BIM REGISTER MODEL AS A PIVOT TOWARD THE FACILITY MANAGEMENT

PREAMBLE
CITD Engineering & Technologies SL attended the 2nd International Congress of Advanced Construction as a speaker, after a previous selective process of research topics, exposing part of its experience and research in the field of Digital Transformation of buildings and infrastructures already built framed within the services it offers.
We focus our exposure to what we believe is fundamental in our internal processes when providing these services and that makes us efficient to achieve the objectives: The analysis of workflows.
Many of these services are applied to 3D digital twins generated by CITD, models that start with a SCAN to BIM process and end with the uploading of all the information defined as necessary at the beginning of this process, which must appear in the model or models that are delivered to the owner or manager, which favors the achievement of the BIM objectives and serve as a starting point for the required BIM uses.

BIM IMPLEMENTATION IN “AUTOCAD” CLIENTS

Nowadays it is common to meet potential customers who use AutoCAD for the elaboration of project plans, to visualize them or to generate printed documentation, to develop their architectural and engineering projects or in the management of the maintenance of what is built and its facilities; we believe that the process of change to BIM has to be a transition. Those who have dared to initiate this process of CAD to BIM change by entrusting CITD with the “how to do it” today are clear that beyond obligations the change to BIM is necessary because it raises the quality of their projects and allows them to better solve or make better decisions about the problems that arise throughout the life cycle of a building. This transition will be longer or shorter in time depending not only on the complexity of the infrastructure available to the client, but also on the human factor, be it due to the resistance to the innate change in some people or due to the abrupt nature of the proposed transition.
The following image shows a conceptual transition scheme from level 0 to level 1 BIM maturity, was the evolution of relationships between software (including users) raised for a specific client.

CONTAINER AND CONTENTS

In our digitization projects, whether it is new construction, revamping, construction or for operation and maintenance, it is necessary to be clear about these two concepts before building digital models: Container and Content.
At the beginning we questioned ourselves:

With all this BIM information and documentation about the scope to be achieved, we ask ourselves: Is it necessary to have the same LOD for all the model elements, what information (parameters, attributes or properties) should they contain depending on the use required of them, will this effort be useful for later stages or levels, what models are necessary, should the model be the container of all the relative and existing information at the time of its delivery, etc.?
A characteristic that highlights the way of working with BIM compared to that with CAD, especially in collaborative projects, is the imperative need to analyze and collect as much information as possible even from other countries, analyze its degree of importance and applicability in order to develop a model that can be built digitally but for the real world. Team Work, research, agility, initiatives and proposals for continuous improvement.

BEYOND to BIM: Beyond BIM Implementation and Pilot

• BIM to GIS
  In the jargon of the real estate sector, the environment of buildings and infrastructures, especially in public administration, is an important set of assets. One of the technological tools applied in the management of the environment are the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As BIM is focused on roofed constructions (indoor) it was essential to achieve a connection but even better to achieve interoperability between the two tools.
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  In the previous image we schematized three (3) ways that we developed to achieve it:
  1. Direct connection to ArcGIS Pro.
  2. Using FME plug-in for Revit.
  3. In IFC format.

  Taking into account other stakeholders who don’t use modelling tools, it’s necessary to have online viewers that allow, for example, to integrate the BIM model into 3D urban scenarios even in virtual reality environments.
  FME is an engine that allows to manage the data of many formats of 3D files to TRANSLATE them to one or several different formats, basically works with: An input model, a transformation process and an output model.

• BIM to CMMS/CAFM
  The connection and interoperability of BIM with CMMS or facility management systems inexorably requires an asset register, a 3D model that includes everything that is registered, coded, or so desired, in your management system or that is subject to maintenance.
  This information helps us to better plan the positions and minimum resolutions of the laser scan in those critical areas to register as the technical rooms of most buildings. Supported by this cloud of points we create what is known as a registration model.
  The existing documentation in other formats such as detail plans, environment or equipment technical sheets can be linked to the model or directly to each asset through URL parameters.
  
  The exchange of information between Revit and programs of management of assets and maintenance is given through the extension COBie for Revit and it is configured modifying the assignment of parameters, inside this function we can choose the parameter that we want to export, if in the project we have specific parameters of the client for the Facility Management of its building simply we choose them between the list.
  
  In this registration model, the information associated to the assets (the FM data) can / must be registered with the specifications that the manager or maintainer of the building needs to carry out its work contemplated within the Facility Management roles. Centralized and updated information is the goal.
  
• BIM to IoT
  The relationship is given bi-directionally with the aim of achieving an intuitive interface that records as much information as possible from the building can be obtained to take advantage of it and that the response to needs or problems is more effective, providing efficiency to the procedures of operation and maintenance.
  This bidirectional relationship allows reading or reading/giving orders to field devices from the Building Management System (BMS).

  

This BMS can be a SAS that collects, connects and represents the data visually from IoT devices in BIM, on a horizontal open platform type OPC and using cloud services such as Azure, Watson, Forge and more can be applied to the analysis of this information the artificial intelligence or machine learning algorithms.
Autodesk is developing a tool in this way called Dasher360, you have more information in the following link: aucache.autodesk.com

• BIM to Simulation & Analysis
  One of the BIM uses of greatest interest by our customers for the Operation and Maintenance phase has been related to flows of users / customers, workers or evacuation of the same in emergency situations in order to analyze and optimize them through 3D simulation. The information that the building or people can give us through sensor devices is useful for this analysis and improvement of flows (see BIM to IoT).
  Another of the uses of the BIM model that our clients have required us most is the one related to self-protection plans, also for the Operation and Maintenance phase with the clear purpose of simulating special situations within the digital model of your building, to analyze and evaluate your contingency plan and train personnel.

The development of simulations and analysis on digital models of buildings is growing, in next articles we will try to tell you and update you, we before ☺, for example regarding fire simulation, analysis of energy efficiency, etc.