in project construction provided by building information modeling (BIM). Based on the perspective of value co-creation, the research results can provide support for the collaborative application and contract design of BIM platform.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, an evolutionary game model involving the owner, designer and constructor is constructed by using prospect theory and evolutionary game theory. Through simulation analysis, the evolution law of the strategy choice of each party in the collaborative application of BIM platform is discussed and the key factors affecting the strategy choice of all parties are analyzed.FindingsThe results show that there is an ideal local equilibrium point with progressive stability in the evolutionary game between the three parties: “the construction party shares information, the designer receives the information and optimizes the project and the owner does not provide incentives”; in addition, the opportunistic behaviors of the design and construction parties, as well as the probability of such behaviors being detected and the subsequent punishment have a significant impact on the evolutionary outcome.Originality/valueThis method can provide support for the collaborative application and contract design of BIM platform.

Development of a BIM Platform for the Design of Single-Story Steel Structure Factories

Traditional design methods for single-story steel structure factories are characterized by low levels of digitalization and high error rates. To deal with these problems, a building information modeling (BIM) platform for the design of single-story steel structure factories was developed in this paper, which aimed to improve the design process for such structures. Firstly, the components of the factory were categorized, and the Revit API was employed to automate the generation of the BIM model. Load applications and combinations were then established using the Revit API, which relied on a set of predefined parameters. Secondly, this paper proposed the creation of a dedicated database for data exchange between BIM software and finite element analysis software. Additionally, the SAP2000 Open Application Programming Interface (OAPI) was employed for the automated construction and analysis of the SAP2000 structural model. Finally, the innovative use of Dynamo–Revit API hybrid programming allowed for the visualization of internal forces directly within the Revit environment, significantly diminishing the dependency on standalone FEA software. The application results obtained on a project demonstrated that the developed platform markedly improves the efficiency of design single-story steel structure factories and ensures the accuracy of the structural analysis. This confirms that the developed platform can transform the traditional design process by integrating advanced digital tools, thereby providing a novel approach to the design of single-story steel structure factories.

Construction Quality Control for Rutting Resistance of Asphalt Pavement Using BIM Technology

During the course of building asphalt pavement, a lack of quality control will lead to the abandonment of the asphalt mixtures. One of the most common problems with asphalt pavement is rutting. Improving the construction’s quality is an important measure to reduce rutting. The purpose is to ensure the high-temperature durability of asphalt mixtures during the construction workflow to reduce the waste of asphalt mixtures, as well as to provide a methodology for the current monitoring of the quality based on the building information modeling (BIM). Rutting resistance was appraised utilizing the static uniaxial creep examination. Oblique photography technology was used to obtain terrain data. The software of Revit 2016 was used to build the spatial model of highways and bridges. The results show that the size distribution of particles, the asphalt proportion, and the forming specimen’s temperature are the vital elements influencing the high-temperature behavior. The gradation was identified as the most important factor. The second was the asphalt binder content. Gradation variation should be given more consideration during paving using asphalt mixtures. Furthermore, the developed BIM platform can also monitor rutting resistance to reduce rework during construction.

Innovative Approach to Convert Geographic Information System-Based Highway Models into Multidimensional Building Information Modeling Platforms Using Dynamo

This study proposes an innovative process of transforming a geographic information system (GIS)-based highway model into a robust building information modeling (BIM) platform using Dynamo visual programming tool. The existing GIS system used by the Indiana Department of Transportation for highway network representation has significant limitations of data storage and handling capacity, representation of complex entities, and inclusion of crucial traffic data from weigh-in-motion and automatic traffic recorder stations. The developed process involves converting poly-curves from the GIS model into model-curves compatible with BIM, classifying attributes into shape families, and integrating traffic data from traffic recorder stations. The resulting multidimensional BIM platform, extending from three to eight dimensions, encompasses essential project details and traffic data. To ensure interoperability, an Open BIM process involving the generation of an industry foundation classes (IFC) file is utilized, allowing efficient data exchange among different software platforms and stakeholders.

A building information modeling-based fire emergency evacuation simulation system for large infrastructures

During fire emergencies, people in large infrastructures are difficult to comprehend real-time fire dynamics and identify available evacuation routes, leading to lengthy evacuation time and unnecessary loss of life and property. This study aims to develop a fire emergency evacuation simulation system for large infrastructures. This system integrates the data from building information modeling platform, fire dynamics simulator, and evacuation simulation platform through customized developments. Real-time fire situation is transmitted to the evacuation simulation platform to assess the impact of dynamic fire spread on the evacuation of people. The behavioral and psychological characteristics of evacuees of different genders and age groups are considered in simulated evacuations. An algorithm for optimizing evacuation route planning is designed to improve the utilization of each evacuation exit and provide a visualization of evacuation routes. This proposed system was validated at a busy subway station in China. The evacuation efficiency increased by 12.87%. It is concluded that this system can provide real-time dynamic optimal evacuation route planning for enhanced emergency management.

