Towards Blockchain Based Architecture for Building Information Modelling (BIM)

BIM assisted Building Automation System information exchange using BACnet and IFC

Building Management Systems (BMS) are advancing using wireless Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to develop more intelligent and efficient structures. Systematic innovation is essential to leverage the advantages of IoT while addressing its constraints. The objective of this study is to utilize the ORBIT innovation framework, which includes Opportunity Scanning, Research & Development (R&D), Building Collaborative Ecosystems, Implementation, and Tracking Performance, to analyze current developments in wireless IoT-enabled Building Management Systems (BMS). Approaches: A literature study of Scopus-indexed sources was performed, concentrating on energy efficiency, security, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and sustainability in IoT-enhanced building management systems (BMS). Literature insights were aligned with the stages of the ORBIT framework to comprehend the innovation process. Findings: A wireless IoT-based Building Management System (BMS) can decrease energy consumption in buildings by approximately 20–30%, cut operational expenses, and enhance occupant comfort. The incorporation of IoT improves security via real-time monitoring, although it also presents cybersecurity and privacy problems. AI-powered control and analytics facilitate intelligent HVAC systems and predictive maintenance, enhancing performance optimization. These advancements promote sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating environmental objectives. The ORBIT framework analysis concludes that effective IoT-BMS innovation adheres to a cycle of recognizing opportunities (e.g., energy savings), allocating resources to focused R&D (sensors, protocols, AI algorithms), cultivating partnerships (IT companies, facility managers, stakeholders), conducting pilot implementations, and persistently monitoring results for enhancement. Implementing this systematic methodology can expedite BMS innovation; but persistent issues in cybersecurity, interoperability, and substantial initial expenses necessitate continuous focus. Future study ought to investigate standardized frameworks and coordinated techniques to tackle these problems and completely achieve sustainable, intelligent building management.

In recent times, energy performance assessment has gained a legislative imperative in that it constitutes an indispensable criterion for preparing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). Accordingly, production of EPC which is heralded by energy audits and simulations using BIM software programs heavily depends on data accuracy. Whereas, there have been several studies on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Building Management System (BMS) autonomously, peer reviewed literature on both regimes in concert, remain unavailable or perhaps emerging; thus, constituting a gap in the use of BIM for energy analysis. Against this background, a university administrative building with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 2353.91m2 has been the object of a comprehensive energy performance assessment. The principal aim being to use data collected from BMS readings to assess the building's energy performance, produce its EPC and highlight energy conservation strategies that will improve the building's productivity without compromising occupants' comfort. This study therefore attempts to put the teeming theoretical efforts on BIM in energy management into a practical perspective.

Building automation and management technologies have a substantial impact on building maintenance and management. In general, the building lacks a building automation system and thus cannot provide maximum safety to its occupants. This research focuses on a system known as the Building Automation System, which can save energy while also sensing gas and fire to prevent hazards. A survey has been conducted to determine why building automation and management systems are required. Based on the survey opinion, a smart building automation and management system solution has been provided. A fingerprint module-based security system has been used at the building's main entrance. A gas sensor has been used to identify the gas. The Arduino Nano receives the signal if any smoke or specific gases are detected on the sensor, sounds an alert, and displays the status on the LCD monitor and IOT web server. A fan has also been used to disperse the gas around the area at the same time. Similar actions have been taken for the flame sensor in the event of a fire. A temperature sensor has been employed for both heating and cooling. If a user forgets to turn off the light and fan in their home, they can do so simply by accessing the web server from a remote location. It has also been possible to control the pump motor and the server's on/off mode. The GSM module has been used to send messages about the time and location of the building community meeting. A performance test has been conducted to evaluate the project's accuracy.

