Framework based on building information modeling, mixed reality, and a cloud platform to support information flow in facility management

The quality of information flow management has a remarkable effect on the entire life cycle of buildings.Manual retrieval of technical specifications and features of building components and their performance assessment leads to increased cost and time and efficiency reduction,especially during the facility management(FM)stage.The introduction of building information modeling(BIM)in the construction industry can provide a valuable means of improving the organization and exchange of information.BIM tools integrate multiple levels of information within a single digital model of a building.Nevertheless,the support given by BIM to FM is far from being fully effective.Technicians can benefit from real-time communication with the data repository whenever the need for gathering contextual information and/or updating any data in the digital model arises.The framework proposed in this study aims to develop a system that supports on-site operations.Information requirements have been determined from the analyses of procedures that are usually implemented in the building life cycle.These studies set the standard for the development of a digital model of a building,which will be shared among various actors in charge of FM and accessed via a cloud platform.Moreover,mixed reality is proposed to support specific information that is relevant to geometric features and procedures to be followed by operators.This article presents three use-cases supported by the proposed framework.In addition,this research article describes the first proof of concept regarding real-time support for FM.

Development of a BIM-based holonic system for real-time monitoring of building operational efficiency

In the wide context of facility management,several processes,such as operations,maintenance,retrofitting,and renovations,ensure that buildings comply with the principles of efficiency,cost-effectiveness,and indoor comfort.Apart from ordinary operation,facility management is responsible for the renovation of and long-term performance improvement of building facilities.In such a scenario,the cyber–physical system(CPS)paradigm with holonic architecture,which is the focus of this study,can successfully guide the operation management and long-term refurbishment processes of buildings.Analogous to the manufacturing field,the developed CPS maximizes holons’self-configuration and self-organization and overall throughput effectiveness metrics to detect the best corrective actions toward system improvements.Consequently,suggestions and lessons learned from the evaluation of building efficiency are redirected to the building information model.Hence,the digital model acts as a repository of currently available equipment for operations management and the history of diagnoses that support decision-making during the maintenance,retrofitting,and renovation processes.Evidently,the repeated detection of a specific issue,which is unaffected by operations management,should be considered an opportunity to act and enhance the performances of existing building components.Similar to a goods-producing industry,the building management system developed in this study applies the aforementioned methodology to provide services related to indoor comfort and building health.This approach indicates that a method for automatic real-time diagnosis is tested in a case study consisting of a multi-use and large public building.The current paper,which is an extended version of the one presented in the Creative Construction Conference 2018,deepens the decision support tool and the supervision policy.Moreover,the developed system is contextualized by providing an example of use case and highlighting the step forward in the field of smart buildings.