Academic literature on the topic 'Buildings information modeling'

The article is devoted to evaluation of the possibility of usage BIM for existing buildings. While BIM processes are established for new buildings, the majority of existing buildings is not maintained, refurbished or deconstructed with BIM yet. However, it can play a significant role for better operation and maintenance and building facility management. Research in creating BIM for existing buildings has received growing attention in recent years. The objective of this paper is to explore potential opportunities and barriers in constructing BIM for existing buildings

Building Information Modeling (BIM), in the last couple of decades, has emerged as a technology that can be used in combination with different methodologies in the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction industry as a digital model to facilitate the planning and design process, construction and maintenance. Using the tools of BIM, the stakeholders generate the digital models that can help them to identify the problems. A total of 24 conference papers, referenced journal articles, and other academic sources were analyzed based on their relevance and research focus areas. This article provides a review on the integration of building information modeling with different methodologies for seismic retrofitting of both structural and non-structural components of buildings. Pre-seismic and post-seismic applications of Building Information Modeling with the integration of different methodologies have been reviewed overbuilding life cycles with a view of addressing the challenges and recommending the future research perspectives. In the end, by stating the possibilities of integration of BIM tools with different methodologies mainly using Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering as a paradigm which is fully probabilistic, this paper concludes that the implication of the Building Information Modeling with the integration of different methodologies isnt merely the inclusion of the certain conditions, but also of the numerical integration of all the possible uncertainties.

In the conditions of rapid scientific and technological progress, the technologies development pace of designing buildings and structures began to outstrip the practical application of them in the domestic market in comparison with the countries of the western world. Ukrainian building design tools have ceased to be internationally competitive. In these circumstances, it is especially important to introduce new and improve existing methods and tools for modeling buildings and structures. An important task for a modern designer is the ability to use a computer model at various stages of the building's life cycle, namely: design, construction, operation. To solve this problem, one can apply a new design method - Building Information Modeling (BIM). The purpose of this research is to explore the possibilities of using information modeling technologies for buildings as a means of their life cycle managing. The scientific and practical importance of the work stands in the possibility of introducing of information modeling technologies of buildings not only as a new design method, but also as a means of managing of the life cycle of the building at all its stages. The results of the research are based on the analysis of literary sources and practical experience of the authors. The article revealed the possibility usage of building information modeling as means of managing of the life cycle of building and structures. There is considered options and the main problems of information modeling application on different stages of buildings life cycle. In this paper, the main functions of building information modeling, which are necessary for managing of the life cycle of buildings and structures, have been analyzed and formulated. The practical importance of the results of this paper is in the presentation of the proposed functions and development prospects of building information modeling tools.

Traditional energy analysis in Building Information Modeling (BIM) only accounts for the energy requirements of building operations during a portion of the occupancy phase of the building’s life cycle and as such is unable to quantify the true impact of buildings on the environment. Specifically, the typical energy analysis in BIM does not account for the energy associated with resource formation, recycling, and demolition. Therefore, a comprehensive method is required to analyze the true environmental impact of buildings. Emergy analysis can offer a holistic approach to account for the environmental cost of activities involved in building construction and operation in all its life cycle phases from resource formation to demolition. As such, the integration of emergy analysis with BIM can result in the development of a holistic sustainability performance tool. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a comprehensive framework for the integration of emergy analysis with existing Building Information Modeling tools. The proposed framework was validated using a case study involving a test building element of 8’ × 8’ composite wall. The case study demonstrated the successful integration of emergy analysis with Revit®2021 using the inbuilt features of Revit and external tools such as MS Excel. The framework developed in this study will help in accurately determining the environmental cost of the buildings, which will help in selecting environment-friendly building materials and systems. In addition, the integration of emergy into BIM will allow a comparison of various built environment alternatives enabling designers to make sustainable decisions during the design phase.

