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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2019) | Viewed by 82928

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. David Arditi

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Guest Editor

Construction Engineering and Management Program, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3201 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
Interests: construction management; organizational theory; conflict resolution; optimal bidding strategies; project delivery systems; sustainability, linear scheduling methods; stochastic simulation; information technologies
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Dr. Ivan Mutis

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Guest Editor

Construction Engineering and Management Program, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
Interests: interoperability; construction informatics; virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies; unmanned aerial vehicles for construction; machine learning for construction and the built environment; computing in civil engineering education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 35^th CIB W78 Conference on IT in Design, Construction, and Management will be held on October 1–3, 2018, at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. W78 is CIB’s working commission on IT for construction. The scope of W78’s work is broad in terms of the design, construction and occupancy of constructed facilities, but primarily relates to the integration and communication of data, information and knowledge in the facility’s life cycle. Information and communication technologies are relevant to all aspects of the workplace and are seen as a major enabler of productivity improvement. The commission focuses on sophisticated and integrated IT throughout the life-cycle of the design, construction and occupancy of buildings and related facilities.

Extended versions of selected papers presented at the 35h CIB W78 Conference will be published in a Special Issue of Buildings.

Prof. Dr. David Arditi
Dr. Ivan Mutis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 550 CHF (Swiss Francs). Every submitted paper in this special issue if accepted will have a 20% discount, which means an APC of 440 CHF will apply. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Information technologies
Building design
Building construction
Building operation

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1993 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Framework for the Detection, Diagnosis, and Evaluation of Thermal Bridges Using Infrared Thermography and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

by Albert Ficapal and Ivan Mutis

Buildings 2019, 9(8), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9080179 - 01 Aug 2019

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4673

Abstract

The glass curtain wall system is an architectural, functional innovation where failures of insulation systems create areas of reduced resistance to heat transfer—thermal bridges—during a building’s operational lifetime. These failures enable energy flows that trigger unanticipated temperature changes and increased energy consumption, ultimately damaging the façade structure and directly impacting occupants. Our study aims to design and test an innovative method for rapidly identifying thermal bridges in façade systems, with minimum or no occupant disturbance. The research focus is in the classification of damage as either a local failure or as being related to a poor systematic construction/assembly. A nontraditional approach is adopted to survey an entire fully operational building using infrared thermography and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a noncontact infrared camera mounted on and operated from the UAV. The system records the emissivity of the façade materials and calculates the thermal radiation to estimate localized temperatures. The system records thermal radiation readings which are analyzed using graphs to be compared with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards, under ideal conditions using the THERM software. The results enable discussion relating to the most common failure areas for existing structures, facilitating the identification of focus areas for the improvement of construction methods through improved processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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17 pages, 3842 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

BIM-based and AR Application Combined with Location-Based Management System for the Improvement of the Construction Performance

by Julia Ratajczak, Michael Riedl and Dominik T. Matt

Buildings 2019, 9(5), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9050118 - 09 May 2019

Cited by 77 | Viewed by 12607

Abstract

The information and communication technologies (ICTs) utilization ratio in the construction industry is relatively low. This industry is characterized by low productivity, time and cost overruns in projectsdue to inefficient management processes, poor communication and low process automation. To improve construction performance, a BIM-based (BIM - (Building Information Modelling) and augmented reality (AR) application (referred to as the AR4C: Augmented Reality for Construction) is proposed, which integrates a location-based management system (LBMS). The application provides context-specific information on construction projects and tasks, as well as key performance indicators on the progress and performance of construction tasks. The construction projects are superimposed onto the real world, while a site manager is walking through the construction site. This paper describes the most important methods and technologies, which are needed to develop the AR4C application. In particular, the data exchange between BIM software and the Unity environment is discussed, as well as the integration of LBMS into BIM software and the AR4C application. Finally, the implemented and planned functionalities are argued. The AR4C application prototype was tested in a laboratory environment and produced positive feedback. Since the application addresses construction sites, a validation in semi-real scenarios with end users is recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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24 pages, 9033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Challenges and Enablers in BIM-Enabled Digital Transformation in Mega Projects: The Istanbul New Airport Project Case Study

by Ozan Koseoglu, Basak Keskin and Beliz Ozorhon

Buildings 2019, 9(5), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9050115 - 07 May 2019