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is gradually finding its way in virtually every industry; however, beyond adding more sensors and measuring and controlling previously inaccessible domains, it is also about transforming ‘legacy’ approaches to control systems, such as those used in Building Management Systems (BMS), by leveraging on the advantages brought by Cyber Physical Systems (CPS). The purpose of this paper is to address several issues gradually emerging in the process of applying the CPS and IoT paradigms to revolutionise BMS. The results of this on-going research aim to help avoid potential pitfalls and provide a sound platform for taking advantage of the benefits brought by this technology in a feasible, effective and controlled manner. More specifically, the paper will address i) the changing meaning of interoperability in the context of the explosion in the number of IoT devices, ii) the need for guidance in adopting sustainable CPS and IoT platforms supporting BMS, based on appropriate non-functional and viable systems principles, iii) emerging issues in the BMS ‘cloudification’ endeavour and iv) the lack of data sources’ correlation resulting in sub-optimal data quality and detail in using Big Data technologies to enable effective analytics for prompt BMS decision-making.

With various emerging technologies and integration possibilities, smart facility management has gained wide interest in recent years. Several technologies were introduced to support facilities management and improve decision-making, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Twin (DT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain. Yet, facility managers still face challenges related to data handling and the actual implementation of these technologies. Thus, this paper explores the trends and integration possibilities of smart facilities management technologies to provide a deeper understanding of the current research state and the areas for future exploration. The Scopus database is utilized to collect literature data, and a bibliometric analysis is conducted on 7236 publications of different types, including conference publications, articles, reviews, and book chapters, using VOSviewer software. The results revealed a noticeable growth in the annual number of publications related to this field after 2018. BIM, IoT, and DT were seen to share the greatest research attention, with BIM being the dominant technology. With recent wide attention, blockchain technology is noticed to be introducing many integration possibilities. In addition, the prominent contributing authors, countries, and sources to this research area are also identified.

The present study uses a bibliometric and systematic literature review (SLR) to examine the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Digital Twins (DT) in the construction industry. The network visualization and other approaches based on the Web of Science (WOS) database and the patterns of research interactions were explored in 1879 academic publications using co-occurrence and co-citation investigations. Significant publications, conferences, influential authors, countries, organizations, and funding agencies have been recognized. Our study demonstrates that BIM, IoT, and DT in construction, Heritage BIM (HBIM), Smart Contracts, BIM, and Ontology, and VR and AR in BIM and DT are the main study themes. Finally, several prospective areas for future study are identified, including BIM and Metaverse technology, BIM and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Metaheuristic algorithms for optimization purposes in BIM, and the Circular Economy with BIM and IoT.

Recent emerging technologies are being utilized for the quench of connectivity in real time scenarios. A push is coming to make the information available to humans from the real-time environmental data collected through small sensing devices. Wireless ad-hoc network is a base architecture for Internet of Things (IoT), Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) and drones etc. In this series, IoDTIoDT (Internet of Drone Things) came as the future of drones backend via the Internet of Things, smart vision, cloud computing, enhanced communication, big data, and advanced security approaches. Rapid growth in sensing devices connected to the Internet with intelligence and capabilities also opens the door for attackers because more devices are connected means more chances of security vulnerabilities. Since data authentication is handled only by the central station, which may lead to the chances of device spoofing and false authentication brings less reliability after all. Blockchain (BC) technology is introduced to address such security concerns by eliminating the role of central authority. Blockchain Technology gives decentralized and non-tamperable solutions for the most demanding security service i.e. Authentication. This paper starts with unique characteristics and security challenges in such IOT environment and further covers the authentication process by blockchain with its potential benefits. The multilayer ecosystem is illustrated to fulfill the requirement of the UAV IoT environment, where multiple devices are equally working in a cooperative manner to perform an authorized action. The paper presented a complete study about the integration of blockchain in IoT enabled UAV.