The use BIM technology for new buildings have been proving his efficiency since the technology had established, the efficiency in costs estimation, construction management, resource saving incresed the interest to use BIM for existing building. The researchers covered a wide range of potential benefits for BIM in existing buildings such as: Facilities management, restoration and retrofit planning, deconstruction process, assessment and monitoring, maintenance and energy efficiency. In this paper the use of BIM for estimating the degree of physical deterioration is covered, based on the method included in the literature in Russian federation.

Building maintenance is gaining an increasing attention in the various fields of scientific research and there was a need for the use of new technologies in maintenance management, as the facility management deal with a large amount of information relating to maintenance, which includes drawings and specifications, lists, and reports, and the use of paper files leads to decrease the efficiency and create a shortage of data and information. The authors offer in this research tool to manage the maintenance process by using the BIM through linking deterioration models and three-dimensional model of the facility to be maintained and compensate the external investigation data for maintenance work in these models to get at the end of this research and with the help of the possibilities offered by Revit database to an upcoming maintenance items and arrange them according to their importance and impact on the facility and the estimated budget for the periodic maintenance and distribution of this budget on the various construction elements and the development of resources plan for next year.

This paper presents a new approach to translate between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Building Energy Modeling (BEM) that uses Modelica, an object-oriented declarative, equation-based simulation environment. The approach (BIM2BEM) has been developed using a data modeling method to enable seamless model translations of building geometry, materials, and topology. Using data modeling, we created a Model View Definition (MVD) consisting of a process model and a class diagram. The process model demonstrates object-mapping between BIM and Modelica-based BEM (ModelicaBEM) and facilitates the definition of required information during model translations. The class diagram represents the information and object relationships to produce a class package intermediate between the BIM and BEM. The implementation of the intermediate class package enables system interface (Revit2Modelica) development for automatic BIM data translation intoModelicaBEM. In order to demonstrate and validate our approach, simulation result comparisons have been conducted via three test cases using (1) the BIM-based Modelica models generated fromRevit2Modelicaand (2) BEM models manually created using LBNL Modelica Buildings library. Our implementation shows thatBIM2BEM(1) enables BIM models to be translated intoModelicaBEMmodels, (2) enables system interface development based on the MVD for thermal simulation, and (3) facilitates the reuse of original BIM data into building energy simulation without an import/export process.