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 12158

Abstract

The Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector has been working on an increasing number of mega projects having large scale investments worldwide. The majority of these mega projects are infrastructure projects that are comparatively more difficult to manage in terms of yielding an expected return of investments while increasing quality and productivity. Today’s construction technology landscape offers a wide variety of innovative digital solutions for optimizing the project constraints of scope, time, cost, quality, and resources. Despite being one of the least digitized sectors, the AEC sector is currently ripe for adopting innovative digital solutions. It is observed that Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been rapidly adopted to tackle the ever-evolving challenges of mega infrastructure projects. This study investigates the challenges and enablers of utilizing an end-to-end BIM strategy for digital transformation of mega project delivery processes through a mega airport project case study, in order to contribute a solid strategic understanding in BIM implementation for mega infrastructure projects. The case study is followed with two-phased semi-structured interviews. Based on the findings, major challenges are sustaining continuous monitoring and controlling in the project execution, engineering complexity and aligning stakeholders’ BIM learning curves whereas strategic control mechanisms, incentivizing the virtual collaborative environment, and continuous digital delivery are major enablers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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21 pages, 3482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing a Methodology for Integration of Whole Life Costs into BIM Processes to Assist Design Decision Making

by Mariangela Zanni, Tim Sharpe, Philipp Lammers, Leo Arnold and James Pickard

Buildings 2019, 9(5), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9050114 - 05 May 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 7205

Abstract

A common barrier to achieving design intent is the absence of comprehensive information about operational performance during design development. This results in uninformed decision-making which impacts on actual building performance, in particular Whole Life Costs (WLC). It is proposed that Building Information Modelling (BIM) has the potential to facilitate a more comprehensive and accurate design approach from the initial stages if the model can utilize reliable and robust cost and performance data from buildings in use. This paper describes the initial findings of a research project that has investigated the integration of WLC estimation into BIM processes. The study focusses specifically on the rapidly emerging Private Rental Sector (PRS) as the build-to-rent market has repeatable tasks and similar workflow patterns, roles and responsibilities, but impacts of WLC can significantly influence the business model. The study adopted a mixed method approach for the development and validation of a structured standardized process for timely WLC estimation through BIM. The research identified a number of barriers. These included varying definitions of WLC calculation methodologies; the availability and standards of data sources, in particular, the misalignment of coding systems for identification and classification of components at various levels of development, proprietary ownership of data, lack of knowledge and skills in team members to produce and/or utilize data sources, and limitations of software. However, the research proposes that these may be addressed by a reverse-engineered systematic process that uses the Integrated DEFinition (IDEF) 3 structured diagramming modelling technique that can be incorporated into a software model and has developed a model for a systematic approach for BIM-enabled WLC assessment based on CE principles which would include access to live data streams from completed buildings. The paper describes this model development which has the potential to enhance BIM lifecycle management through an augmented decision-making approach that is integral to the natural design development process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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13 pages, 1683 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applying Level of Detail in a BIM-Based Project: An Overall Process for Lean Design Management

by Petteri Uusitalo, Olli Seppänen, Eelon Lappalainen, Antti Peltokorpi and Hylton Olivieri

Buildings 2019, 9(5), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9050109 - 01 May 2019

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6500

Abstract

Few construction companies apply the available lean tools and processes in an integrated manner when managing design. Additionally, lean design management tools and processes each have their own strengths and optimal phases in which they should be applied. Earlier approaches in lean design management have not explicitly included the level of detail of building information model (BIM) models in connection with planning methods. For example, the Last Planner System (LPS) uses collaborative social methods to obtain task dependencies and commitments from project stakeholders, but it does not provide any guidance regarding what those tasks should be in a BIM-based process. With regard to production, this guidance is provided by combining location-based methods, such as a location-based management system or takt planning, to LPS. In a similar manner, by combining information from various sources, this paper defines a location-based design management process using the concept of level of detail that can be integrated with LPS. The level of detail definition must be based on the requirements of the end-user in each stage of the construction project. The process was cocreated and validated in focus group meetings with design and construction companies and further evaluated and assessed by applying it in a case project. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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13 pages, 2662 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Usage of Interface Management System in Adaptive Reuse of Buildings

by Ekin Eray, Benjamin Sanchez and Carl Haas

Buildings 2019, 9(5), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9050105 - 30 Apr 2019