The current practice of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) management systems relies on time-consuming, manual methods for data collection, analyzing, and decision-making. This affects the productivity of the industry in all phases: design, construction, operation, and maintenance of their assets. Adoption of innovative technologies is the key solution for the AEC industry to overcome the challenges they face and follow other reinvented industries. Although recent advancements have been proposed for more productive data acquisition and decision support by leveraging digital tools, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the fragmented approach of adoption and the absence of a connected workflow is a barrier. Digital Twin (DT) is a digital presentation of a physical entity that replicates the status and behavior of its physical counterpart. It can help to improve overall system effectiveness and reliable data-informed decisions. However, the concept of DT and its key features is still not well-understood in the AEC industry. Therefore, this paper aims to review and investigate the twinning requirements and characteristics of DT and discuss its structure and potential solutions in terms of AEC infrastructure and buildings assets operations and maintenance systems. The DT concept, main characteristics, and critical considerations for the AEC sector are highlighted and classification for DT levels is introduced and discussed.

The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to attract attention in the context of computational resource growth. Various disciplines and fields have begun to employ IoT integration technologies in order to enable smart applications. The main difficulty in supporting industrial development in this scenario involves potential risk or malicious activities occurring in the network. However, there are tensions that are difficult to overcome at this stage in the development of IoT technology. In this situation, the future of security architecture development will involve enabling automatic and smart protection systems. Due to the vulnerability of current IoT devices, it is insufficient to ensure system security by implementing only traditional security tools such as encryption and access control. Deep learning and blockchain technology has now become crucial, as it provides distinct and secure approaches to IoT network security. The aim of this survey paper is to elaborate on the application of deep learning and blockchain technology in the IoT to ensure secure utility. We first provide an introduction to the IoT, deep learning, and blockchain technology, as well as a discussion of their respective security features. We then outline the main obstacles and problems of trusted IoT and how blockchain and deep learning may be able to help. Next, we present the future challenges in integrating deep learning and blockchain technology into the IoT. Finally, as a demonstration of the value of blockchain in establishing trust, we provide a comparison between conventional trust management methods and those based on blockchain.

One of the modern trends in the development of information and communication technologies that have evolved into the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is the progressive idea of using blockchain technology in IoT. This trend is described in a large number of modern literature sources, which point out the significant advantages of using blockchain, primarily related to decentralization, immutability, transparency and security. This allows us to conclude that the implementation of blockchain technology in IoT information and communication systems is highly relevant. However, the authors of different studies describe significant problems, including the problem of scalability of the blockchain itself, as well as the problems of energy efficiency and limited resources in IoT devices. Due to these problems, the implementation of blockchain technology in the Internet of Things is becoming a challenge and determines the relevance and feasibility of researching this topic and finding effective solutions related to the integration of two very powerful technologies in modern information and communication systems. The article presents an analytical overview of the issues of integrating blockchain technology into IoT, in particular, the use of the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm in IoT and the use of alternative blockchain protocols, including IOTA, Ethereum Light Client and Litecoin, which allow increasing the efficiency of performing tasks in IoT infrastructure, taking into account the limited resources of devices; existing problems and implementation methods, such as the use of light clients and proxy servers. The article also considers the feasibility of using a full blockchain node on IoT devices and ways to increase system efficiency by pre-processing data before sending it to the blockchain network. The article also highlights the problem of insufficient implementation of blockchain technology in various spheres of human life, as well as the search for the reasons for this problem. The results of the analytical review make it possible to substantiate the purpose and advantages of integrating blockchain technology into the Internet of Things, as well as to summarize the main issues and substantiate a number of tasks for relevant and progressive scientific research in the field of modern information and communication systems.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the construction industry has transformed design processes, project management, and overall operational productivity. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the emerging ICT trends reshaping construction practices globally. Adopting a systematic literature review approach, the study synthesizes findings from 109 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. This study explores recent improvements in ICT and their transformative impact on construction practices. Key emerging trends such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, cloud computing, robotics, additive manufacturing, and digital twins are discussed in terms of their applications, benefits, and challenges. The study examines the role of ICT in enhancing productivity, sustainability, enhanced project coordination, real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, transparency in contract management, and collaboration across stakeholders. The review highlights the widespread adoption of BIM as a foundational digital tool, while newer innovations like AI and blockchain are in exploratory or pilot phases. By synthesizing the existing literature, this review provides insights into the evolving digital landscape of the construction sector and highlights future research directions. The findings underscore the critical need for continuous technological adoption and innovation to enhance efficiency, improve project outcomes, and reduce costs. Overall, the review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to understand the impact of ICT on modern construction practices.