Tese de Doutoramento em Arquitetura, com a especialização em Conservação e Restauro apresentada na Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Doutor.
As metodologias associadas ao software BIM (Building Information Modeling) representam nos dias de hoje um dos sistemas integrados mais utilizado para a construção de novos edifícios. Ao usar BIM no desenvolvimento de projetos, a colaboração entre os diferentes intervenientes num projeto de arquitetura, engenharia e construção, melhora de um modo muito significativo. Esta tecnologia também pode ser aplicada para intervenções em edifícios existentes. Na presente tese pretende-se melhorar os processos de registo, documentação e gestão da informação, recorrendo a ferramentas BIM para estabelecer um conjunto de diretrizes de fluxo de trabalho, para modelar de forma eficiente as estruturas existentes a partir de nuvens de pontos, complementados com outros métodos apropriados. Há vários desafios que impedem a adoção do software BIM para o planeamento de intervenções em edifícios existentes. Volk et al. (2014) indica que os principais obstáculos de adoção BIM são o esforço de modelação/conversão dos elementos do edifício captados em objetos BIM, a dificuldade em actualizar informação em BIM e as dificuldades em lidar com as incertezas associadas a dados, objetos e relações que ocorrem em edifícios existentes. A partir desta análise, foram desenvolvidas algumas diretrizes de fluxo de trabalho BIM para modelação de edifícios existentes. As propostas indicadas para as diretrizes BIM em edifícios existentes, incluem tolerâncias e standards para modelar elementos de edifícios existentes. Tal metodologia permite que as partes interessadas tenham um entendimento e um acordo sobre o que é suposto ser modelado. Na presente tese, foi investigado um conjunto de tópicos de pesquisa que foram formuladas e colocadas, enquadrando os diferentes obstáculos e direcionando o foco de pesquisa segundo quatro vectores fundamentais: 1. Os diferentes tipos de dados de um edifício que podem ser adquiridos a partir de nuvens de pontos; 2. Os diferentes tipos de análise de edifícios; 3. A utilização de standards e BIM para edifícios existentes; 4. Fluxos de trabalho BIM para edifícios existentes e diretrizes para ateliers de arquitectura. A partir da pesquisa efetuada, pode-se concluir que é há necessidade de uma melhor utilização da informação na tomada de decisão no âmbito de um projeto de intervenção arquitetónica. Diferentes tipos de dados, não apenas geométricos, são necessários como base para a análise dos edifícios. Os dados não geométricos podem referir-se a características físicas do tecido construído, tais como materiais, aparência e condição. Além disso, o desempenho ambiental, estrutural e mecânico de um edifício, bem como valores culturais, históricos e arquitetónicos, essenciais para a compreensão do seu estado atual. Estas informações são fundamentais para uma análise mais profunda que permita a compreensão das ações de intervenção que são necessárias no edifício. Através de tecnologias Fotogrametria (ADP) e Laser Scanning (TLS), pode ser gerada informação precisa e actual. O produto final da ADP e TLS são nuvens de pontos, que podem ser usadas de forma complementar. A combinação destas técnicas com o levantamento tradicional Robotic Total Station (RTS) fornece uma base de dados exata que, juntamente com outras informações existentes, permitem o planeamento adequado da intervenção. Os problemas de utilização de BIM para intervenção em edifícios existentes referem-se principalmente à análise e criação de geometria do edifício, o que geralmente é uma etapa prévia para a conexão de informação não-geométrica de edifícios. Por esta razão, a presente tese centra-se principalmente na busca de diretrizes para diminuir a dificuldade em criar os elementos necessários para o BIMs. Para tratar dados incertos e pouco claros ou informações semânticas não visíveis, pode-se complementar os dados originais com informação adicional. Os fluxos de trabalho apresentados na presente tese focam-se principalmente na falta de informação visível. No caso de projetos de remodelação, a informação não visível pode ser adquirida de forma limitada através de levantamentos ADP ou TLS após a demolição de alguns elementos e/ou camadas de parede. Tal metodologia permite um melhor entendimento das camadas de materiais não visíveis dos elementos do edifício, quando a intervenção é uma demolição parcial. Este processo é útil apenas se uma parte do material do elemento é removida e não pode ser aplicada a elementos não intervencionados. O tratamento da informação em falta pode ser feito através da integração de diferentes tipos de dados com diferentes origens. Devem ser implementados os fluxos de trabalho para a integração da informação. Diferentes fluxos de trabalho podem criar informação em falta, usada como complemento ou como base para a tomada de decisão quando não há dados disponíveis. Relativamente à adição de dados em falta através da geração de nuvem de pontos, os casos de estudo destacam a importância de planear o levantamento, fazendo com que todas as partes compreendam as necessidades associadas ao projeto. Além da precisão, o nível de tolerância de interpretação e modelação, requeridos pelo projeto, também devem ser acordados e entendidos. Nem todas as ferramentas e métodos de pesquisa são adequados para todos os edifícios. A escala, os materiais e a acessibilidade do edifício desempenham um papel importante no planeamento do levantamento. Para lidar com o elevado esforço de modelação, é necessário entender os fluxos de trabalho necessários para analisar a geometria dos elementos do edifício. Os BIMs construídos são normalmente gerados manualmente através de desenhos CAD e/ou nuvens de pontos. Estes são usados como base geométrica a partir da qual a informação é extraída. A informação utilizada para planear a intervenção do edifício deve ser verificada, confirmando se é uma representação do estado actual do edifício. As técnicas de levantamento 3D para capturar a condição atual do edifício devem ser integradas no fluxo de trabalho BIM, construído para capturar os dados do edifício sobre os quais serão feitas as decisões de intervenção. O resultado destas técnicas deve ser integrado com diferentes tipos de dados para fornecer