Integrated Processes in Structural Engineering

Managing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a challenge in educational buildings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adequate indoor air quality is essential to ensure that indoor spaces are safe for students and teachers. In fact, poor IEQ can affect academic performance and student comfort. This study proposes a framework for integrating occupants’ feedback into the building information modelling (BIM) methodology to assess indoor environmental conditions (thermal, acoustic and lighting) and the individual airborne virus transmission risk during teaching activities. The information contained in the parametric 3D BIM model and the algorithmic environment of Dynamo were used to develop the framework. The IEQ evaluation is based on sensor monitoring and a daily schedule, so the results show real problems of occupants’ dissatisfaction. The output of the framework shows in which range the indoor environmental variables were (optimal, acceptable and unacceptable) and the probability of infection during each lecture class (whether or not 1% is exceeded). A case study was proposed to illustrate its application and validate it. The outcomes provide key information to support the decision-making process for managing IEQ and controlling individual airborne virus transmission risks. Long-term application could provide data that support the management of ventilation strategies and protocol redesign.

The construction industry faces chronic challenges of efficiency, cost overruns, and delays. In response, the Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology has emerged as a transformative paradigm that redefines project management through digital collaboration and information centralization. This literature review aims to present the current scientific knowledge on the relationship between the BIM methodology and construction management. A descriptive literature review has been conducted, encompassing studies at the international, national (Peru), and local (San Martín region) levels to construct a comprehensive overview of its impact. International evidence strongly confirms the benefits of BIM in optimizing decision-making, reducing risks, and enhancing sustainability, particularly when integrated with other philosophies, such as Lean Construction, and technologies, including Business Intelligence. At the national level, Peruvian literature highlights both the recognition of BIM's potential and the significant cultural, educational, and political barriers that hinder its widespread adoption. However, case studies in the Amazon region of San Martín empirically demonstrate that, even in contexts with less technological development, BIM has a high, positive correlation with improved project management and labor productivity. The conclusion is that BIM is an indispensable strategic tool for modernizing the sector. Still, its successful implementation depends on a holistic approach that addresses technological gaps, trains human capital, and establishes clear and standardized development policies.

There is little argument that Building Information Modeling is the way of the future in the AEC industry; however, few would freely admit that the future is not here yet for the type of the building projects that the current wave of architecture is pushing for. It is interesting to note that for most of the conferences and presentations widely available on this hot topic, few negative opinions are voiced. We found the article by Michael Tardif, titled "Faith-based BIM," to be one of the few such articles. While with each release of the BIM upgrade, the programs improve by leaps and bounds, as of the time of writing it is still very cumbersome, inaccurate, if not plain impossible, to model more complex geometry so prevalent in modern architecture, as so noted by the authors' experience, as well as Dr. Lachmi Khemlani's honest review on the AECbytes website. Of equal, if not more, importance is the lack of standard and clear delineation of liability in the building information model between the design and construction team. For an ideal project to be conceived in BIM, there needs to be a high level of trust between various parties involved that are unfortunately not commonly found in the current atmosphere of the industry. A series of surveys commissioned anonymously by Adobe Systems in 2004 and 2006 revealed an interesting finding that was covered in Sara Ferris' article on the Cadalyst. Amid the advancement and widespread availability of computing power, the AEC industry is relying on paper more than before: CAD files are reviewed in paper format more often in 2006 than in 2004. In 2004, 33% of the responders reviewed CAD files solely in electronic format, and that number dropped to 23% by year 2006. This apparent regression of acceptance in technology was commonly attributed to concerns about document security, with a substantial size of the responders sharing documents in noneditable digital format (e.g. TIFF or PDF) at 44%, and with another 37% of the survey participants providing paper copies only. While this particular survey did not cover the topic of BIM and the sharing of data in a central model, one gets an idea of what kind of comfort level the industry is currently operating in and thus the resistance one can expect for the implementation of BIM across not just the offices of the various design consultants, but more importantly, between the design team and the construction team, and ultimately, given to the building users for long term maintenance. For our project, the design team is comfortable and has prior experience with sharing information electronically for construction. However, the decision was made that only Rhinoceros files were released to the construction team for geometry control. The BIM files were only used to produce 2D construction drawings and were not released as part of the construction document due to unclear liability issues. At the time of writing, all eyes are on the National Institute of Building Sciences on their National Building Information Model Standard project. As part of the buildingSMART Initiative, this committee is charged with the follow standards: BIM scope, Coverage of Version, Reference Standards, Business Processes, Business Rules, Data Structures and Models, Implementation Guidance, and Maturity Model. It is the hope that with better definition of BIM, the AEC industry can have a better understanding of the risk involved in its implementation and thus be able to better manage the associated risk and make an informed decision about its adoption.

