Virtual Property – Using BIM in Facility Management

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Virtual Property – Using BIM in Facility Management

Tero Järvinen, Technology Director, Granlund Oy, Finland

In the Nordic countries, the first BIM models in real construction projects were in use circa 2000. Construction sites took designers’ models into use circa 2005. Subsequently, not many new breakthroughs have been made. The process has been evolving and new requirements on using BIM have been established. The contract methods nowadays support the collaboration between the client, design and general contractor (Alliance- and Integrated Project Delivery –projects).

BIM researcher and developers have also been pushing models to the Facility Management-phase. The work has been more or less “pushing with rope”. Building owner organisations have not been very interested in that topic. However, it seems like developers’ efforts are now succeeding and building owners have an interest in knowing how BIM can help their business.

Using BIM models in Facilities Management is the next logical step after their use for design and construction sites.

Now we are about to take BIM models in use at FM. The task is not so easy. Facilities Management means more than as-built models. Those in the construction business too often do not understand those in the FM business and vice versa. Construction sites are delivering as-built data and FM operators are asking why we need this and how to use it.

BIM from construction sites

Construction sites offer a huge amount of BIM information for different locations in Excel, Word, PDF, etc. Native Revit models or an Open IFC model does not mean that BIM models are in use at FM. These models need information enrichment to be suitable in technical operations. Information has to be available via cloud services and inside databases to make data updating easy. Information sharing within other software also has to be possible.

We also need to remember that 3D-models are nice to have, but the information content is more important. Revit/IFC-models do not have all the information connected to graphical objects. For example, the information on HVAC central units (Air Handling Units, Chillers…) is missing in 3D-models. This information is in Device Schedule and, unfortunately, the most common case is that the schedule is made with Excel without standardised content. FM operations also need MEP diagrams, Service Area Zones, etc. This information can be created during the design/construction phase, if it is ordered from the designer.

If information content is standardised, everything is much easier to Facility Management software. When IFC-models or information in cloud services are in machine readable format, importing the information is easy and the software business could also be more scalable. However, on the other hand, who believes in the global level standardisation of information in the construction industry?

Sharing information is the new Black

Information sharing with other software is the new black in the building sector. Building owners do not want to stick with one gigantic software solution. Earlier, software developers wanted all the data in their databases. To own information was important. Nowadays, sharing information is more important. Sharing data means you can create new information from data founded from multiple sources.

If you have a temperature of a room coming from the Building Automation system and a CO2 level from an IoT sensor, you can create an algorithm which shows you with good accuracy the number of people in the room and with a timeline. With this new information, you can create a new use case which is sellable to your client.

Digital Twin

Digital Twin is a representation of a real building along with its components, systems, measurements and functionalities. Digital Twin can act as a user interface for the AIM-model (Asset Information Model) [2].

With static asset information from BIM models and dynamic IoT-sensor or system information from manufacturers’ environments, we can build a system which can be monitored and updated through cloud services. Information from multiple different systems can be seen and operated through a single interface.

With the possibilities provided by cloud software, there is a possibility to update the information in the IFC model seamlessly, without the need for opening complex native BIM software. Native BIM software is needed only when there is a change in the graphical objects – you need to move a wall, etc.

Using REST API technology, there is a possibility to connect multiple different systems and gather dynamic information from them.

City Digital Twin

The next step after BIM in FM will be the city level adaptation of models. Many cities have already an open platform to connect CityGML models. In the City of Helsinki, all the buildings have unique identifiers allowing for a BIM model connected to the city level view. With one click, you can open your building from an intelligent city model.

Conclusion

The technology for answering these questions is ready. Now, we need software developers who have the courage to make software now for future clients. PowerPoint presentations do not thrill anyone – we need a running prototype of ideology on how BIM models are in use at facility management.

Thereafter, we will move towards FLM – Facility Life Cycle Management.