Search Results (16)

The Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology has been applied in distinct sectors of the construction industry with a growing demonstration of benefits, supporting the elaboration of integrated and collaborative projects. The main foundation of the methodology is the generation of a three-dimensional (3D) digital representation, the BIM model, concerning the different disciplines that make up a complete project. The BIM model includes a database referring to all the information regarding the geometric and physical aspects of the project. The procedure related to the generation of BIM models presents a significant difference depending on whether the project refers to new or old buildings. Current BIM systems contain libraries with various types of parametric objects that are effortlessly adaptable to new constructions. However, the generation of models of old buildings, supported by the definition of detailed new parametric objects, is required. The present study explores the distinct modelling procedures applied in the generation of specific parametric objects for new and old constructions, with the objective of evaluating the comparative complexity that the designer faces in modelling specific components. For a correct representation of new buildings in the design phase or for the reproduction of the accurate architectural configuration of heritage buildings, the modelling process presents significant differences identified in the study. Full article

The Building Information Modeling (BIM) concept has been recently implemented in railway infrastructure, assisting mainly in the project elaboration, and further, the facility management aspect. The present study addresses the inspection activity of the railway geometry, in a BIM context, using a rigorous modeling process of the railway track components, and the development of a Dynamo script for the evaluation of the degree of geometric irregularity detected during inspection works. The monitoring phase of the rail tracks involves a planned railway inspection schedule, normally supported by human analyses of data collected in a railway geometric inspection. The created script allows for evaluating the inspection data and categorizes the data by alert levels that are associated with a color code, visualized over the railway components of the BIM model. The Dynamo script uses new BIM parameters considering the maintenance activity, allowing for analyzing inspection data and visualizing the colored alerts. This capacity alerts the maintenance engineer about the urgency of planning a retrofitting action, according to the severity level of the detected geometric anomaly. An illustrative real railway track segment is considered supporting the modeling process, the inspection data collection and the efficiency analyses of the script application. This research intends to contribute to increment knowledge of BIM adoption in railway infrastructures, emphasizing the potential of using Dynamo programming on BIM model database management. Full article

This research presents an application of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology to the preservation of buildings of historic value. The study of the built heritage encompasses several aspects: namely, the collection of information, the rigorous representation of the building, the identification of the applied traditional construction processes, and the classification of historic eras of construction, conservation or refurbishing. In a BIM context, the topic of old buildings is referred to as Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM). In order to illustrate the type of work that needs to be prepared, a building heritage case is presented. The study is focused on the identification of the historic evolution of a castle and the adjacent structural environment. The first step concerns the data collecting: several institutional repositories of old documents were consulted; technical visits to the site were performed; a large photographic survey was undertaken; and photogrammetry technology was applied. Based on the available information, the corresponding stratigraphic HBIM model of the historic complex was generated, which was associated with an accessible and well-organised database. This text aims to contribute positively to the dissemination of the HBIM in the preservation of historic buildings, and it is focused on a mandatory first step: generating a complete stratigraphic HBIM model. The model is intended to be a useful support to professionals to elaborate the preservation project, as it archives relevant data. The description of all processes from the data collection to the stratigraphic model brings an important understanding of the relevance of a primary stage performed with depth and care. This research contemplates, essentially, the topic of collecting data as essential to the performance of heritage studies. Full article

Building information modelling (BIM) methodology has been implemented in the construction industry, reaching all sectors: multidisciplinary design development; construction planning and monitoring; and building management and maintenance. A complete BIM project aggregates several disciplines and different professionals skillsets. In order to achieve a suitable control, contributing to improve the quality of the project, a BIM manager is required. The BIM manager has the responsibility to coordinate all tasks involved in a building design, as well as the associated activities usually that are normally worked-out, complementing the project. During the development of a project, a BIM manager can access various discipline models, located in a delayering shared platform, and request responsibilities and amendments if inconsistencies are detected. The relevance of the BIM manager function is illustrated with three building cases where distinct specific projects, disciplines, and tasks were elaborated: collaboration between disciplines (architecture, structures, and construction); structural analyses and reinforcement details; quantity take-off of materials and cost estimation; construction scheduling and simulation. Although there are limitations in the software interoperability capacity, within the elaboration of a multiple stage project, BIM implementation in the construction industry has been carried out. The present study shows that the BIM manager role in projects aggregates several disciplines and experts, bringing an important improvement in the quality of the final product. A suitable BIM implementation in the construction industry needs to be supported by the most current advanced technology and in adequate BIM manager coordination. Full article