Exploring the rate of adoption and implementation depth of building information modeling (BIM): A case of Kuwait

There has been an increasing global tendency in the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) paradigm for the implementation of Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) projects. In Brazil, a governmental nominated commission is studying how to disseminate BIM as applied to governmental projects. At the same time, Structural Optimization (SO) has received a lot of attention in civil engineering applications to reduce material and enhance structural performance. The purpose of this work, thus, is to understand how SO can be inserted in a BIM project, specifically analyzing the interface between architects and structural engineers. The investigation included a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to comprehend the current scientific scenario in these areas. It was observed that there is a scientific gap in works that connect SO and BIM. To help fill this gap, an Information Delivery Manual (IDM) structure was developed which maps the information flow to connect architects and engineers through SO in a BIM environment. The proposed methodology was applied to three experiments of increasing complexity. It was verified that SO can be inserted in a BIM project once interoperability and collaboration issues are improved. To validate the structural solutions based on the SO results, detailed analysis using Finite Element Models (FEM) were developed and analyzed. It was found that the solutions were structurally acceptable according to current design codes. However, they may require advanced construction techniques to be economically feasible. It is worth pointing out that this study was limited to usual building projects in the early stages of the design.

The process design confronts chemical engineers with many challenges. These days they are predominantly related to customer requirements regarding project delivery time and cost. It forces us to apply the appropriate design philosophy. Currently, many countries are implementing a design process system called Building Information Modeling (BIM). According to the BIM methodology, object design should take into account 2D documentation, 3D models and the appropriate way to manage and share the design data. The BIM methodology also constitutes a challenge for high education universities that educate process and chemical engineers, since equipment or process design has so far been limited to creating 2D documentation without being able to manage and share it with other branches. Taking BIM into account, it is therefore advisable to introduce the ability to create 3D models for the equipment and the entire installations as well as to emphasize the management of design data. The chapter presents the management of design data introduced at the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the Poznan University of Technology as part of the student design classes in chemical and process engineering. Within this framework, the current design method was complemented by the creation of intelligent P&ID (2D) schematics, 3D models and process data management (1D). Data management is connected with the proper configuration of process data, the introduction of design progress control (statuses), and the creation of data sheets for each designed equipment. The chapter also presents the basis for the design as well as information about BIM and its current implementation in Poland.

- Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative enabler for modular steel construction by providing parametric modelling, coordinated detailing, digital fabrication integration, and 4D construction sequencing. Modular steel systems require high accuracy in design, fabrication, logistics, and assembly, making BIM indispensable for reducing rework, improving coordination, and enabling just-in-time production. This paper examines the integration of BIM within modular steel construction, focusing on prefabrication accuracy, clash-free detailing, sequencing simulation, and digital manufacture. The study includes a comprehensive literature review, a methodology grounded in BIM-enabled workflows, and analysis of two major case studies Chennai International Airport Terminal T2 and Shanghai Tower. Findings indicate that BIM significantly improves productivity, reduces site conflicts, minimizes waste, and enhances assembly predictability, particularly in the Indian context where BIM adoption faces challenges such as limited skills, high costs, and low SME readiness. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for India’s modular steel industry and outlines future research directions. Key Words: Building Information Modelling (BIM), Modular Steel Construction, Prefabrication, Digital Fabrication, 4D BIM, Clash Detection, SMEs, Coordination, Steel Structures

This study investigates the applicability of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology to the management of public infrastructure projects, focusing on medium-sized municipalities. To achieve this, its methodological approach consists of a systematic review of international and national literature, combined with a case study of a city hall in the Southern Agreste region of Pernambuco. The systematic review highlights that BIM offers advantages such as interoperability, three-dimensional visualization, integration with emerging technologies, support for predictive maintenance, sustainability, and increased efficiency. It also identifies the main factors that are critical to implementation in public institutions, such as a lack of technical capacity, high initial costs, institutional resistance, lack of specific regulations, and difficulties in interoperability with legacy systems. The case study, in turn, reveals that the city hall under analysis has a low degree of digital maturity, a lack of technical knowledge about BIM, and budgetary constraints, despite demonstrating interest and institutional openness to its adoption. The practical application of the model makes it possible to map the current stage of BIM adoption, identify local barriers, and propose guidelines adapted to the municipal context, such as training schedules, stages of technical collection digitization, and strategies for public procurement that require BIM models. The results indicate that, even in the face of constraints, it is possible to develop a progressive plan for implementing the methodology, provided that there is institutional support, clear public policies, and investment in training. It is concluded that BIM can significantly contribute to the modernization of public infrastructure management, provided it is contextualized to local limitations and potential, and it is recommended as a strategic tool for strengthening municipal governance and improving the quality of public works.