uma base mais precisa e completa. O atelier de arquitetura deve estar habilitado com competências técnicas adequadas para saber o que pedir e o que utilizar da forma mais adequada. Os requisitos de modelação devem concentrar-se principalmente no conteúdo deste processo, ou seja, o que modelar, como desenvolver os elementos no modelo, quais as informações que o modelo deve conter e como deve ocorrer a troca de informações no modelo. O levantamento das nuvens de pontos deve ser efectuado após ter sido estipulado o objetivo do projeto, standards, tolerâncias e tipo de conteúdo na modelação. As tolerâncias e normas de modelação são diferentes entre empresas e países. Independentemente destas diferenças, os documentos standard têm como objetivo produzir e receber informação num formato de dados consistente e em fluxos de trabalho de troca eficiente entre os diferentes intervenientes do projeto. O pensamento crítico do fluxo de trabalho de modelação e a comunicação e acordo entre todas os intervenientes são os principais objetivos das diretrizes apresentadas nesta tese. O estabelecimento e o acordo de tolerâncias de modelação e o nível de desenvolvimento e detalhes presentes nas BIMs, entre as diferentes partes envolvidas no projeto, são mais importantes do que as definições existentes atualmente e que são utilizadas pela indústria da AEC. As ferramentas automáticas ou semi-automáticas para extração da forma geométrica, eliminação ou redução de tarefas repetitivas durante o desenvolvimento de BIMs e a análise de condições de ambiente ou de cenários, são também um processo de diminuição do esforço de modelação. Uma das razões que justifica a necessidade de standards é a estrutura e a melhoria da colaboração, não só para os intervenientes fora da empresa, mas também dentro dos ateliers de arquitetura. Os dados e standards de fluxo de trabalho são difíceis de implementar diariamente de forma eficiente, resultando muitas vezes em dados e fluxos de trabalho confusos. Quando tal situação ocorre, a qualidade dos resultados do projeto reduz-se e pode ficar comprometida. As normas aplicadas aos BIMs construídos, exatamente como as normas aplicadas aos BIMs para edifícios novos, contribuem para a criação de informação credível e útil. Para atualizar um BIMs durante o ciclo de vida de um edifício,é necessário adquirir a informação sobre o estado actual do edifício. A monitorização de dados pode ser composta por fotografias, PCM, dados de sensores, ou dados resultantes da comparação de PCM e BIMs e podem representar uma maneira de atualizar BIMs existentes. Isto permite adicionar continuamente informações, documentando a evolução e a história da construção e possibilita avaliar possíveis intervenções de prevenção para a sua valorização. BIM não é geralmente usado para documentar edifícios existentes ou intervenções em edifícios existentes. No presente trabalho propõe-se melhorar tal situação usando standards e/ou diretrizes BIM e apresentar uma visão inicial e geral dos componentes que devem ser incluídos em tais standards e/ou linhas de orientação.
ABSTRACT: Building information modeling (BIM) is most often used for the construction of new buildings. By using BIM in such projects, collaboration among stakeholders in an architecture, engineering and construction project is improved. This scenario might also be targeted for interventions in existing buildings. This thesis intends to enhance processes of recording, documenting and managing information by establishing a set of workflow guidelines to efficiently model existing structures with BIM tools from point cloud data, complemented with any other appropriate methods. There are several challenges hampering BIM software adoption for planning interventions in existing buildings. Volk et al. (2014) outlines that the as-built BIM adoption main obstacles are: the required modeling/conversion effort from captured building data into semantic BIM objects; the difficulty in maintaining information in a BIM; and the difficulties in handling uncertain data, objects, and relations occurring in existing buildings. From this analysis, it was developped a case for devising BIM workflow guidelines for modeling existing buildings. The proposed content for BIM guidelines includes tolerances and standards for modeling existing building elements. This allows stakeholders to have a common understanding and agreement of what is supposed to be modeled and exchanged.In this thesis, the authors investigate a set of research questions that were formed and posed, framing obstacles and directing the research focus in four parts: 1. the different kind of building data acquired; 2. the different kind of building data analysis processes; 3. the use of standards and as-built BIM and; 4. as-built BIM workflows and guidelines for architectural offices. From this research, the authors can conclude that there is a need for better use of documentation in which architectural intervention project decisions are made. Different kind of data, not just geometric, is needed as a basis for the analysis of the current building state. Non-geometric information can refer to physical characteristics of the built fabric, such as materials, appearance and condition. Furthermore environmental, structural and mechanical building performance, as well as cultural, historical and architectural values, style and age are vital to the understanding of the current state of the building. These information is necessary for further analysis allowing the understanding of the necessary actions to intervene. Accurate and up to date information information can be generated through ADP and TLS surveys. The final product of ADP and TLS are the point clouds, which can be used to complement each other. The combination of these techniques with traditional RTS survey provide an accurate and up to date base that, along with other existing information, allow the planning of building interventions. As-built BIM adoption problems refer mainly to the analysis and generation of building geometry, which usually is a previous step to the link of non-geometric building information. For this reason the present thesis focus mainly in finding guidelines to decrease the difficulty in generating the as-built-BIMs elements. To handle uncertain data and unclear or hidden semantic information, one