Applying shape grammar and BIM for generating the mass modular housing design in ShanLiChenJia village, ZhaoYuan, China

ABSTRACTThis paper proposes a method for floor plan designs that combines shape grammar with Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to create plan module libraries by using the mass modular housing project in ShanLiChenJia village as an example. The modular building is composed of several component modules, and shape grammar can manipulate their graphics and functions to enrich the combination relationship between component modules. The rule-making of the combination process can code the size relationship that affects the module form by adding space and size constraints. In the rule system of shape grammar, geometric dimensions, and functional attributes are first embedded in the shape graph. Then, the mapping relationship is established between the shape graph and the attributes of the modules. Finally, the BIM platform can establish the module library using Autodesk Revit. In addition, a spatial relationship in the scheme is selected in Revit software for generative experiments, which confirms the feasibility of shape grammar in generative design and spatial diversity of modular buildings.

BIM-enabled collaborative-robots 3D concrete printing to construct MiC with reinforcement

3D concrete printing (3DCP) has attracted much attention in recent years due to its advantage of advancing the conventional construction sector. However, the wide adoption of 3DCP in infrastructure and housing construction, i.e., Modular Integrated Construction, is hindered by the challenge of introducing reinforcement rebars in printed structures. This paper aims to tackle the abovementioned limitation by the application of a BIM-enabled collaborative-robots 3DCP system. In the proposed system, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and robot-arm 3D concrete printers are integrated to be a seamless information communication platform. The data of printed concrete structures and reinforcement rebars are extracted, separated, processed, and analysed on a BIM platform (i.e., Revit) by using a self-developed script. Then, these obtained data are sent to two robots to conduct different printing tasks, i.e., concurrent concrete structure printing and reinforcement rebar placement, respectively. The proposed system is successfully validated by a case study conducted in a virtual environment. This work demonstrates a seamless framework for concurrent print concrete structure and place reinforcement rebars to advance the automation of 3DCP by integrating BIM with robot-arm 3D printers.

A Comprehensive BIM Platform Development Based on Sustainable Construction Concept

In recent times, sustainable development has been recognized as a pressing need for the construction industry. It involves balancing economic, environmental, and social factors to promote healthy and stable growth while regulating industry behavior. Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged as a revolutionary tool for the industry, primarily focusing on economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. However, the social aspect of sustainability, encompassing the well-being and safety of construction personnel, has not received enough attention. Strengthening attention and reform of social factors in the industry is crucial for promoting the sound development of the construction industry. This study proposes a comprehensive BIM platform based on sustainable construction that takes into account environmental, economic, and social factors. By integrating social factors into BIM, we can promote a culture of safety, improve working conditions, and enhance the quality of life for construction personnel. This will not only benefit workers but also lead to better project outcomes, increased efficiency, and long-term sustainability for the construction industry as a whole.

Towards BIM-Based Sustainable Structural Design Optimization: A Systematic Review and Industry Perspective

Structural design optimization (SDO) plays a pivotal role in enhancing various aspects of construction projects, including design quality, cost efficiency, safety, and structural reliability. Recent endeavors in academia and industry have sought to harness the potential of building information modeling (BIM) and optimization algorithms to optimize SDO and improve design outcomes. This review paper aims to synthesize these efforts, shedding light on how SDO contributes to project coordination. Furthermore, the integration of sustainability considerations and the application of innovative technologies and optimization algorithms in SDO necessitate more interactive early stage collaboration among project stakeholders. This study offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary research in integrated SDO employing BIM and optimization algorithms. It commences with an exploratory investigation, employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques following the PRISMA systematic review methodology. Subsequently, an open-ended opinion survey was conducted among construction industry professionals in Europe. This survey yields valuable insights into the coordination challenges and potential solutions arising from technological shifts and interoperability concerns associated with the widespread implementation of SDO. These preliminary steps of systematic review and industry survey furnish a robust foundation of knowledge, enabling the proposal of an intelligent framework for automating early stage sustainable structural design optimization (ESSDO) within the construction sector. The ESSDO framework addresses the challenges of fragmented collaboration between architects and structural engineers. This proposed framework seamlessly integrates with the BIM platform, i.e., Autodesk Revit for architects. It extracts crucial architectural data and transfers it to the structural design and analysis platform, i.e., Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis (RSA), for structural engineers via the visual programming tool Dynamo. Once the optimization occurs, optimal outcomes are visualized within BIM environments. This visualization elevates interactive collaborations between architects and engineers, facilitating automation throughout the workflow and smoother information exchange.