Cited by 43 | Viewed by 7608

Abstract

Adaptive reuse of buildings is considered a superior alternative for new construction in terms of sustainability and a disruptive practice in the current capital project delivery model for the renewal of today’s built environment. In comparison to green-field construction projects, adaptive reuse projects require distinct stages, definition of interfaces, decision gates, and planning methods in order to secure the success of the building project. Unfortunately, little research has been done regarding establishing feasible systems for the planning, assessment, and management of adaptive reuse projects, leading to underperforming building projects outcomes. Interface management (IM) can improve renovation projects outcomes by defining appropriate ways to identify, record, monitor, and track project interfaces. IM has the potential of bringing cost and time benefits during adaptive reuse projects execution. The aim of this study is to develop a reference framework for implementing IM for adaptive reuse projects. First, the inefficiencies of redevelopment projects are explained inside of a circular economy (CE) context. Second, an ontology of IM for adaptive reuse projects is defined based on the current barriers to adaptive reuse and the most common interface problems in construction projects. Third, the defined ontology is expanded through a case study by showing examples of adaptive reuse barriers on a case project, and how IM could have been part of the solution for these problems. Finally, this study concludes with the suggestions on interface management systems (IMS) implementation for future adaptive reuse projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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21 pages, 6043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Data-Driven Design as a Vehicle for BIM and Sustainability Education

by John Benner and J. J. McArthur

Buildings 2019, 9(5), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9050103 - 26 Apr 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7291

Abstract

The development of BIM pedagogical strategies within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction disciplines is a topic of significant research. Several approaches and theoretical lenses, such as Project-Based Learning, constructivist pedagogy, experiential learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy have been applied to guide pedagogical education. This paper presents the development and evaluation of an approach integrating these four perspectives that was developed within an Architectural Science undergraduate program. A data-driven design project was incorporated into the curriculum to give students opportunities to engage with BIM-based simulation (cost and energy) to guide their design studio project development. The pedagogical approach is discussed, along with refinements to this project based on early implementation. Four years of data are analyzed, consisting of 1325 design iterations and student feedback on the project. A critical evaluation of the project determined that it was highly effective to engage students at an advanced level - level 4 (Analyze) of Bloom’s Taxonomy was consistently achieved (over 96% of students) and two thirds of students also engaged meaningfully at Level 5 (Evaluate; 67%) and/or 6 (Create; 8%) — while developing a high degree of competence in the use of BIM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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17 pages, 4899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Generalized Adaptive Framework (GAF) for Automating Code Compliance Checking

by Nawari O. Nawari

Buildings 2019, 9(4), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9040086 - 16 Apr 2019

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 6916

Abstract

Building design review is the procedure of checking a design against codes and standard provisions to satisfy the accuracy of the design and identify non-compliances before construction begins. The current approaches for conducting the design review process in an automatic or semi-automatic manner are either based on proprietary, domain-specific or hard-coded rule-based mechanisms. These methods may be effective in their specific applications, but they have the downsides of being costly to maintain, inflexible to modify, and lack a generalized framework of rules and regulations modeling that can adapt to various engineering design realms, and thus don’t support a neutral data standard. They are often referred to as ‘Black Box’ or ‘Gray Box’ approaches. This research offers a new comprehensive framework that reduces the limitations of the cited methods. Building regulations, for instance, are legal documents transcribed and approved by professionals to be interpreted and applied by people. They are hardly as precise as formal logic. Engineers, architects, and contractors can read those technical documents and transform them into scientific notations and software applications. They can extract any data they need, reason about it, and apply it at various phases of the project. How these extraction and use are carried out is a critical component of automating the design review process. The chief goal is to address this issue by developing a Generalized Adaptive Framework (GAF) for a neutral data standard (Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)) that enables automating the code compliance checking processes to achieve design efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The objectives of this study comprise i) to develop a theoretical background to an adaptive framework that supports a neutral data standard for transforming the written code regulations and rules into a computable model, and ii) to define the various modules required for computerizing of the code compliance verification process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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14 pages, 2288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Achieving a Trade-Off Construction Solution Using BIM, an Optimization Algorithm, and a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method

by Elaheh Jalilzadehazhari, Amir Vadiee and Peter Johansson

Buildings 2019, 9(4), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9040081 - 10 Apr 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5455

