BIM viewpoint and outlook
Reading time : 5 minutes
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is taking root in the world of construction. Even if it's more a question of large-scale projects, more and more projects are being carried out using BIM.
The benefits of such an approach to construction are now widely accepted, practices are becoming more refined and the job of BIM manager is becoming a more commonplace reality.
There's still a lot to be done, however, particularly in terms of better integration of the finishing trades, and electricians in particular, but overall the process has been launched, and year on year, we're seeing significant progress.
And yet, construction accounts for only a tiny proportion of the total cost of a building. Over a lifespan of 20 years, which is relatively short for a building, the cost of construction is ultimately only around 25% of the total cost.
In this article:
Integrate building operation right from the construction phase
Paradoxically, even today, buildings are almost never supplied with the systems needed to operate them, such as BMS (Building Management System) or CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System). This is even more rarely the case for the integration of asset management and energy management systems.
However, these costs are minimal compared to construction costs. So it's up to the operator, whose investment budgets are usually reduced to the bare minimum, to choose and install such systems.
Paradoxically, they are essential to ensure the proper operation of buildings and limit their running costs over the long term.
Over decades of operation, the return on investment of these solutions is considerable, as owners have long understood.
Why not provide the tools for efficient, cost-effective building management right from the construction phase?
Today, a great deal of data is available in the various BIM models that are delivered with the building.
However, in the field, we have to admit that everything is manually retyped, and this takes months. What a mess!
Of course, the professions of architects, builders, installers, maintainers, operators and managers and their concerns are different, but can we ignore this continuity from one profession to another?
Ensuring the digital continuity of building data throughout its lifecycle
Driven by the digital transformation in other sectors, a new awareness is fortunately emerging.
We now understand that it is essential to ensure the digital continuity of building data throughout its life cycle. This is becoming an essential issue for owners and builders for two environmental reasons:
- provide for environmentally-friendly operation right from the building design stage
- provide for the recycling of materials used during construction, fitting-out and end-of-life or rehabilitation.
In this way, the various stakeholders will be involved and empowered throughout the entire life cycle.
It's clear that the building's digital twin is going to become an essential piece of data for its proper management, and that all stakeholders will have an interest in its development and enrichment over time.
Digital twin or twins?
Different people have different concerns, and architects, builders and their subcontractors don't need the same data as operators or owners.
It is therefore advisable to :
- to provide everyone with the data that will be useful in their work and/or intervention context,
- orchestrate this data intelligently across different proprietary systems throughout the building's lifecycle.
So, logically, data relating to plans, rooms and surfaces, etc. are more the prerogative of the asset management application, while those concerning equipment are more likely to be managed in CMMS.
However, in its operational configuration, a BMS needs to have up-to-date information on the equipment, as well as its precise location, while the operator who has to work on the equipment will also need to have this information, as well as the technical manual, maintenance schedule, etc.
Owners are looking for financial and asset information about their buildings, the uses to which they are put, regulatory data, and so on.
Clearly, the same data can be used for very different purposes, and it's essential that it's reliable and up-to-date.
Orchestrate data to make it useful and enrich it
To achieve this, we need more than just vertical business applications: we also need a platform that enables data to be exchanged between all these applications.
The ability of these systems to communicate with each other enables data to be enhanced in the field, and eventually transmitted to specialized applications such as virtual or augmented reality. The use of this type of application can be very useful in certain circumstances and for certain professions: training to intervene in sensitive environments, safety, assistance with complex tasks, etc.
So the key is the quality of the data and its proper "circulation" or "attribution".
Exploiting building data over time
Finally, as in industry, there's one last strategic aspect to consider: exploiting data over time, throughBig Data or Artificial Intelligence systems .
Over time, these self-learning technologies will enable us to learn specific, high value-added lessons about the life of the building.
These are predictive systems capable of anticipating problems or breakdowns, or of planning maintenance investments as accurately as possible.
This field is still in its infancy, but the potential gains and benefits for the building industry are such that its development should be exponential over the next few years.
In this way, we can become aware of the stakes involved in this digital continuity, of the considerable returns and benefits it can bring, and also of the importance of planning an open, communicating IT architecture.
This needs to be done as far upstream as possible. The tools and technologies exist and are available!
The digital transformation of the building industry is well underway, and there's no end of surprises in store.
- article originally written on november 4, 2020, updated on april 11, 2023 -
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