Automation of embodied carbon calculation in digital built environment- tool utilizing UK LCI database

Global and governmental pressures have been acting as motivators towards delivering sustainable and low carbon buildings. One of the main sources responsible for carbon in buildings is embodied carbon that depends on material choices. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology developed to assess the materials, using embodied factors throughout the whole life cycle of the material. Although there are promising possibilities for incorporating LCA with building information modelling platforms, dynamic,early design assessment and automated integration still lacking. This paper proposes a novel framework and tool for automating embodied carbon calculations within the BIM environment. The approach leverages literature reviews and hands-on exploration to establish the foundation of a BIM-integrated LCA tool. The proposed tool aims to provide vital information for informed decision-making, minimizing errors, and facilitating low carbon building design. Ultimately, this framework could enhance early decision making, reduce error, time, effort and accelerate iterative design assessment.

Real-time assessment of tunnelling-induced damage to structures within the building information modelling framework

During the initial design phases of complex multi-disciplinary systems such as urban tunnelling, the appraisal of different design alternatives can ensure optimal designs in terms of costs, construction time, and safety. To enable the evaluation of a large number of design scenarios and to find an optimal solution that minimises impact of tunnelling on existing structures, the design and assessment process must be efficient, yet provide a holistic view of soil-structure interaction effects. This paper proposes an integrated tunnel design tool for the initial design phases to predict the ground settlements induced by tunnelling and building damage using empirical and analytical solutions as well as simulation-based meta models. Furthermore, visualisation of ground settlements and building damage risk is enabled by integrating empirical and analytical models within our Building Information Modelling (BIM) framework for tunnelling. This approach allows for near real-time assessment of structural damage induced by settlements with consideration of soil-structure interaction and non-linear material behaviour. Furthermore, because this approach is implemented on a BIM platform for tunnelling, first, the design can be optimised directly in the design environment, thus eliminating errors in data exchange between designers and computational analysts. Secondly, the effect of tunnelling on existing structures can be effectively visualised within the BIM by producing risk-maps and visualising the scaled deformation field, which allows for a more intuitive understanding of design actions and for collaborative design. Having a fully parametric design model and real-time predictions therefore enables the assessment and visualisation of tunneling-induced damage for large tunnel sections and multiple structures in an effective and computationally efficient way.

The Role of BIM in Integrating Digital Twin in Building Construction: A Literature Review

Today, construction is essential to every economy since it employs many workers and significantly contributes to GDP. The construction industry’s efficiency has lagged behind other industries for decades due to low productivity, a lack of research, and poor adoption of advancements. Fortunately, the successful development of digital technologies such as Digital Twin (DT) has facilitated growth in many sectors, and DT has the potential to address challenges in building construction projects. While DT is a virtual replica that provides real-time data and analysis of a physical asset to optimize its performance, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a collaborative process for creating, managing, and exchanging information throughout a construction project. BIM is the most efficient way to create an accurate, high-value DT and support industry transformation. An integrated DT and BIM platform can improve building design, construction, and performance in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors. Based on a literature review, this research aims to clarify and differentiate DT from other advanced 3D modeling technologies, such as BIM. Related publications from articles about DT and BIM in the construction industry were selected, identified, and organized after careful research of the relevant scientific databases. The research has three primary objectives: (1) to examine the present applications of DT and BIM in the construction industry; (2) to emphasize the similarities and differences between the two; and (3) to develop solutions and design methods for BIM and DT integration in building construction.

A Bim-Based Automatic Design Optimization Method for Modular Steel Structures: Rectangular Modules as an Example

During the promotion of the modular steel structure in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, building information modeling (BIM) is leveraged to integrate the design process into the whole construction sequence. The absence of standards and interactive, tech-friendly tools for project participants limits the general implementation of the BIM-based design process. The present study proposes an automatic design optimization method based on the BIM platform for modular steel structures. The method consists of digital modeling sequences that contain data exchange between different software applications and the program of structural design optimization. A prototype workflow of the method is explained and assessed in a case study to indicate its reliability and practicability. The proposed design coheres with common design rules and enhances the utilization rate of column structure by 40–50% with minimal redundancy compared to initial designs. The proposed method is also discussed through interviews with and surveys of engineers working in the AEC industry in terms of its potential adoption in actual projects. The discussion shows that this method can reduce the time consumption of the model creation and optimization of modular steel structures effectively. Special knowledge of the relevant software is no longer a hindrance for engineers.

