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Abstract. BIM (Building Information Model) and GIS (Geographic Information System) have been rapidly developed in recent years due to their respective strengths in projects. But these two systems are totally different on focus, reference systems and data storage. With the increasing discussion about integrated BIM-GIS and technologies development, application fields, solutions and challenges are continuously updated and developed. However, the actual application of BIM and GIS integration has not been better implemented because it is restricted to certain extent by different regions, different projects and certain technical constraints. To better explore the integration of BIM and GIS, this paper reviews the development progress of BIM and GIS integration, the exiting integration methods at data level, process level and application level, and the remaining integrated challenges through the studies of 43 relevant research articles, and analyzes the actual situation of integration application through the results of questionnaire. Based on the literature review and a questionnaire, there are still technical problems in BIM-GIS integration including transformation accuracy, semantic simplification and geometric information filtering and so on, and integrated BIM-GIS is currently rarely used in the AEC industry. But due to the benefits of the integration, there is no doubt that integrated BIM-GIS system can bring significant value to the AEC industry.

Object recognition systems require baseline information upon which to compare sensed data to enable a recognition task. The ability to integrate a diverse set of object recognition data for different components in a Building Information Model (BIM) will enable many autonomous systems to access and use these data in an on-demand learning capacity, and will accelerate the integration of object recognition systems in the construction environment. This research presents a new framework for linking feature descriptors to a BIM to support construction object recognition. The proposed framework is based upon the Property and External Reference Resource schemas within the IFC 2x3 TC1 architecture. Within this framework a new Property Set (Pset_ObjectRecognition) is suggested which provides an on-demand capability to access available feature descriptor information either embedded in the IFC model or referenced in an external model database. The Property Set is extensible, and can be modified and adjusted as required for future research and field implementation. With this framework multiple sets of feature descriptors associated with different sensing modalities and different algorithms can all be aggregated into one Property Set and assigned to either object types or object instances. / Ph. D.

Sustainable innovations are observed as a major way by which the ill-effects of the built environment can be avoided or offset. The adoption of innovations are critical to the society, as they pave the way for further incremental or radical innovations, depending on the feedback from their users. In this process, the attributes of an innovation play an important role in its adoption. The objective of this study was to determine whether observability, one of many attributes of innovations identified in the literature as affecting their adoption, plays a critical role in the adoption of sustainable innovations, specifically Rainwater Harvesting Technologies and Strategies (RwHTS). Further, the study aimed to determine whether the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) resulted in frequent adoption RwHTS. Last but not least, the study also sought to understand how designers used BIM to enhance the acceptance of RwHTS in capital projects. The stakeholders identified for this study were architectural firms that are geographically located in the southeastern states of the United States, and the study was conducted from their perspective. This study was segregated into two major phases. The first phase involved a survey of 2,200 designers/architects located in seven southeastern states, including Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia. The survey questions targeted experiences associated with the implementation of RwHTS and the use of BIM for designing and constructing facilities over the last decade by the architectural firms. Based on the responses received, six firms were purposively selected for Phase II, which involved a case study approach that included meeting with the designers, conducting interviews, understanding general firm policies for capital projects, identifying factors that result in the adoption of RwHTS, and developing a process-based profile undertaken by the firm to understand how key decisions were made. By the end of this phase the researcher identified the factors that result in the adoption of RwHTS. In addition, the researcher also found that observability did not emerge as an attribute that played a critical role in the adoption of RwHTS, in comparison to the other attributes. The study also found that the current use of BIM did not result in the frequent adoption of RwHTS. Finally, the study was able to produce a generalized process map that depicted the steps undertaken during the design process for the adoption of RwHTS in capital projects. This study encompassed the basic principles of sustainability in the built environment, adoption of innovation, and Building Information Modeling use within the design industry. / Ph. D.

The quality of healthcare environments has been linked to patient safety, patient and staff stress, clinical output, and patient outcome. As part of maintaining the physical environment within the healthcare settings facility managers need to ensure that complex systems are working properly. Facility management tasks need to be completed with minimal interference with clinical services. This is often difficult to do because facility information is often stored in multiple systems and may be inadequate and incomplete. Communication and exchange of information throughout the lifecycle and throughout the operational phase of the building is fragmented. Relevant information and effective facility information management are important for efficient operation and maintenance of the facility. It is even more important when systems are being constantly upgraded and renovated due to new technologies and for the need for facility managers to do more work with fewer resources. This research is examining the link between facility management and clinical activities, especially in terms of information exchange and management. A framework is proposed to help facility managers more efficiently manage healthcare facility information. Case analysis was completed on facility related patient safety events to determine the types of information needed and exchanged through the event's response by facility personnel. The information was then organized into a product model and ontology to help capture, manage, and retrieve the information. The goal of the research is to offer a method of storing healthcare facility information in an efficient and effective manner to support facility managers in their response to patient safety events. This dissertation outlines the objectives of this research and the methodologies used in the case analysis. The development of the product model and information exchanges identified is also discussed. Lastly, conceptual model for a prototype was developed and is presented to demonstrate how the product model and ontology can be used to allow the user to query information and interact with the system. / Ph. D.

