BIMBestand - BIM-based management of existing buildings

Status

ongoing

Starting point / motivation

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is gaining more and more importance in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and will be the basis for all involved project stakeholders in the future. The full integration of BIM into facility management using open BIM is an important future goal. In facility management, the operation of building services systems plays a significant role. 

In order to exploit the potential of BIM, it is important to make BIM models of the technical building equipment available for building operation purposes and to use them, for example, to optimize building operation in terms of energy efficiency. Studies and practical examples show that transferring BIM models to the building operation phase is currently associated with significant information losses.

The interoperability of facility management software tools is often not given, since proprietary applications dominate the market and open data exchange formats such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) are hardly used. The main reasons for this include missing standards and incomplete data models.

Contents and goals

The main objective of this research project is to develop information requirements and process descriptions for the use of BIM models related to building services in facility management and to formulate use cases for their application. Based on existing data models, advanced data models are developed to enable a practical implementation of the use cases and a lifecycle-oriented use of the underlying BIM models.

The practicability of the developed use cases is demonstrated by means of real-life examples. This way, practical approaches for the lifecycle-oriented use of BIM models up to the operating phase of buildings should be shown and documented. The project results will contribute to the further development of standardized BIM processes and models.

The research is done in close collaboration with relevant stakeholder groups to ensure a high acceptance of the achieved results. The project results will be disseminated openly and made available to BIM working groups in relevant committees and organizations.

Methods

First, basic information requirements are elaborated and required model contents and quality criteria are specified. Subsequently, four specific use cases are defined and implemented in a use case management system. Based on IFC, advanced data models are developed and implemented in building operation software platforms. A particular focus is put on the platform SIMULTAN.

Finally, the use cases are applied to practical construction problems and building operation tasks. The work is done in close collaboration with relevant stakeholder groups to ensure a high acceptance of the results. An open exchange and transfer of know-how is therefore a high priority in the project.

Expected results

The project results include empirical case studies on requirements for data and process models for the use of BIM during the operating phase of buildings and derived use cases implemented in an appropriate use case management platform and demonstrated in pilot applications.

Moreover, the results include data models required for the practical implementation of the use cases. The models and use cases as well as the know-how gained from their application are disseminated in the form of workshops and reports.

Project management

Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Michael Monsberger, Graz University of Technology, Institute for Construction Management and Economics, Integrated Building Systems Work Group

Project or cooperation partners

• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
• TBH Ingenieur GmbH
• DI Martin Hollaus
• ALLPLAN Gesellschaft m.b.H.
• Flughafen Wien Aktiengesellschaft
• building smart Österreich
• Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Werkstofftechnologie, Bauphysik und

Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Michael Monsberger
Graz University of Technology
Lessingstraße 25/III
A-8010 Graz
Tel.: + 43 (316) 873 6255
E-mail: michael.monsberger@tugraz.at
Web: www.bbw.tugraz.at