can complement the original data with additional missing information. The workflows in the present thesis address mainly the missing visible information. In the case of refurbishment projects the hidden information can be acquired to some extend with ADP or TLS surveys after demolition of some elements and wall layers. This allows a better understanding of the non visible materials layers of a building element whenever it is a partial demolition. This process is only useful if a part of the element material is removed, it can not be applied to the non intervened elements. The handling of visible missing data, objects and relations can be done by integrating different kind of data from different kind of sources. Workflows to connect them in a more integrated way should be implemented. Different workflows can create additional missing information, used to complement or as a base for decision making when no data is available. Relating to adding missing data through point cloud data generation the study cases outlined the importance of planning the survey, with all parts understanding what the project needs are. In addition to accuracy, the level of interpretation and modelling tolerances, required by the project, must also be agreed and understood. Not all survey tools and methods are suitable for all buildings: the scale, materials and accessibility of building play a major role in the survey planning. To handle the high modeling/conversion effort one has to understand the current workflows to analyse building geometry. As-built BIMs are majorly manually generated through CAD drawings and/or PCM data. These are used as a geometric basis input from where information is extracted. The information used to plan the building intervention should be checked, confirming it is a representation of the as-is state of the building. The 3D surveys techniques to capture the as-is state of the building should be integrated in the as-built BIM workflow to capture the building data in which intervention decisions are made. The output of these techniques should be integrated with different kind of data to provide the most accurate and complete basis. The architectural company should have technical skills to know what to ask for and to use it appropriately. Modeling requirements should focus primarily on the content of this process: what to model, how to develop the elements in the model, what information should the model contain, and how should information in the model be exchanged. The point clouds survey should be done after stipulating the project goal, standards, tolerances and modeling content. Tolerances and modeling guidelines change across companies and countries. Regardless of these differences the standards documents have the purpose of producing and receiving information in a consistent data format, in efficient exchange workflows between project stakeholders. The critical thinking of the modeling workflow and, the communication and agreement between all parts involved in the project, is the prime product of this thesis guidelines. The establishment and agreement of modeling tolerances and the level of development and detail present in the BIMs, between the different parts involved on the project, is more important than which of the existing definitions currently in use by the AEC industry is chosen. Automated or semi-automated tools for elements shape extraction, elimination or reduction of repetitive tasks during the BIMs development and, analysis of environment or scenario conditions are also a way of decreasing the modeling effort. One of the reasons why standards are needed is the structure and improvement of the collaboration not only with outside parts but also inside architectural offices. Data and workflow standards are very hard to implement daily, in a practical way, resulting in confusing data and workflows. These reduce the quality of communication and project outputs. As-built BIM standards, exactly like BIM standards, contribute to the creation of reliable and useful information. To update a BIMs during the building life-cycle, one needs to acquire the as-is building state information. Monitoring data, whether consisted by photos, PCM, sensor data, or data resulting from the comparison of PCM and BIMs can be a way of updating existing BIMs. It allows adding continuously information, documenting the building evolution and story, and evaluating possible prevention interventions for its enhancement. BIM environments are not often used to document existing buildings or interventions in existing buildings. The authors propose to improve the situation by using BIM standards and/or guidelines, and the authors give an initial overview of components that should be included in such a standard and/or guideline.
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The terrorist attacks on New York City on September 11, 2001 heightened awareness about the need to plan for emergency evacuation measures. As a result, three-Dimensional (3D) city and building models have become an important part of GIS analysis. The technology can be used to plan evacuations in complex indoor environments. This thesis had two main objectives. The first goal was to conduct a 3D network analysis of a building for emergency management, which was based on a 3D model of a building in the city of Gävle, Sweden. This 3D model identifies the shortest path from any room to the defined exit. The second objective was to test the predicted evacuation times with a simulation experiment. The 3D model was built by Google Sketch Pro 8 and the 3D network analysis was mainly conducted in the ESRI’s ArcGIS software. The simulation experiment involved 18 volunteers at the organization Future Position X. The 3D network analysis was based on distance measurements instead of GNSS coordinates. The simulation experiment was conducted in four different situations. Crowding was found to be a critical problem during evacuation. Evacuation speeds varied from normal walking to running. However, crowding always increased the evacuation time and thus would affect the survival rate. Evacuation routes should be distributed differently to reduce this problem. The thesis also identifies other factors to be considered when planning emergency routes and challenges posed by the software at this time.