Abstract

The Energy Performance of Building Directive obligated all European countries to reduce the energy requirements of buildings while simultaneously improving indoor environment quality. Any such improvements not only enhance the health of the occupants and their productivity, but also provide further economic benefits at the national level. Accomplishing this task requires a method that allows building professionals to resolve conflicts between visual and thermal comfort, energy demands, and life-cycle costs. To overcome these conflicts, this study exploits the incorporation of building information modelling (BIM), the design of experiments as an optimization algorithm, and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) into a multi-criteria decision-making method. Any such incorporation can (i) create constructive communication between building professionals, such as architects, engineers, and energy experts; (ii) allow the analysis of the performance of multiple construction solutions with respect to visual and thermal comfort, energy demand, and life-cycle costs; and (iii) help to select a trade-off solution, thereby making a suitable decision. Three types of energy-efficient windows, and five types of ground floors, roofs, and external wall constructions were considered as optimization variables. The incorporation of several methods allowed the analysis of the performance of 375 construction solutions based on a combination of optimization variables, and helped to select a trade-off solution. The results showed the strength of incorporation for analyzing big-data through the intelligent use of BIM and a simulation in the field of the built environment, energy, and costs. However, when applying AHP, the results are strongly contingent on pairwise comparisons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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13 pages, 3199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Parametric Shaping of Curvilinear Steel Bar Structures of Canopy Roofs

by Jolanta Dzwierzynska

Buildings 2019, 9(3), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9030072 - 21 Mar 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5988

Abstract

Shaping building objects is conditioned by many interrelated factors, both architectural and structural. Modern tools for shaping structures working in the environment of Rhinoceros 3D such as Grasshopper and Karamba 3D enable algorithmic-aided shaping structures, while allowing the free flow of information between the geometric model and structural model. The aim of the research is to use these tools to test the curvilinear steel bar roofs’ structures shaped based on Catalan surfaces as well as to select the most efficient structure. Three types of roof structures were analyzed: cylindroid shape, conoid shape, and hyperbolic paraboloid shape. In order to find the most preferred structural form, evolutionary structural optimization was carried out, which allowed, among others, to determine optimal discretization of the base surface, as well as optimal positions of supporting columns. As the optimization criterion, the minimum mass of the structure was assumed. The most effective structure turned out to be a structure based on hyperbolic paraboloid supported by multi-branch columns. The use of a roof with the above structure is beneficial not only because of the low weight of the structure compared to the analyzed structures, but also due to the possibility of using flat panels on the roof. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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14 pages, 7198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Graph-Based Construction of 3D Korean Giwa House Models

by Mankyu Sung

Buildings 2019, 9(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9030068 - 18 Mar 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5533

Abstract

This paper proposes a graph-based algorithm for constructing 3D Korean traditional houses automatically using a computer graphics technique. In particular, we target designing the most popular traditional house type, a giwa house, whose roof is covered with a set of Korean traditional roof tiles called giwa. In our approach, we divided the whole design processes into two different parts. At a high level, we propose a special data structure called ‘modeling graphs’. A modeling graph consists of a set of nodes and edges. A node represents a particular component of the house and an edge represents the connection between two components with all associated parameters, including an offset vector between components. Users can easily add/ delete nodes and make them connect by an edge through a few mouse clicks. Once a modeling graph is built, then it is interpreted and rendered on a component-by-component basis by traversing nodes in a procedural way. At a low level, we came up with all the required parameters for constructing the components. Among all the components, the most beautiful but complicated part is the gently curved roof structures. In order to represent the sophisticated roof style, we introduce a spline curve-based modeling technique that is able to create curvy silhouettes of three different roof styles. In this process, rather than just applying a simple texture image onto the roof, which is widely used in commercial software, we actually laid out 3D giwa tiles on the roof seamlessly, which generated more realistic looks. Through many experiments, we verified that the proposed algorithm can model and render the giwa house at a real time rate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IT in Design, Construction, and Management)

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