Timo Hartmann, Sharon Susan Verghese
Building Renovation with BIM: 4. Model checks for
testing the compliance of renovation options
Open Access via institutional repository of Technische Universität Berlin
Document type
Preprint | Submitted version
(i. e. version that has been submitted to a publisher for (peer) review; also known as: Author’s Original
Manuscript (AOM), Original manuscript, Preprint)
Date of this version
20.02.2023
This version is available at
https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-17032
Citation details
Hartmann, Timo; Verghese, Sharon Susan (2023). 4. Model checks for testing the compliance of renovation
options. In: Building Renovation with BIM: A Practical Guide, 31-35.
https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-17032.
Submitted & under review for publication in Timo Hartmann and Sharon Susan Verghese: Building Renovation
with BIM. A Practical Guide, Elsevier
Terms of use
cbea This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Bulding Renovation with BIM
A Practical Guide
Timo Hartmann and Sharon Susan Verghese
Copyright © 2022 BIM-Speed Project
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (the “License”).
You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of
the License at
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
. Unless required by
applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an
“AS IS”BASIS,WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
First printing, May 2022
Contents
IBuilding Renovation
1Introduction .................................................. 11
1.1 Current state of building renovations .............................. 11
1.2 Imagining another process ...................................... 11
1.3 BIM as a way forward? .......................................... 12
1.4 What this book is about ......................................... 13
II BIM Use cases
2Status assessment of buildings - Generating BIMs from laser scans
(Scan2BIM) ................................................... 17
2.1 Introduction ................................................... 17
2.2 Information and Process ........................................ 18
2.3 Project Demonstration .......................................... 19
2.4 Benefits of Scan2BIM ........................................... 22
3BIM to Building Energy model (BEM) ........................... 23
3.1 Introduction ................................................... 23
3.1.1 What is BEM and what are it’ s uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.1.2 NeedforaBIMtoBEMprocess ..................................... 24
3.2 Information and Process ........................................ 24
3.2.1 Buildinglocations................................................ 24
3.2.2 Buildinggeometry ............................................... 25
3.2.3 Buildingelemnents............................................... 25
3.2.4 Thermalzones .................................................. 25
3.2.5 HVAC systems, plant, and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.2.6 Schedules ..................................................... 25
3.3 BIM Tools with BEM capability .................................... 26
3.4 Project Demonstration .......................................... 27
3.5 Benefits of BIM2BEM ............................................ 30
4Model checks for testing the compliance of renovation options .31
4.1 Introduction ................................................... 31
4.2 Information and Process ........................................ 31
4.3 BIM Tools with model checking capability ......................... 33
4.4 Project Demonstration .......................................... 33
4.5 Benefits of testing compliance with BIM ........................... 34
5Renovation work visualization with 4D BIM ...................... 37
5.1 Introduction ................................................... 37
5.2 Information and Process ........................................ 38
5.3 BIM Tools with 4D capability ..................................... 39
5.4 Project Demonstration .......................................... 39
5.5 Benefits of BIM enabled project scheduling ........................ 39
4. Model checks for testing the compliance
of renovation options
4.1 Introduction
BIM, in addition to being a three-dimensional visualization of a building, also functions as an
all-encompassing model containing several information related to design, execution, maintenance
etc. A 3D BIM model is created considering the objectives, in terms of use-cases from the client,
but also considering certain pre-requisites that a BIM model must fulfil in order to implement it
in a project. Most often, 3D BIM models of renovation projects are developed from existing 2D
drawings. In order to enable the smooth implementation of 3D BIM models for the defined BIM
use cases, verification of the BIM model in terms of model checks need to be performed.
Essentially, the outcome of a 3D BIM model that underwent model checking is a well-defined
model that is interoperable and confirms to certain compliance based as well as geometry-based
requirements for coordinated design and other defined BIM use cases within the renovation
project. Semantical checks ensure the consistence of elements in terms of naming, definition
(levels/layers/properties/attributes) as well as confirming if all the elements are closed and solid.
Numerical checks further check the model for numerical information provided within the elements
in terms of values within allowed ranges. These checks in turn assess the compliance of the model
to national and regional standards. Such a checked 3D model is later handed over for geometrical
checks among trades which is further explained in the chapter of Clash detection use case.
Within the BIMSPEED project this process of model checking was further automated by
including rule-based model checking in the form of a script which the model runs and checks itself
for conformance to these checks, thereby improving correctness, wholeness of these checks along
with time reduction in the execution of the use case which is one of the fundamental objectives of
the BIM-SPEED project. Model checking is often considered in the earliest stage of development
of a 3D BIM model. However, this process is not confined to early-stage design instead is repeated
throughout the design and execution phases as need arises based on over arching trades that the
BIM model contains, followed by coordinated design of these trades.