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a methodology focused on the centralization and sharing of project information among all experts involved. The use of BIM platforms allows professionals to improve coordination, collaboration, and integration along with the development of all disciplines and tasks required in a complete building project. Currently, the construction industry has witnessed a growing adoption of BIM, mainly caused by the constant technologic achievements, contributing to the improvement of the integration capability of the available software. However, concerning structural design, BIM implementation still presents some difficulties, especially in the interoperability of BIM-based systems. In the present study, a structural design case was considered, using Revit as the modeling software and Robot as the structural system. A bidirectional exchange of information between the two systems was required and the interoperability capacity was evaluated. In the process, the main identified remarks concern the fundamental aspects of information sharing, collaboration, integration, and interoperability. Despite the limitations found, essentially related to the software interoperability, the BIM approach presents significant advantages in a structural project, supported by 3D visualization, model overlapping, easy accessibility to the model database, streamlined coordination, and enhanced collaboration. Full article

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a relevant booster to the modernization of construction. The adoption of digital technologies positively contributes to more agile and integrated processes in all phases of the building life-cycle, namely with regard to project management activities. The implementation of BIM has been predominant in new building projects, but the current market cycle of the rehabilitation or refurbishing of existing buildings offers new opportunities of application to be explored. This paper explores such opportunities, namely with regard to the temporary construction works involved in urban rehabilitation projects with the preservation of the façades of the original buildings. It specifically addresses the impacts of the modeling efforts of steel frames and structures needed to temporarily support façades, after the demolition of the old buildings, and until the original façade is reintegrated into the structural elements of the new building. In a BIM context, an 8D model is created to explore BIM capabilities in enabling more efficient occupation safety and health coordination and management activities in building rehabilitation projects, namely in improving and validating the demolitions and construction methods and sequencing, the scheduling of construction works, and the mandatory occupational risk prevention documents for the construction site. The development of the research was supported on the use of the available BIM software: Revit, to model the façade and the temporary steel structural system; Microsoft Project, to schedule the construction works; Navisworks, to perform clash detection analyses and enable visual simulations for occupational risk, and its identification and mitigation. The study intends to contribute to the dissemination of BIM capabilities to improve occupation safety and health in construction, namely in rehabilitation projects involving temporary structures while contributing with innovative perspectives toward higher maturity in BIM implementation and use in the construction sector. Full article

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a methodology supported on technological evolution achievements, and consists of a set of processes and tools that allows the creation of a digital three-dimensional model. The model centralizes information, in an organized database, facilitating the data access and the exchange between the collaborators and enterprises along all life cycle of a building. The study is focused on the application of BIM within the framework of a structural design, identifying the benefits and limitations verified in the process and indicating strategies allowing to improve the quality of the project and construction. A structural BIM model of a study case was created; using BIM based platforms, followed by its transfer to the calculation software, where the structural analysis and design were carried out. After, using the structural BIM model complemented with the reinforcements, several applications and tasks were performed, namely, the coordination and collaboration procedures, detection of conflicts analyses, production of dynamic drawings, budget estimation and environmental impact simulation of the structural framework concerning the CO₂ emission. In the structural domain, the interoperability is the main problem that must be understood and the present study contributes to clarify the recurrent limitations. The research also presents the capacity of BIM methodology of using the database of the BIM model to achieve several types of tasks that normally are associated to the structural design. The study demonstrates the significant improvement in the quality of the structural design and the wide applicability of the BIM model, when compared with the current traditional sequential and fragmented process. Full article