Computer-Aided Analysis of Engineering Design Planning by Ubiquitous Communication and Building Information Modeling Platform

Computer-Aided Analysis of Engineering Design Planning by Ubiquitous Communication and Building Information Modeling Platform

Building Performance Optimization throughout the Design–Decision Process with a Holistic Approach

Building performance optimization throughout the design–decision process has not been well defined, especially in holistic approaches that require multilevel integration. For this, it is essential to ensure coexistence between different analysis programs such as three-dimensional (3D), energy, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models that can be applied on a single platform such as building information modeling (BIM). This research aims, first, to define and document a holistic design approach to building performance optimization concerning energy usage by employing the BIM platform and, second, to underline interoperability and data exchange between current technology and commercially available software from different vendors. Therefore, the novelty of this study is to serve a systematic, multiobjective, and multicriterion optimization of building performance with a holistic approach in the BIM platform. The holistic design approach is for a multidisciplinary design process including three stages (conceptual, schematic, and detailed) that cover different optimization criteria (building envelope design, occupants’ comfort conditions, and building’ energy consumption). The proposed method aims to generate, evaluate, develop, and utilize a 3D model during the different design stages concerning the model’s level of details and included information, which underlines the usage of 3D model-related software and sharing data among the design stages. A BIM-based method is developed through the case study of a hypothetical, two-story building (domestic dwelling) by identifying the activities of each design stage. With the implementation of the proposed method, the result shows a predicted energy saving of up to 75%, with a detailed energy analysis placing the building energy performance in the “A” class (annual energy consumption 17,865 kW · h). At last, based on the authors’ experience during the study, it is time- and effort-saving to have interoperability between BIM tools.

A BIM–LCA Approach for the Whole Design Process of Green Buildings in the Chinese Context

The integrated description of the building geometry and the element attributes of the building information model (BIM) can reduce the effort needed to acquire data for life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) at each design stage while supporting their potential for analyzing life cycle performances and feeding back to the design process. To support this, several methods and tools have been proposed that aim to obtain the life cycle performances of buildings following the level of model fidelity with the life cycle inventory (LCI) database at different scales. However, inconsistencies in decision-making caused by regional differences in LCA/LCC data sources, benchmarks, and building standards cannot be ignored. In this study, a scalable LCA/LCC method integrated with the BIM platform is proposed for the whole green building design process in the Chinese context, and it is implemented with a developed tool based on Revit. A national-/regional-specified database of building elements and materials is established. Referring to China’s carbon-neutral target and relevant standards for green buildings, the baseline values are deduced, and a reference building is defined accordingly to facilitate the evaluation and improvement of the design scheme. According to the Assessment Standard for Green Building (GB50378-2019) and the survey of architectural design practices in China, the key parameters at different design stages are defined. The method and tool are demonstrated using the case study of a school building, analyzing its life cycle carbon emissions and life cycle costs throughout the design process. The results show that the proposed method can facilitate the improvement of the scheme at different design stages and that it can cope with different data accuracies and different LODs in the building information model in the Chinese green building design process. Lastly, the uncertainties raised by the data quality and time-associated factors are discussed.

Application of 3D Laser Scanning Technology Using Laser Radar System to Error Analysis in the Curtain Wall Construction

With the fast growth and rapid development of the construction industry, building design is not satisfied with only safety, accessibility, and habitability. People are requiring more multifunctional layouts and beautifully designed buildings. Thus, special and unique-shaped buildings with various curved curtain walls have emerged more than ever in recent years. As for these curtain walls, it is difficult to perform the size measurement for panel design and calibration, as well as the on-site material cutting and assembly accurately and efficiently. The occurrence and continuous progress of 3D laser scanning technology combined with building information modeling (BIM) technology have been paid attention to and applied for curtain wall engineering to overcome this problem, particularly the construction-related progress, such as developed design and on-site installation. The 3D laser scanning technology can achieve fast and high-precision measurement by creating a “point cloud” dataset of the target building and its components, based on which an accurate as-built 3D BIM model of the scanned items can be established. By comparing and calibrating with the as-planned curtain wall design, engineers can update the real-time information (locations, shape, dimensions, etc.) for the following developed design and assembly production of the curtain wall. Compared to the conventional approach using manual locating and measurement, the progress of the curtain wall design and installation can be achieved in a more accurate and efficient manner by employing 3D laser scanning technology. Based on these considerations, in this present study, the basic concept, workflow, a case study with practical strategies of the application of 3D laser scanning technology in the curtain wall design and installation field, including the scanning operation, point cloud data acquisition and processing, 3D BIM model reconstruction, and relevant BIM model practice have been elaborated and discussed. Also, the 3D model that represents the actual construction condition established based on the point cloud data was used to compare with the originally designed BIM model. It was found discrepancies existed in the dimensions and positions between the as-built and as-designed BIM models, which can thus be used to revise the manufacture design and improve the installation plan of curtain walls. Furthermore, the difference, benefits, great significance of replacing conventional methods with 3D laser scanning technology, and instructions, limitations, recommendations for practical application, along with challenges and future directions open to research in the curtain wall construction field, were also presented in this work. Therefore, this work provides technical support to the application of 3D laser scanning technology and its combination with the BIM platform in the curtain wall construction.