Conservation of historic buildings requires comprehensive and correct information of buildings to be analyzed in conservation decision making process in a systematic and rational approach. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are advantageous in such cases which can be defined as computer based systems for handling geographical and spatial data. GIS have the potential to support the conservation decision making process with their storing, analyzing and monitoring capabilities. Therefore, information systems like GIS can be seen as a potential significant instrument for dealing with the conservation projects. This thesis aims to analyze the transformation process of the data collected in conservation process into practical information in order to adapt this process to a spatial information system. In this context, use of Geographical Information Systems is tested in the process of historic building conservation on spatial information system designed for Doganlar Church izmir chosen as the case study. Hence the advantages and disadvantages of local information systems in conservation decision making process of historic buildings can be criticized.

This thesis researched the accuracy of measured energy data in comparison to estimated hand calculation data and estimated building energy performance simulation data. In the facility management industry, there is minimal evidence that building energy performance software is being used as a benchmark against measured energy usage within a building. Research was conducted to find examples of measured energy data compared to simulated data. The study examined the accuracy of a simulation software and hand calculations to measured energy data. Data suggests that comparisons may be made between building energy performance simulated data and measured data, though comparisons are solely based on each individual case. Data suggests that heating load simulation data is more accurate for benchmarks than cooling load simulation data. Importing models into Autodesk Green Building Studio (GBS) was not as successful as was expected. When only four of the initial ten building models chosen imported successfully, the remaining twenty-five other building models were imported. Only two of the twenty-five models successfully imported into GBS. The sample size of this research changed from ten to six. The results of this study show that GBS simulated data was close to actual data for the heating loads. For the cooling loads, however, GBS simulated data was consistently low in comparison to the actual data. The results of this study show that hand calculations were consistently low and not as close as GBS simulated data when compared to the actual data for the heating loads. The opposite was true with the cooling loads as hand calculations were consistently high in comparison to actual data.