This paper develops an assessment of an academic implementation of building information modeling (BIM) carried out in an expert project subject of a School of Industrial Engineering. The objectives were for the students discover sustainable industrial during the design process and the students understand and participate in a real process of the implementation of industrial projects through real collaboration between academic and business contexts. The outcomes of this academic initiative were evaluated using academic results as well as students’ perceptions. Academic results were analyzed using the FUZZY VIKOR method. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine whether the use of BIM, the proposed university-enterprise environment and the sustainability proposal rate of the students’ projects had statistically significant effects on the results. Students´ perception evaluation was based on a Likert survey with five levels, and the results were interpreted using fuzzy k-means clustering and classification tree analysis. The results show that 77.8% of students consider that for learning, it is more effective to carry out a project related to an existing company, with the realization of the project with BIM methodology being of great value. The sustainability aspects were applied more easily thanks to the proposed methodology, and they were positively valued by the company. Full article

The implementation of building information modeling (BIM) methodology in the construction industry has wide applicability with recognized benefits when designing, constructing, and operating buildings. To stay competitive in business, companies are urged to recruit professionals that offer brand-new knowledge and skillsets. To meet this demand, BIM training regarding the concept, range of applications, and tools available is required within the construction profession. A recent short course organized by the University of Lisbon, Portugal, actualized with the most relevant achievements in Master’s degree research, was offered to professionals in the industry, namely, architects and civil engineers coming from diverse engineering areas such as the environment, construction, maintenance, contracting and surveyors, and from patrimonial enterprises and public organizations, as well as city councils. The proposed action covers the areas of construction (conflict analysis, planning, and material quantity), structures (interoperability, analyses, and the transfer of information between software types), and the most recent heritage building information modeling (HBIM) perspectives. The methodology used was based on the presentation of case studies related to situations of conflict between disciplines, interoperability problems, and the structural rehabilitation of old buildings. The difficulties found in the course are mainly due to the heterogeneity of the participating population, who have different interests and specific perspectives. The participants followed the course with great interest and satisfaction, formulating several questions directed at the particular field of expertise of each professional. In general, the participants indicated a positive score, and changes in response to negative feedback will be adopted in future courses. The course aims to contribute to the dissemination of the potential of BIM in the design, construction, and refurbishment of historical buildings. Full article

This work aims to apply a systematic methodology to the analysis and graphical recovery of the “artefact” of the first lock of the Canal de Castilla (“the forge of Alar del Rey”) located in the Canal de Castilla as it passes through the province of Palencia (Spain). The canal, a great engineering work that began in the 18th century, was declared an asset of cultural interest (BIC, for its acronym in Spanish) in 1991 and was included in the National Plan for Industrial Heritage. To analyze and to obtain graphic reconstruction proposals, six main activities were developed, following three phases (study of primary and complementary technological and historical sources, fieldwork, and digital reconstruction). The reconstruction proposals were evaluated using three criteria: artefact data, the number of similar artefacts, and the performance. The weights of these three criteria were obtained using the Best-Worst Method (BWM), and the reconstruction proposals were classified using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) under uncertain conditions. AutoCAD was used to obtain detailed artefact geometric documentation (plans and detail drawings of each element). The work carried out on the artefact has allowed the reconstruction of the missing machinery and its factory, establishing a proposal consistent with the technological solutions of the end of the eighteenth century as well as with the ironworks studied and with the documentary sources consulted, recovering the memory of an artefact that is about to be lost. Full article

The growing interest within the construction industry in the preservation, rehabilitation, and conversion of heritage-value buildings has led to the implementation of Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) across all sectors. The rigorously accurate representation of old construction solutions for roofs, floors, and walls, and of the decorative details and finishes, commonly used in historic buildings of patrimonial value, requires specific geometric modelling processes in order to generate relevant libraries of parametric objects. This study addresses the generation of parametric families of representative architectural geometry in the context of the conversion of a building of patrimonial value. A collection of historical information and a detailed inspection in situ, recorded by means of digital images and sketches with annotative dimensions of the architectural forms, were first carried out to support the accurate representation of the building. Several families of objects were generated, namely, guillotine windows, glazed doors, ornamental stonework, staircases, and handrails, thus creating a reference library for use in further similar building projects. The study improves the potential of the BIM process for its application to buildings with distinctive architecture in the context of the preservation or conversion of heritage buildings. Full article