Digital twins (DT) describe the integration of the physical and digital worlds with the aim of optimizing real world operations and functions. The digital twin concept has gained increasing attention across industries in the past decade including the building sector. However digital twins remain ambiguous with various existing definitions and characteristics. While DTs include all life cycle phases, ultimately their goal is optimization of operations during the use phase. Of the building life cycle phases, building facilities management (FM) is responsible for considerable costs and energy consumption and has potential for improvement through DT implementation. Along with increased building information modeling (BIM) implementation, recent advances in data driven technologies have encouraged the exploration of DT in the building sector. BIM has been coupled with technologies such as internet of things (IoT), data analytics, and cloud computing to optimize various FM functions often resembling DT. This study has reviewed existing literature on digital twins in facilities management using a structured literature review and characterized similar characteristics and definitions by different authors. Additionally, DT implementation in different FM application areas was quantified and analyzed. Results show that DT implementation in FM is still at nascent stages with major challenges surrounding standardization and data integration. / Master of Science / Digital twins (DT) describe the integration of the physical and digital worlds with the aim of optimizing real world operations and functions. The digital twin concept has gained increasing attention across industries in the past decade including the building sector. However digital twins remain ambiguous with various existing definitions and characteristics. DTs include all building life cycle phases from design, construction, to operation and maintenance. Ultimately their goal is optimization of operations also referred to as facilities management during the use phase. Of the building life cycle phases, building facilities management (FM) is responsible for considerable costs and energy consumption and has potential for improvement through DT implementation. Building information modeling (BIM) describes geometric and semantic information of physical assets and has been used to optimize operations in FM. Along with increased BIM implementation, recent advances in data driven technologies have encouraged the exploration of DT in the building sector. BIM has been coupled with technologies such as internet of things (IoT), data analytics, and cloud computing to optimize various FM functions often resembling DT. This study has reviewed existing literature on digital twins in facilities management using a structured literature review and characterized similar characteristics and definitions by different authors. Additionally, DT implementation in different FM application areas was quantified and analyzed. Results show that DT implementation in FM is still at nascent stages with major challenges surrounding standardization and data integration.

Large battery production facilities, often referred to as Gigafactories, are a complex design task that involves a lot of working disciplines. This requires good capabilities for communication and planning to be able to integrate the building, machines, and operators in the factory. This project is made within the Factory Layout and Modelling team in Blueprint at Northvolt, which is responsible for designing and scaling up the next generation of battery Gigafactories. The purpose of this thesis is to increase knowledge and further enhance a standardized workflow for how to manage machine interfaces. The empirical findings from the study are based on a qualitative study where 16 interviews were held with people working as Factory Layout Engineers, Utility Engineers, Automation Engineers, and Design Leaders. The empirical findings confirm there is a need for having a standardized way of marking up interfaces early in the design phase to mitigate the risk of design errors to occur in later stages. Based on the empirical findings the most important interfaces are the utility interfaces, material flow interfaces, the human-machine interfaces, and the civil, structural, and architectural interfaces. It is also important to mark up the operator’s movement around the machine and the areas where repair and maintenance is needed. This creates an understanding of the machine’s effective footprint area and shows the total workspace area needed around the machine. In this project, specific design guidelines and a new drawing template have been proposed to facilitate the visualization and handling of machine interfaces. Interface management is an emerging topic for production companies. During the last decade, this area has been developed as a management discipline within some large companies. In conclusion, the usage of interface management is necessary to increase communication of system boundaries and to decrease the cost when building new factories. / Stora batteriproduktionsanläggningar, ofta kallade Gigafabriker, är en komplex designuppgift som involverar många arbetsdiscipliner. Detta kräver goda förmågor för kommunikation och planering för att kunna integrera byggnaden, maskinerna och operatörerna i fabriken. Detta examensarbete genomfördes i Factory Layout and Modelling-teamet i Blueprint på Northvolt, som är ansvariga för att designa och skala upp nästa generations batterifabriker. Syftet med examensarbetet är att öka kunskapen och vidareutveckla ett standardiserat arbetsflöde för att hantera maskingränssnitt. De empiriska resultaten från studien baseras på en kvalitativ studie där 16 intervjuer genomfördes med personer som arbetar som fabriksdesigningenjörer, system-distributionsingenjörer, automationsingenjörer och projektledare. De empiriska resultaten bekräftar att det finns ett behov av ett standardiserat sätt att märka upp gränssnitt tidigt i designfasen för att minska risken för att designfel uppstår i senare skeden. Baserat på de empiriska resultaten är de viktigaste gränssnitten system-distributionsgränsnitten, materialflödesgränssnitten, människa-maskin-gränssnitten och byggnadsgränssnitten. Det är också viktigt att märka upp operatörens rörelse runt maskinen samt de områden där reparation och underhåll utförs. Detta skapar en förståelse för maskinens effektiva fotavtryck inom fabriken och visar den totala arbetsytan som behövs runt maskinen. I detta projekt har specifika designriktlinjer och en ny ritningsmall föreslagits för att kunna underlätta visualisering och hantering av maskingränssnitt. Gränssnittshantering är ett framväxande ämne för produktionsföretag. Under det senaste decenniet har detta område utvecklats som en egen ledningsdisciplin inom vissa stora företag.svis är användningen av gränssnittshantering nödvändig för att öka kommunikationen av systemgränser och för att minska kostnaderna när nya fabriker byggs.

