​D4.3: BIM models of existing buildings based on 3D scanning

Summary

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Building Information Model represents one of the more powerful instruments for the optimisation, design and management of projects and processes, facilitating the sharing of information between different actors involved; and P2ENDURE research analyses, specifically, the integration of BIM with 3D laser and thermal scanning
In fact, the possibility of having assistance from this representation process meaningfully increases the potential of analyses of P2ENDURE tools, leading to results that are both scientifically accurate and practically usable by a wide parterre of actors (designers, stake holders, customers, etc.).
This acknowledgment is very clear in the same objectives of Work Package (WP) 4: the Description of Action (DoA) clearly states three important achievements that are expected from P2ENDURE research thanks to BIM:

• the possibility of realising and measuring the success of the pilot deep renovation cases (BIM models are indispensable),
  
• a facilitation in the cross-learning between different projects and geo-clusters (BIM libraries and data are very helpful in facilitating comparison between different case studies, easing the identification of the key processes and parameters independently from the location), and finally
  
• the certainty of allowing a broad replication potential at EU level of the Project findings.

Hence it is absolutely clear that BIM models are indispensable in the development of the research, it is not by chance that Deliverables of WP4 investigating BIM are central in the same development of the P2ENDURE projects, receiving input from the other Work Packages and continuously yielding output back to them in a sort of iterative process.
This is very clear if we consider the link between BIM-BEM: the modelling in a BIM environment of the case studies requires data from topics previously investigated in other Work Packages (mainly WP1, 2, 3).

This Deliverable provides a description of the typical activities that have been developed by partners and stakeholders to get the BIM models, and the information that needed to be collected: starting from  drawings of the building, manual of the MEP,  plants, energy networks, architectonical elements, further investigated thanks to survey using photogrammetry, 3D geomatics, and 3D thermal scanning: on Site and off Site investigations have been carries out for all the case studies to collect the data that were necessary for a detailed definition of BIM models.

Chapter 2 –Methodology – in particular, illustrates the technologies adopted in the preparation of BIM models with an overview of 3D scanning and BIM model procedures and their interoperability; bottleneck encountered, and lesson learnt are described.
Deliverable D4.3 hence, is probably the basic step of the whole WP 4, at least in its modelling section.
Title itself is very clear:
"BIM models of existing buildings based on 3D scanning"
The DoA for D4.3 topic, in fact, says: "Pre-renovation BIM models constructed based on drawings, photogrammetry, 3D geomatics, and 3D thermal scanning depending on needs, practicality and availability.
According to this requirement, Architectural elements, MEP, other information, e.g. on the usage pattern of the examined facilities, have been surveyed, classified and rearranged in the libraries constituting the backbone of BIM.
D2.2 of WP2 findings suggested detailed process guidelines that have been followed during these activities, finally giving the "integrated BIM platform" useful for storing and providing all required information throughout the entire 4M process.
Unfortunately, some problems have arisen: losses of data and libraries often occurred during the bridging between BIM and BEM. However, this problem has been overcome thanks to the input of WP2 as well (characterization). These problems were somehow predictable since the degree of freedom left in the choice of the software for the energy calculation tools. In any case for all the three selected different approach in the BIM to BEM, used in the research and presented in D3.1, any specific issue of data losses has been considered and solved in this Deliverable, once again demonstrating how tight the links are between specifically D3.1 and D4.3.

​Chapter 3 – Demonstration cases– reports for all the case studies the activities that have been put in force to prepare and implement the BIM of the pre-renovation status.
In particular, the chapter describes:

• the steps adopted in the BIM preparation;
  
• the available input data (drawings, geomatics, 3D surveys, etc.)
  
• the accuracy achieved in the BIM models (completeness of the data sets and of the libraries).

The validated BIM models of all the demonstration cases can be found on the SharePoint, together with all the documentation collected during the on-site and off-site investigations, especially the ones related to the laser scanning surveys, where they have been implemented.

​Chapter 4 –Best practice and conclusions– presents the remarkable progress achieved regarding the interoperability and the data exchange between 3D scanning and BIM model.