Technologies such as building management systems, building information modelling, computer aided design, virtual reality, internet of things, geographic information systems and robotics have been adopted to achieve effective Facilities Management (FM). However, little attempt has been made to map global research trends in FM technologies. This paper presents a bibliometric review on the application of technology in FM with the aim of determining research trends and gaps in this research area. A total of 107 publications on FM technologies from 2000 to 2023 were reviewed. The analysis was done with the VOSviewer software (version 1.6.13). The analysis focused on bibliographic coupling of countries, co-authorship of authors, citation of documents, and co-occurrence of keywords, which were presented as network visualization maps. The findings revealed that the publication trends in FM technologies have been upwards since 2000, although not completely gradient. Italy, United States, Mainland China, South Korea, Australia, United Kingdom, Sweden, China Taiwan, Canada, and Malaysia are the countries that have had great impact in this research area. Both the keywords and documents citation analysis revealed three distinct phases in the evolution of FM technologies research – energy efficiency technologies, BIM technologies, and advanced BIM technologies/internet of things. It also became evident that Africa lags in this area of research. This study helps to determine the range of technologies used for managing facilities and how such technologies have evolved. This can help facilities managers to become familiar with the current and cutting-edge technologies that could promote effective and efficient FM. Only one data source - Scopus - was used. Therefore, the representation of publications presented in this study are limited. However, the findings contribute to the body of knowledge in FM technologies.

With the rapid growth of digital data and inter-connected devices, the integration of blockchain and Internet of Things technology offers a promising chance to revolutionize data management approaches. With today's global connectivity, the management and securing of ever-increasing amounts the amount of data produced by Internet of Things (IoT) devices is becoming an increasing concern. This study investigates a new solution to address such a concern by integrating blockchain technology into IoT systems. The aim is to develop a strong framework that takes advantage of the decentralized and secure character of blockchain and the wall-to-wall connectivity offered by the IoT. This integration is intended to address important needs such as data integrity, The integration aims to tackle crucial issues like data integrity, privacy, and unauthorized access. With the connectivity and sensing capabilities of the IoT, along with the blockchain technology of decentralized consensus and immutable ledgers, businesses are able to develop secure systems to retrieve, transfer, and store such data. In the experiments conducted on the Ethereum blockchain platform, it has been found that the blockchain and IoT technology solution not only secures data but also facilitates information management. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed solution is able to protect against tampering, increase the transparency of transactions, and to minimize the chances of unauthorized access. The framework is scalable and highly adaptable, and it is therefore a promising solution for various applications. This framework employs an innovative approach to ensure secure and efficient data management.

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology will soon become an integral part of our daily lives to facilitate the control and monitoring of processes and objects and revolutionize the ways that human interact with the physical world. For all features of IoT to become fully functional in practice, there are several obstacles on the way to be surmounted and critical challenges to be addressed. These include, but are not limited to cybersecurity, data privacy, energy consumption and scalability. The Blockchain decentralized nature and its multi-faceted procedures offers a useful mechanism to tackle several of these IoT challenges. However, applying the Blockchain protocols to IoT without considering their tremendous computational loads, delays, and bandwidth overhead can let to a new set of problems. This review evaluates some of the main challenges we face in the integration of Blockchain and IoT technologies and provides insights and high level solutions that can potentially handle the shortcomings and constraints of both IoT and Blockchain technologies.