A Modelagem da Informação da Construção (Building Information Modeling - BIM) veio ajudar a modernizar a indústria da construção civil. No Brasil, com a instabilidade do mercado AEC (Arquitetura, Engenharia e Construção), o BIM se torna um diferencial para as empresas que optam por este processo. São várias as opções de uso para construtoras e sua abrangência corre por todo o ciclo de vida da edificação. Através de revisão bibliográfica e estudo de caso dentro de uma construtora, o presente trabalho visa mostrar as possíveis aplicações do BIM dentro do canteiro de obras, identificando as barreiras para sua aplicação plena. A partir do material de estudo levantado e de survey aplicada a funcionários da construtora estudada, são realizadas propostas de uso da Modelagem da Informação da Construção durante a fase de execução do empreendimento, ou seja, durante a obra. Apesar de serem propostas baseadas em casos de uma empresa de porte e bem situada no mercado, procurou-se generalizar de forma a que distintas construtoras possam se identificar e tirar o máximo proveito dos estudos e conclusões aqui apresentados. / The Building Information Modeling (BIM) is helping to modernize the construction industry. In Brazil, faced with AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) market instability, BIM becomes a differential for companies that opt for this process. There are several construction options for builders and their use throughout the lifecycle of the building. Through a bibliographic review and case study within a construction company, the present research aims to show the possible applications of BIM in construction site, identifying the barriers for its full implantation. From the study material collected and survey applied to employees of the construction company studied, proposals are made to use the Building Information Modeling during the execution phase of the project, that is, during the construction. In spite of being proposals based on cases of a company of size and well placed in the market, it was tried to generalize so that different constructors can identify and take full advantage of the studies and conclusions presented here.