The construction industry has been adopting the new Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology as the main approach of working, covering all sectors, including design, construction and maintenance. Construction enterprises have been demanding the University to carry out professional courses in order to be able to update their professionals with this new methodology. Recently, a design and construction office requested a one-day BIM training course, to increasing the BIM knowledge of the employees. The short course was properly designed to present the basic concepts, to experience the handling of the BIM modelling software most used, and to disseminate the large range of BIM applicability. The proposed professional action covers the areas of construction (conflict analysis, planning, and material quantity), structures (interoperability, analyses, and the transfer of information between software types), and the recent heritage building information modelling (HBIM) perspective. For it, the applied didactic procedure was based on the presentation of case studies related to situations of conflict between disciplines, of interoperability problems, and of rehabilitation of old buildings. This training involved all the company's employees, composed of designers, architects, civil engineers and economists. The difficulties found in the course are mainly due to the heterogeneity of the attendees, who have different interests and specific familiarity perspectives. The course was held with the objective of initiating professionals in the new topic and to acquiring knowledge in BIM adoption, in a way they can apply in their company. The participants followed the course with great interest and satisfaction, formulating several questions contextualized in the particular field of expertise of each professional. The course aims to contribute to the dissemination of the potential of BIM in the design, construction, and refurbishment of historical buildings. The course was evaluated in its generality and topic taught, resulting in a positive grade.

This study demonstrates the research and development of a visualization method called thermal performance simulation. The objective of this study is providing the results of thermal performance simulation results into building information modeling (BIM) models, displaying a series of thermal performance results, and enabling stakeholders to use the BIM tool as a common user interface in the early design stage. This method utilizes a combination of object-oriented physical modeling (OOPM) and BIM. To implement the suggested method, a specific BIM authoring tool called the application programming interface (API) was adopted, as well as an external database to maintain the thermal energy performance results from the OOPM tool. Based on this method, this study created a prototype called the thermal energy performance visualization (TEPV). The TEPV translates the information from the external database to the thermal energy performance indicator (TEPI) parameter in the BIM tool. In the TEPI, whenever BIM models are generated for building design, the thermal energy performance results are visualized by color-coding the building components in the BIM models. Visualization of thermal energy performance results enables non-engineers such as architects to explicitly inspect the simulation results. Moreover, the TEPV facilitates architects using BIM as an interface in building design to visualize building thermal energy performance, enhancing their design production at the early design stages.

Although there is already a great amount of scientific literature dealing with the use of building information modeling (BIM) in engineering activities, the majority refer to successful case studies using the usual methods and technology of building construction but rarely bring up the real problems for implementing BIM methodology to the field of transportation infrastructure. It must be also considered that the construction activity is only a part of the infrastructure life and the stakeholder must consider the works of enlargement, renewal, and maintenance of the infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is not only to show a mere review of the existing literature but also present a rational analysis for the use of BIM in different areas of civil engineering. For that purpose, the gathered experience in the use of BIM in civil engineering projects in the final course of Civil Engineering Master Studies in the Civil Engineering School (ETSICCP) at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid were compared with the reported literature. This way, a complete and updated information regarding tendencies, applications, and practice along with limitations and benefits can be presented. The significance of this research relies on the original insight of BIM for civil engineering applications through four case studies. Two of them were focused on construction possibilities and the other two on the possibilities in the exploitation, rehabilitation, and maintenance. The results showed that despite the lack of previous experiences, the use of BIM methodology is possible for activities such as maintenance, managing, or expansion of infrastructure by applying different specific software packages. Among the main problems needing to be addressed are the following: handling of big data files, the integration of new data non-related with the modeled object, and interchange of data without losing information. That proves the need of new more efficient techniques to overcome the challenge of the full use of BIM in the civil engineering field and obtain the mutual advantage of the co-operation of the academic and industrial worlds.

