Integrated Framework of BIM and GIS Applications to Support Building Lifecycle: A Move toward nD Modeling
V. K. Bansal
Abstract
The utilization of building information modeling (BIM) to support various tasks of building lifecycle management (BLM) has been reported in a range of studies. However, during its lifetime, a building is an important part of its immediate surroundings; hence, its lifecycle must not be managed in isolation as a single entity without considering its participation in the immediate surroundings. BLM must consider in what way surroundings influence lifecycle and how a building impacts its surroundings. The use of geographic information system (GIS) has been reported in a range of studies for supporting various tasks of building lifecycle in which BIM is lacking. Understanding the participation of a building in its surroundings is also done by using GIS, however potential use of GIS in the entire lifecycle of a building has not yet been investigated. The review of literature produced a list of application areas of BIM and GIS which may possibly improve existing BLM processes, specifically, the possible ways to consider surroundings, site constraints, locational effects, and services of nearby facilities/utilities. An interactive and collaborative practical framework has been developed by using the main application areas of BIM and GIS seamlessly in various stages of BLM, enabling data reuse in all stages, developing efficient designs and plans, and making sustainable decisions. The developed framework was used for the lifecycle management of the building project taken as a case study. It has been established that the application areas of both BIM and GIS have a coordinated solution to makes BLM a multidisciplinary perspective.