4.2 Information and Process
The model checking BIM use case ensures the validity of the model to perform the use cases
required for the project. As input for carrying out model checking BIM use case the following data
is required:
•EIR (Exchange Information Requirement)/ BEP (BIM Execution Plan)
•3D BIM Model
32 Chapter 4. Model checks for testing the compliance of renovation options
Figure 4.1: Model check process diagram
•Naming converntions
•National / regional standards
•Model Element Matrix
Figure 4.1 provides a process map of the use case.
For renovation projects, the BIM author generates the 3D BIM model from existing 2D drawings
as well as requirements defined in BEP, Modelling guidelines and MIDP. The 3D BIM model
created is handed over to the BIM coordinator who carries out numerical and semantical checks
which is further explained in the next section. Upon carrying out these checks, the discrepancies
are shared with the BIM author who must update the model accordingly to meet the requirements
of the defined BIM use cases of the renovation project. The automated method of process checking
developed within the BIMSPEED project is represented in Figure 4.2.
To meet the objectives of time reduction and increased accuracy, identified design rules are
checked for existence from previous implementation of the same rules for model checking, and if
this exists it is re-used for the checking process. If not, new rules are developed to run the automated
check.
The semantical model checks verifies whether properties assigned to elements correspond to
the naming conventions defined within the project. Numerical checks verify the values of these
properties are defined within logical bounds or ranges based on standards.
The discrepancies from the resulting numerical and semantical checks are reported in BCF
format which allows automated guidance to the discrepancies within the authoring software.
The process is further explained in a test case in Section 4 of the chapter.
4.3 BIM Tools with model checking capability 33
Figure 4.2: Semantic and Numeric model check process
Figure 4.3: A semantic checking rule in XML
4.3 BIM Tools with model checking capability
Numerous BIM model checking tools are currently being used. Some among these are free to
use and some are fee-based. The decision of which tool to use, lies largely upon the user and the
availability of the software. The software currently available have been assessed for the ability
to handle large scale models. These include, Autodesk Navisworks, thinkproject Desite BIM,
Nemetscheck Solibri Model Office, Leica, Cyclone 3DR, KUBUS BIMcollab ZOOM.
Vendor Product (Free Version) Product (Fee based version) Features Geometry Check Semantic Check
Autodesk Autodesk Naviswork - Freedom Autodesk Navisworks Manage clash detection, import of different data formats, BCF-Workflow support Yes No
thinkproject none available Desite BIM rule-based configuration, possibility to add new attributes Yes yes
Nemetschek Solibri Anywhere Solibri Office predefined checking rules, no 4D capability, only IFC and DWG format supported No Yes
Leica Cyclone 3DR Viewer Cyclone 3DR point cloud analysis, supports common BIM formats Yes No
KUBUS BIMcollab Zoom Free BIMCollab Zoom point cloud analysis, clash detection, rule based checking Yes Yes
4.4 Project Demonstration
BIM model checking use case developed within the project was demonstrated as a BIM case study
on one of demonstration sites within the BIM-SPEED project - ‘Vitoria demonstration site’ in
Spain. Design rules based on country and region-specific standards have been developed along with
a list of mandatory properties has been collected into single xml files in order to be imported in
order to carry out the automated check. An example of one such design check which was translated
to a machine-readable design rule is (Figure 4.3): “In Spain in climate zone A-E, each external
wall needs to have an acoustic rating of more than 35dB”.
Upon importing this machine-readable model check, the model checking platform carried out
the checks defined. The semantical and numerical checks carried out, that the 3D BIM model does
not comply with the guidelines. The checks have identified 142 model elements, that are in fact
34 Chapter 4. Model checks for testing the compliance of renovation options
Figure 4.4: A checking rule for a BIM component
walls, but they do not provide the required parameter BIMSpeedAcousticRating, which each model
element should contain to enable the usage in the aimed BIM use cases. Completing interpreting
the identified results, there luckily have been 220 model elements identified, that are in compliance
with these requirements. (Other and Methods, 2021)
4.5 Benefits of testing compliance with BIM
BIM model checking ensures uniformity, compliance to design rules and wholeness of the model
to be worked on as a central source of information as well as to incorporate various trades of design
across different lifecycle stages of the project. While the implementation of BIM in itself offers the
possibility of an integrated source of information, the checking of this model is of prime importance
to ensure the implementation of further BIM use cases within the renovation project. Furthermore,
the automated process of model checking developed as a part of this project is illustrated in the
figure below to demonstrate the potential in achieving the objectives of time reduction and increased
efficiency of the model checking process.
•
Manual process of checking the model based on the rules defined is transformed into an
automated process, which carries out three separate processes of checking into a single
automated check
•
The evaluation and classification of discrepancies is enhanced by allowing the BIM author to
visualize and quickly locate the discrepancy arising by exporting a BCF file which allows an
easy import into a different BIM viewing tool.
•
The time reduction by implementing this use case estimated based on experience accounts to
up to 50% reduction in time and qualitatively an improved efficiency in the checks due to
reduction in human error in carrying out the checks manually and based on experience.
4.5 Benefits of testing compliance with BIM 35
Figure 4.5: Comparision of conventional BIM model checking with automated model checking
