EG-ICE 2021 Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering

The 28th EG-ICE International Workshop 2021 brings together international experts working at the interface between advanced computing and modern engineering challenges. Many engineering tasks require open-world resolutions to support multi-actor collaboration, coping with approximate models, providing effective engineer-computer interaction, search in multi-dimensional solution spaces, accommodating uncertainty, including specialist domain knowledge, performing sensor-data interpretation and dealing with incomplete knowledge. While results from computer science provide much initial support for resolution, adaptation is unavoidable and most importantly, feedback from addressing engineering challenges drives fundamental computer-science research. Competence and knowledge transfer goes both ways

EG-ICE 2021 Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering

The 28th EG-ICE International Workshop 2021 brings together international experts working at the interface between advanced computing and modern engineering challenges. Many engineering tasks require open-world resolutions to support multi-actor collaboration, coping with approximate models, providing effective engineer-computer interaction, search in multi-dimensional solution spaces, accommodating uncertainty, including specialist domain knowledge, performing sensor-data interpretation and dealing with incomplete knowledge. While results from computer science provide much initial support for resolution, adaptation is unavoidable and most importantly, feedback from addressing engineering challenges drives fundamental computer-science research. Competence and knowledge transfer goes both ways

Thinking interactively with visualization

Interaction is becoming an integral part of using visualization for analysis. When interaction is tightly and appropriately coupled with visualization, it can transform the visualization from display- ing static imagery to assisting comprehensive analysis of data at all scales. In this relationship, a deeper understanding of the role of interaction, its effects, and how visualization relates to interaction is necessary for designing systems in which the two components complement each other. This thesis approaches interaction in visualization from three different perspectives. First, it considers the cost of maintaining interaction in manipulating visualization of large datasets. Namely, large datasets often require a simplification process for the visualization to maintain interactivity, and this thesis examines how simplification affects the resulting visualization. Secondly, example interactive visual analytical systems are presented to demonstrate how interactivity could be applied in visualization. Specifically, four fully developed systems for four distinct problem domains are discussed to determine the common role of interactivity in these visualizations that make the systems successful. Lastly, this thesis presents evidence that interactions are important for analytical tasks using visualizations. Interaction logs of financial analysts using a visualization were collected, coded, and examined to determine the amount of analysis strategies contained within the interaction logs. The finding supports the benefits of high interactivity in analytical tasks when using a visualization. The example visualizations used to support these three perspectives are diverse in their goals and features. However, they all share similar design guidelines and visualization principles. Based on their characteristics, this thesis groups these visualizations into urban visualization, visual analytical systems, and interaction capturing and discusses them separately in terms of lessons learned and future directions

Towards BIM/GIS interoperability: A theoretical framework and practical generation of spaces to support infrastructure Asset Management

The past ten years have seen the widespread adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) among both the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) and the Asset Management/ Facilities Management (AM/FM) communities. This has been driven by the use of digital information to support collaborative working and a vision for more efficient reuse of data. Within this context, spatial information is either held in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models in a Common Data Environment (CDE). However, these being heterogeneous systems, there are inevitable interoperability issues that result in poor integration. For this thesis, the interoperability challenges were investigated within a case study to ask: Can a better understanding of the conceptual and technical challenges to the integration of BIM and GIS provide improved support for the management of asset information in the context of a major infrastructure project? Within their respective fields, the terms BIM and GIS have acquired a range of accepted meanings, that do not align well with each other. A seven-level socio-technical framework is developed to harmonise concepts in spatial information systems. This framework is used to explore the interoperability gaps that must be resolved to enable design and construction information to be joined up with operational asset information. The Crossrail GIS and BIM systems were used to investigate some of the interoperability challenges that arise during the design, construction and operation of an infrastructure asset. One particular challenge concerns a missing link between AM-based information and CAD-based geometry which hinders engineering assets from being located within the geometric model and preventing geospatial analysis. A process is developed to link these CAD-based elements with AM-based assets using defined 3D spaces to locate assets. However, other interoperability challenges must first be overcome; firstly, the extraction, transformation and loading of geometry from CAD to GIS; secondly, the creation of an explicit representation of each 3D space from the implicit enclosing geometry. This thesis develops an implementation of the watershed transform algorithm to use real-world Crossrail geometry to generate voxelated interior spaces that can then be converted into a B-Rep mesh for use in 3D GIS. The issues faced at the technical level in this case study provide insight into the differences that must also be addressed at the conceptual level. With this in mind, this thesis develops a Spatial Information System Framework to classify the nature of differences between BIM, GIS and other spatial information systems

Rethinking Sustainability Towards a Regenerative Economy

This open access book is based on work from the COST Action “RESTORE - REthinking Sustainability TOwards a Regenerative Economy'', and highlights how sustainability in buildings, facilities and urban governance is crucial for a future that is socially just, ecologically restorative, and economically viable, for Europe and the whole planet. In light of the search for fair solutions to the climate crisis, the authors outline the urgency for the built environment sector to implement adaptation and mitigation strategies, as well as a just transition. As shown in the chapters, this can be done by applying a broader framework that enriches places, people, ecology, culture, and climate, at the core of the design task - with a particular emphasis on the benefits towards health and resilient business practices. This book is one step on the way to a paradigm shift towards restorative sustainability for new and existing buildings. The authors want to promote forward thinking and multidisciplinary knowledge, leading to solutions that celebrate the richness of design creativity. In this vision, cities of the future will enhance users’ experience, health and wellbeing inside and outside of buildings, while reconciling anthropic ecosystems and nature. A valuable resource for scientists and students in environmental sciences and architecture, as well as policy makers, practitioners and investors in urban and regional development

Building information modeling – A game changer for interoperability and a chance for digital preservation of architectural data?

Digital data associated with the architectural design-andconstruction process is an essential resource alongside -and even past- the lifecycle of the construction object it describes. Despite this, digital architectural data remains to be largely neglected in digital preservation research – and vice versa, digital preservation is so far neglected in the design-and-construction process. In the last 5 years, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has seen a growing adoption in the architecture and construction domains, marking a large step towards much needed interoperability. The open standard IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is one way in which data is exchanged in BIM processes. This paper presents a first digital preservation based look at BIM processes, highlighting the history and adoption of the methods as well as the open file format standard IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) as one way to store and preserve BIM data