In the context of sustainable development and parametric design, it is interesting to analyze the possible synergies between Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the most-used certification scheme for the design, construction, and management of green buildings, and Building Information Modeling (BIM), which supports the supply, integration, and management of information throughout the building life cycle. This paper aims to review the state of the art of the different integration methods between LEED and BIM at the early design phase. Third-party software information exchange, the cloud-BIM approach, and plug-in development using application program interface (API) were considered as possible integration strategies to automate LEED certification by BIM. In addition, optimization models and rule-based methods were analyzed. Finally, a critical review on the limitations, advantages and future research developments in LEED and BIM integration was clearly defined. Although the development of plug-ins was the most powerful integration method, it requires advanced informatics knowledge. On the other hand, using third-party tools increased manual working and checking due to interoperability issues. A visual programming language (VPL) can allow designers and researchers without any informatics knowledge to create parametric BIM models by including LEED requirements.

Using building information modelling (BIM) within a design team allows for integration of sustainability analysis such as daylighting analysis, water harvesting, and thermal assessment whilst capturing the data which can be used for BREEAM assessment. Therefore, the availability of data compared to traditional methods can be used to design teams, stakeholders, and environmental assessment bodies’ advantage. Since BIM boasts extensive building performance analysis capabilities, design teams should be provided with standard methodologies and guidance into successfully achieving certain BREEAM criteria. This paper highlights gaps in the existing theory to develop a solid understanding for further research in order to achieve BIM integrated BREEAM design team protocol. Further to this and running parallel to the protocol and guidance, an internal conceptual framework existing within BIM software could be instigated from future research. This will require detailed and innovative solutions to link the credits with the software both from an IT and from a software coding perspective; also, there is great merit into analysing design teams’ cultural and behavioural factors towards sustainable design through the BIM model.

Conventional construction scheduling techniques often fall short due to inefficiencies, the prevalence of human error, and the lack of reliable scheduling data. Despite efforts to obtain better scheduling data and automate the process using Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a primary source of information, challenges persist. BIM models contain inconsistencies that can compromise their scheduling effectiveness. Moreover, existing automation efforts face obstacles, including complexity and scalability issues. These efforts frequently overlook the intricacies of accurately modelling construction tasks, neglecting resource considerations, subprocesses, and structured information management, which further complicates the creation of reliable and efficient construction schedule data. This research proposes a framework designed to systematically obtain scheduling data in an automated manner, aligning with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to ensure organisational clarity. By incorporating subprocesses and focusing on resource constraint calculations and balancing. Furthermore, the framework structures scheduling data into a CSV format, facilitating easier analysis and integration with project management tools. The research follows the Design Science Research methodology. This multi-stage framework integrates BIM data extraction, automated element labelling, creation of a custom WBS, construction sequence, and resource balancing. The framework was developed using Python coding and libraries, facilitating seamless transitions between stages without manual intervention. The framework's performance is evaluated using 4D BIM software, assessing the generated data and logic in a girder bridge projects. This innovative framework enhances the accuracy and efficiency of construction data scheduling through automation. It reduces manual intervention, organises data effectively, and improves project timeline reliability. The use of 4D BIM further illustrates the practical application of this data in bridge projects, showcasing a scalable and robust contribution to construction automation.

Productivity is a critical performance indicator of the construction industry, and thus warrants effective and efficient construction productivity measurement (CPM). Building information modelling (BIM), a digital representation of the building process, plays a significant role in effective and efficient CPM. Considering the high mandatory requirements for enhancement in construction productivity measurement, this paper aims to review the state-of-the-art literature on BIM-integrated CPM, to identify gaps in the existing body of knowledge and explore future research trends. The aim is achieved through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis where the data are retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar and proposes future research directions. In total 260 publications were identified from the initial search, and 56 were shortlisted for full-text analysis after several levels of screening including duplication, title and abstract checking. Finally, 21 were narrowed yielded for detailed review for this study. The results mapped the yearly publication trend, publications by source and the co-occurrence of terms. The findings help to identify a suite of BIM-integrated CPM methods used in the construction industry and provide a foundation for future research in CPM. A framework is developed to illustrate the knowledge gap and future directions identified in this study. Accordingly, the findings revealed that existing studies on utilising BIM for CPM are limited to only 3D and 4D BIM. Further, there is a lack of studies on the feasibility of using BIM for CPM, fully automated BIM integrated CPM tools and real-time CPM through BIM.