Reducing and managing the environmental impacts of building structures has become a priority of building stakeholders and within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) community; although, conflicting approaches and methods to combat the issues are present. For example, green building standards are widespread throughout the world; however each one has its own characteristics and consequently its own specific requirements. While all have proven to be effective rating systems and have similar requirements, the distinguishing characteristic that separates them is their treatment of performance and prescriptive metrics. The feature they all severely lack or currently limit is the inclusion of strict engineering evaluation through energy simulations; hence, the reason why they fail to offer procedural steps to meet performance metrics. How can design professionals design energy efficient buildings with such constraints? Fortunately, advances in technology have allowed design professionals access to content found in Building Information Modeling (BIM). However, extracting pertinent information for specific use in energy analysis is problematic because BIM software currently available is filled with interoperability issues when placed in external software for energy analysis and energy analysis software itself is created with many assumptions that affect the tabulated energy results. This research investigates current building rating systems, determines how current professionals meet energy requirements, and prove that it is possible to create an add-on feature to Autodesk Revit that will allow design professionals to extract the needed information to meet energy goals with actual prescribed methods of mechanical systems selection and evaluation.

Lately the construction industry has become more interested in designing and constructing environmentally friendly buildings (e.g. sustainable buildings) that can provide both high performance and monetary savings. Analyzing various parameters during sustainable design such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and energy consumption, lighting simulation, green building rating system criteria and associated cost of building components at the conceptual design stage is very useful for designers needing to make decisions related to the selection of optimum design alternatives. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design options and to select vital energy strategies and systems at the conceptual stage of proposed buildings. This thesis describes a methodology to implement sustainable design for proposed buildings at their conceptual stage. The proposed methodology is to be implemented through the design and development of a model that simplifies the process of designing sustainable buildings, evaluating their Environmental Impacts (EI), assessing their operational and embodied energy and listing their potential accumulated certification points in an integrated environment. Therefore, a Decision Support System (DSS) is developed by using Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques to help design team decides and selects the best type of sustainable building components and design families for proposed projects based on three main criteria (i.e. Environmental, Economical factor «cost efficiency » and Social wellbeing) in an attempt to identify the influence of design variations on the sustainable performance of the whole building. The DSS outcomes are incorporated in an integrated model capable of guiding users when performing sustainable design for building projects. The proposed methodology contains five modules: 1) Database Management System (DBMS), 2) Energy and lighting analysis, 3) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), 4) LEED and 5) Life Cycle Cost (LCC). To improve the workability of the proposed model, a use case of abovementioned modules are going to be created as plug-ins in BIM tool. The successful implementation of such a methodology represents a significant advancement in the ability to attain sustainable design of a building during the early stages, to evaluate its EI, and to list its potentially earned certification points and associated soft costs.

A technique is presented for estimating hourly and seasonal energy consumption profiles in the building sector at spatial scales down to the individual taxlot or parcel. The method combines annual building energy simulations for cityspecific prototypical buildings and commonly available geospatial data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) framework. Hourly results can be extracted for any day and exported as a raster output at spatial scales as fine as an individual parcel (

In the case of Cultural Heritage buildings, the need for an effective, exhaustive, efficient method to replicate its state of being in an interactive, three-dimensional environment is today, of paramount importance, both from an engineering as well as a historical point of view. Modern geomatics entails the usage of Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) and photogrammetric modelling from Structure-from-Motion (SfM) techniques to initiate this modelling operation. To realize its eventual existence, the novel Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) technique is implemented. A prototype library of parametric objects, based on historic architectural data, HBIM allows the generation of an all-encompassing, three-dimensional model which possesses an extensive array of information pertaining to the structure at hand. This information, be it geometric, architectural, or even structural, can then be used to realize reinforcement requirements, rehabilitation needs, stage of depreciation, method of initial construction, material makeup, historic alterations, etc. In this paper, the study of the San Michele in Acerboli’s church, located in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, is considered. A HBIM model is prepared and its accuracy analyzed. The final model serves as an information repository for the aforementioned Church, able to geometrically define its finest characteristics.

