Virtual reality enabled building-data management through the combination of a fully integrated IFC-BIM model and an IoT-based building management system

Abstract

Professionals involved in building construction and monitoring increasingly implement new practices made available by Building Information Modelling (BIM), Virtual Reality (VR) and the Internet of Things (IoT). In spite of numerous efforts, most methods integrating BIM and IoT rely on Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) related to Closed Source Software (CSS), which practically exclude the basic BIM Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard. Within the fewer methods actively using the IFC data model to VR-enhanced interfaces, we can observe the loss of crucial IFC information. This article describes a workflow of a BIM-IFC to VR-enabled data management definition, articulating a Building Management Systems' (BMS) database or, as an alternative, an IoT system. This workflow is presented through four phases (model making, device inventory, protocol setting, and real-time VR interaction), which correspond to the actual sections of the information flow that we have successfully tested. Key Innovations• Integration of IFC model data in VR-enhanced data management using Building Information Models (BIMs) • Integration of Building Management Systems' (BMS) with VR's immersive and interactive possibilities Practical ImplicationsThe practical purpose of this research is to develop a Proof of concept for a BIM-IFC to VR-enabled data management workflow. This paper describes a test with a single switch, which is intended to be scaled-up to the entire electric and electronic network of sensors and actuators of a specific building's FM and BMS (SLL, 2021). This building is, in turn, a pilot project for a broader implementation of BIM across the Smart Living Lab campus in Fribourg. The practical interests for this work are:• To offer a 3D visualisation tool for real-time data collection (BMS). • To enable FM centralised control of actuators' status through multiple navigation choices including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR).• To enable professionals, clients and future users to, in addition to VR-AR spatial strolling, actually operate and validate the building's electrical and electronic systems before and after construction. • VR-AR control of electric systems may eventually lead to the elimination of wall-wiring, as actual switches and other wall-based actuators may no longer be necessary as physical objects.

Building Information Modeling and Digital Twin Approaches in Building Automation and Distributed IoT Networks – Review and New Challenges Discussion

“…Once these challenges have been overcome, BIM and DT have a chance to become powerful tools that can significantly increase the efficiency of construction projects, reduce costs, minimize errors, and improve the overall profitability of projects. Therefore, as indicated in [89] BIM and IoT promise a continuous flow of information, but the connectivity between model and reality can be incomplete (e.g. software changes, unlisted parts, software version errors).…”