The methodology and technology associated with building information modeling (BIM) provide architects, engineers, and historians with concepts and tools that support the development of heritage projects. However, this specific form of BIM orientated towards buildings of patrimonial value—known as historic building information modeling (HBIM)—requires a distinct and additional view, accounting for aspects which are normally not attended to on projects involving new buildings. In an HBIM context, the parametric modeling process, the basis of any BIM procedure, involves the study of shapes, patterns, or standards for the establishment of particular collections of parametric objects, as well as the record of the available technology used to capture digital geometric data. In addition, all the information collected and generated through an HBIM process must be adequately managed, maintained, and archived. In the present study, we intend to list the most recent features of HBIM, based on a bibliographic review, encompassing distinct building situations (preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and structural assessment); different technical equipment (drones, scanners, and photogrammetry); as well as diverse forms of geometric characterization (patterns, geometric rules, or curve generation) and ways of archiving data (stratigraphy, old drawings folders, or as-built models). With the aim of identifying, as an overview, we have presented the principal modeling strategies, technologic devices, and archive procedures, as a contribution to systematizing and organizing the dispersed practical and theorical studies related with HBIM. Full article

The building information modelling (BIM) methodology supports collaborative works, based on the centralization of all information in a federated BIM model and on an efficient level of interoperability between BIM-based platforms. Concerning the structure design, the interoperability capacity of the most used software presents limitations that must be identified and alternative solutions must be proposed. This study analyzes the process of transfer of structure models between modeling and structure analysis tools. Distinct building cases were performed in order to recognize the type of limitations verified in the transfer processes concerning two-way data flow between several software. The study involves the modeling software ArchiCAD 2020, Revit 2020, and AECOsim 2019 and the structure analyzes tools SAP 2020, Robot 2020, and ETABS 22020. The transfer processes are realized in two ways: using the native data format; using a universal standard data transfer, the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format. The level of maturity of BIM in structure design is still relatively low, caused essentially by interoperability problems, but despite the limitations detected, this study shows throughout the development of several building case, that the methodology has clear advantages in the development of the structure project. Full article

The implementation of building information modeling (BIM) has become a reality worldwide, not only because of the advantages it offers, but also because of the obligatory nature of its use in construction and civil engineering projects in various countries around the world. An intervention project on an industrial heritage property requires a methodology that considers the condition of the building over time and its value for new use. The advantages of working with a precise 3D model that integrates engineering data in a collaborative work environment makes BIM and heritage BIM (HBIM) very useful tools in a project whose objective is the recovery of an industrial heritage real estate property. This work is part of the academic implementation of BIM in university technical education centers and aims to establish a methodology for shared and collaborative group work in a BIM environment through a Spanish industrial heritage case study of a flour factory dating to 1865. A rigorous historical study and the elaboration of a central BIM model loaded with real content on the industrial complex have allowed the immersion of the students into the BIM methodology, as well as the generation of a value proposition for the exploitation of the factory. Full article

The building information modeling (BIM) methodology is becoming a mandatory requirement in the development of projects within the world context. Consequently, technical schools have been introducing BIM in their curricula. The present study aims to evaluate student perceptions concerning the advantages and difficulties of incorporating BIM into the formal teaching system as part of the degree in industrial engineering. Students’ understanding and satisfaction were analyzed while using BIM in the development of the practical component of a didactic industrial project. The evaluation was based on a Likert survey with five levels, and the results were interpreted using a factor analysis and ascending hierarchical classification. To identify possible relationships between student satisfaction with the BIM implementation and the factors obtained, a multiple regression analysis was performed. It was determined that students have a high perception of BIM utility and consider the use of the BIM tool that is intuitive and easy to learn, including during the autonomous learning process. The results show a direct correlation between the benefits of BIM implementation in industrial projects and the advantages of defining teamwork within collaborative projects. The incorporation of BIM as a mandatory subject in the industrial engineering curriculum appears to be successful, and the results are encouraging. Full article