Thesis (Ph.D)--City Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.
Committee Chair: French, Steven P.; Committee Member: Drummond, William; Committee Member: Goodno, Barry; Committee Member: McCarthy, Patrick; Committee Member: Yang, Jiawen. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Les systèmes de vision artificielle sont aujourd'hui limités à l'extraction de données issues de ce que les caméras « voient ». Cependant, la compréhension de ce qu'elles voient peut être enrichie en associant la connaissance du contexte et la connaissance d'interprétation d'un humain.Dans ces travaux de thèse, nous proposons une approche associant des algorithmes de vision atificielle à une modélisation sémantique du contexte d'acquisition.Cette approche permet de réaliser un raisonnement sur la connaissance extraite des images par les caméras en temps réel. Ce raisonnement offre une réponse aux problèmes d'occlusion et d'erreurs de détections inhérents aux algorithmes de vision artificielle. Le système complet permet d'offrir un ensemble de services intelligents (guidage, comptage...) tout en respectant la vie privée des personnes observées. Ces travaux forment la première étape du développement d'un bâtiment intelligent qui peut automatiquement réagir et évoluer en observant l'activité de ces usagers, i.e., un bâtiment intelligent qui prend en compte les informations contextuelles.Le résultat, nommé WiseNET, est une intelligence artificielle en charge des décisions au niveau du bâtiment (qui pourrait être étendu à un groupe de bâtiments ou même a l'échelle d'un ville intelligente). Elle est aussi capable de dialoguer avec l'utilisateur ou l'administrateur humain de manière explicite
To date, computer vision systems are limited to extract digital data of what the cameras "see". However, the meaning of what they observe could be greatly enhanced by environment and human-skills knowledge.In this work, we propose a new approach to cross-fertilize computer vision with contextual information, based on semantic modelization defined by an expert.This approach extracts the knowledge from images and uses it to perform real-time reasoning according to the contextual information, events of interest and logic rules. The reasoning with image knowledge allows to overcome some problems of computer vision such as occlusion and missed detections and to offer services such as people guidance and people counting. The proposed approach is the first step to develop an "all-seeing" smart building that can automatically react according to its evolving information, i.e., a context-aware smart building.The proposed framework, named WiseNET, is an artificial intelligence (AI) that is in charge of taking decisions in a smart building (which can be extended to a group of buildings or even a smart city). This AI enables the communication between the building itself and its users to be achieved by using a language understandable by humans

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) operates numerous Arctic and Subarctic installations, including Alaska. Changes to permafrost can threaten critical built infrastructure. It is critical to accurately characterize and compare site conditions in permafrost regions to enable the efficient, cost-effective design and construction of an infrastructure well suited to the permafrost environment and that meets DoD requirements. This report describes three research efforts to establish (1) field investigation approaches for ground ice detection and delineation, (2) methods and modeling for early warning detection of thawing permafrost under infrastructure, and (3) an outline of a decision support system that determines the most applicable foundation design for warming and degrading permafrost. Outcomes of these interrelated efforts address needs to improve construction of DoD mission critical infrastructure on Arctic and Subarctic permafrost terrains. Field investigation processes used systematic methodologies including borehole data and geophysical measurements to effectively characterize subsurface permafrost information. The Permafrost Foundation Decision Support System (PFFDSS) tool implements and logically links field survey information and foundation type assessments. The current version of PFFDSS is designed to be accessible to design-engineers of a broad range of experience, that will reduce the effort and cost, and improve the effectiveness of site assessment.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.