From Building Information Model to Digital Twin: A Framework for Building Thermal Comfort Monitoring, Visualizing, and Assessment

The existing building stock is globally responsible for 17.5% of Greenhouse Gas emissions due to their operation to achieve the occupants’ satisfaction, so it requires a vast intervention. However, the reduction of building stock emissions and the optimization of its energy performance cannot be considered independently by the users’ well-being. The thermal comfort conditions and their monitoring represent a central issue that could optimize building energy usage while achieving good indoor environmental conditions. This document describes the first findings of an ongoing research focused on the development of a building monitoring system, based on the integration of Building Information Modelling tools and sensor technology through Dynamo Visual Programming. Starting from the development of the Asset Information Model which represents the virtual replica of a building that currently hosts the administrative offices of the Municipality of Cagliari, the first step presented in this contribution shows a thermal comfort monitoring system, scalable and modular, that allows effective gathering and elaborating of data about comfort levels in each building’s room. The system proves to be a helpful support for the facility managers to control building thermal comfort conditions and HVAC systems to assure their best operative status or plan suitable interventions to achieve it

Building Information Modeling and Geographic Information System: Integrated Framework in Support of Facility Management (FM)

Currently, the management of public real estate stocks is one of the most challenging activities. In this case, facility management emerges as a strategic but complex discipline that requires a great amount of integrated and structured data and information of heterogeneous origin and nature. Starting from this premise, this paper focuses on how FM discipline can be supported by Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS) integrated methodologies and tools achieving high levels of effectiveness and efficiency in public building stock management. This led to the definition and development of a framework that mainly takes advantage of open-source tools (e.g., Quantum Geographic Information System—QGIS, and Dynamo) and non-proprietary data exchange formats like the COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) international standard. This methodological framework is capable of integrating different but strongly complementary tools, data, information, and expert knowledge for a multiscale approach. The methodology presented in this paper does not provide for an integral transfer of BIM data to the GIS platform but leads instead to an effective bidirectional integration between the two informative systems, by properly relating them and allowing for an easy switch from one system database to the other. The findings of experimental applications of the methodological approach to the former Macciotta pediatric hospital, a healthcare building owned by the University of Cagliari, are presented and discussed. Finally, the analysis about potentials and criticalities of the developed methodological framework aims to trigger the widest future development and dissemination of this research

BIM and IoT Sensors Integration: A Framework for Consumption and Indoor Conditions Data Monitoring of Existing Buildings

The low accessibility to the information regarding buildings current performances causes deep difficulties in planning appropriate interventions. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors make available a high quantity of data on energy consumptions and indoor conditions of an existing building that can drive the choice of energy retrofit interventions. Moreover, the current developments in the topic of the digital twin are leading the diffusion of Building Information Modeling (BIM) methods and tools that can provide valid support to manage all data and information for the retrofit process. This paper shows the aim and the findings of research focused on testing the integrated use of BIM methodology and IoT systems. A common data platform for the visualization of building indoor conditions (e.g., temperature, luminance etc.) and of energy consumption parameters was carried out. This platform, tested on a case study located in Italy, is developed with the integration of low-cost IoT sensors and the Revit model. To obtain a dynamic and automated exchange of data between the sensors and the BIM model, the Revit software was integrated with the Dynamo visual programming platform and with a specific Application Programming Interface (API). It is an easy and straightforward tool that can provide building managers with real-time data and information about the energy consumption and the indoor conditions of buildings, but also allows for viewing of the historical sensor data table and creating graphical historical sensor data. Furthermore, the BIM model allows the management of other useful information about the building, such as dimensional data, functions, characteristics of the components of the building, maintenance status etc., which are essential for a much more conscious, effective and accurate management of the building and for defining the most suitable retrofit scenarios

Digitalizzazione e Design per l'innovazione sociale. Un modello di Co-progettazione per gli spazi della pena.

La presente memoria riporta le risultanze di un’indagine sulle potenzialità dell’applicazione della metodologia e degli strumenti BIM alla fase di progettazione nel contesto particolarmente complesso e ad oggi mai esplorato in questo senso, degli Istituti di pena per minorenni. La sperimentazione condotta su uno specifico caso di studio ha permesso di evidenziare il principale vantaggio offerto dalle tecnologie informatiche e di rete, ossia la massimizzazione dell’interazione tra progettisti e portatori d’interesse, colmando il gap tra sapere tecnico e comune. I modelli di progettazione e co-decisione testati, basati sull’impiego di metodologie di inclusione supportate da strumenti tecnologici adeguati al particolare oggetto di studio, hanno infatti consentito di superare le difficoltà di comprensione degli elaborati tecnici da parte degli utenti-beneficiari “non-esperti” e di lavorare secondo una logica incrementale, in cui il progetto si costruisce, si valuta e si corregge per approssimazioni successive, considerando problemi e azioni nel loro insieme e nelle loro interrelazioni

BIM based workflow for 4D construction planning

The studies conducted on Building Information Modeling methodology and its associated tools spotlight the related great improvement in managing the construction phase. This paper shows how BIM4D simulation can boost the accuracy of the temporal and economic forecast of the constructive intervention. This approach can reduce problems related to the incorrect interpretation of the work program because it is able to directly relate the information model with the work program in a single environment. Moreover, this contribution reports the strong improvement in the construction phase management by the integration of BIM 4D methods and tools and a geospatial 3D mapping platform.&nbsp

Applying Building Information Modeling to Road Pavements Management

An efficient transport infrastructure system is essential for the social and economic development of a territory. It has become clear that the demo- graphic increase and changes in the habits of the populations should be supported by a development of transport systems, often inadequate to the growing demand for mobility. Therefore, it was necessary to use technologies that would allow the design, management and monitoring of transport structures in an effective man- ner to ensure adequate levels of service and safety. In more recent times, this need has led to the development of new methodologies as Building Information Mod- eling (BIM), which is decisively influencing the construction sector, allowing for better results from an economic, management and performance point of view. The digitization of civil manufactures has changed the approach to design and in particular the use of BIM for infra-structures has led to changes of an instrumen- tal nature in the processes related to all phases of design and construction. This paper presents a new BIM procedure to support the management phases of a road infrastructure. It has been defined an informative model which can inter- face the three-dimensional model of a road pavement with a set of information related to monitoring activities