Simulações computacionais são um recurso de grande valia no projeto do edifício, particularmente na área de desempenho ambiental, permitindo predizer fenômenos complexos como desempenho térmico, lumínico, acústico e energético dos edifícios e de seu entorno. O surgimento do BIM (Building Information Modeling ou Modelagem da Informação da Construção), por sua vez, forneceu aos profissionais da indústria da construção novas ferramentas para auxiliar na criação e gestão da informação da construção. Ao combinar um modelo 3D com um banco de dados único do projeto, BIM acaba por reduzir a perda de informação e o retrabalho, permitindo o trabalho colaborativo e aumentando a confiabilidade e rastreabilidade das informações do projeto ao longo do ciclo de vida da construção. Muito antes do BIM, ferramentas de simulação de desempenho do edifício (Building Performance Simulation - BPS, na sigla em inglês) já empregavam modelos 3D, o que significa que especialistas de avaliação ambiental do edifício frequentemente tinham que modelar o edifício - e remodelá-lo cada vez que o projeto fosse alterado - dentro destas ferramentas de modo a executar as análises de desempenho. Neste contexto, a integração entre ferramentas BIM e BPS é fundamental para aumentar a eficiência de uma indústria da construção altamente fragmentada. Nos últimos anos, muitos pesquisadores têm se focado em alcançar tal integração. Este estudo sintetiza as pesquisas nesta questão por meio da revisão sistemática de mais de 250 pesquisas publicadas mundialmente no período de 1991 a 2015. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de um aumento significativo no número de estudos publicados nos últimos cinco anos, a plena integração entre BIM e BPS é um assunto complexo e continua sendo um desafio. Esta revisão sistemática produziu um diagnóstico abrangente e contribui com pesquisadores por revelar padrões, tendências e lacunas da área de pesquisa, orientando assim futuros esforços de pesquisa. / Computer simulations are a valuable resource in building design, notably in the environmental performance field, enabling designers and engineers to predict complex phenomena such as thermal, lighting, acoustic and energy performance. The emergence of BIM (Building Information Modeling), in turn, provided these professionals with new tools to assist in the creating and managing of building information. By combining a 3D model to a unique project database, BIM ultimately reduces the loss of information and rework, allowing collaborative work and increasing reliability and traceability of the project information throughout the construction lifecycle. Long before BIM, Building Performance Simulation (BPS) tools already employed 3D models, meaning that simulationists frequently had to model the building - and remodel it as many times as the design changed - within these tools in order to run performance analyses. In this context, the integration of BIM and BPS tools is critical to increase efficiency of a highly fragmented construction industry. In the past years, many researchers have been focusing on achieving this integration. This study summarizes research on this topic by systematically reviewing over 250 researches published worldwide from 1991 to 2015. Results show that, despite a significant increase in the number of studies published in the last five years, fully integration between BIM and BPS is a complex subject and remains a challenge. This systematic review produced a comprehensive diagnosis and contributes with researchers by revealing patterns, trends and gaps of the research area, orientating future research efforts.

Simulações computacionais são um recurso de grande valia no projeto do edifício, particularmente na área de desempenho ambiental, permitindo predizer fenômenos complexos como desempenho térmico, lumínico, acústico e energético dos edifícios e de seu entorno. O surgimento do BIM (Building Information Modeling ou Modelagem da Informação da Construção), por sua vez, forneceu aos profissionais da indústria da construção novas ferramentas para auxiliar na criação e gestão da informação da construção. Ao combinar um modelo 3D com um banco de dados único do projeto, BIM acaba por reduzir a perda de informação e o retrabalho, permitindo o trabalho colaborativo e aumentando a confiabilidade e rastreabilidade das informações do projeto ao longo do ciclo de vida da construção. Muito antes do BIM, ferramentas de simulação de desempenho do edifício (Building Performance Simulation - BPS, na sigla em inglês) já empregavam modelos 3D, o que significa que especialistas de avaliação ambiental do edifício frequentemente tinham que modelar o edifício - e remodelá-lo cada vez que o projeto fosse alterado - dentro destas ferramentas de modo a executar as análises de desempenho. Neste contexto, a integração entre ferramentas BIM e BPS é fundamental para aumentar a eficiência de uma indústria da construção altamente fragmentada. Nos últimos anos, muitos pesquisadores têm se focado em alcançar tal integração. Este estudo sintetiza as pesquisas nesta questão por meio da revisão sistemática de mais de 250 pesquisas publicadas mundialmente no período de 1991 a 2015. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de um aumento significativo no número de estudos publicados nos últimos cinco anos, a plena integração entre BIM e BPS é um assunto complexo e continua sendo um desafio. Esta revisão sistemática produziu um diagnóstico abrangente e contribui com pesquisadores por revelar padrões, tendências e lacunas da área de pesquisa, orientando assim futuros esforços de pesquisa. / Computer simulations are a valuable resource in building design, notably in the environmental performance field, enabling designers and engineers to predict complex phenomena such as thermal, lighting, acoustic and energy performance. The emergence of BIM (Building Information Modeling), in turn, provided these professionals with new tools to assist in the creating and managing of building information. By combining a 3D model to a unique project database, BIM ultimately reduces the loss of information and rework, allowing collaborative work and increasing reliability and traceability of the project information throughout the construction lifecycle. Long before BIM, Building Performance Simulation (BPS) tools already employed 3D models, meaning that simulationists frequently had to model the building - and remodel it as many times as the design changed - within these tools in order to run performance analyses. In this context, the integration of BIM and BPS tools is critical to increase efficiency of a highly fragmented construction industry. In the past years, many researchers have been focusing on achieving this integration. This study summarizes research on this topic by systematically reviewing over 250 researches published worldwide from 1991 to 2015. Results show that, despite a significant increase in the number of studies published in the last five years, fully integration between BIM and BPS is a complex subject and remains a challenge. This systematic review produced a comprehensive diagnosis and contributes with researchers by revealing patterns, trends and gaps of the research area, orientating future research efforts.