Automation in Construction 20 (2011) 99100

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Automation in Construction
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / a u t c o n

Editorial

Building information modeling and changing construction practices

Recent years have witnessed an expanding adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in construction. Due to its emerging importance, Automation In Construction has devoted two recent special issues to address technical complexities in adopting BIM. Specically, the special issue of Volume 19, issue 4 Building Information Modeling and Interoperability has been focused on data exchange standards and interoperability of BIM systems; and volume 19, issue 5 Building Information Modeling and Collaborative Working Environment has addressed the integration of BIM and collaborative working environment. This special issue extends the previous two special issues by addressing how BIM interacts with construction processes. BIM is neither simply a virtual representative of a real project nor a static encapsulation for project information. It provides dynamic decision-making information throughout a project lifecycle meanwhile its encapsulated information synchronizes with construction practices ranging from design, execution, operation, maintenance, through to renovation. BIM is changing the traditional construction practices in a broader sense in terms of people, process, working culture, communication, business models, etc. Some even advocate that the traditional construction practices are facing a paradigm shift with the wider application of BIM. Nonetheless, various intriguing questions are yet to be fully explored before seeing the tipping point of using BIM in construction. This special issue brings together contributions that reect the changing architecture, engineering, construction, and operation practices by BIM in various contexts. Lu, Huang, and Li explore the potential scenarios for applying RFID technology in construction project management. Their work unfolded the future pictures of how the small but important technology can improve real-time information visibility and traceability of materials, men, and machinery (M3) for construction projects although many hurdles are yet to be overcome. They noticed that the discussions of BIM are pervasive in the AEC sector but a big problem is that they failed to explore how a BIM can really talk to a construction project in a real-time manner. RFID may be able to bridge the interface between a BIM and a real project. Grilo and Jardim-Goncalves point out that the AEC sector has been lagging behind other sectors in the adoption of e-procurement while Building Information Modeling (BIM) is changing the way companies in the AEC sector are working, providing new processes for collaboration. They describe how the BIM combined with the Model-Driven Architecture, Service-Oriented Architecture, and Cloud Computing may challenge e-procurement in the AEC sector. They present the application of a SOA4BIM framework in the context of electronic procurement and describe an industrial research case study for validation of the proposed approach in the conception and design phases of building/construction projects.
0926-5805/$ see front matter 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2010.09.006

Peterson, Hartman, Fruchter, and Fischer report the experiences and lessons learned during the introduction of BIM in construction engineering project management courses. They show that the introduction of BIM allows educators to design a class project that allowed the use of more realistic cases that better simulate real-world project conditions, helped students to learn how different project management methods integrate with each other, integrate change management tasks in a class assignment, and learn how to optimize project plans. Even though the concept of BIM has been widely implemented, the overall and practical BIM effectiveness is difcult to justify at this stage. Furthermore, the concept, method, or scope of BIM is not clearly dened yet. In an attempt to clarify the BIM variables, Jung and Joo propose a systematic and comprehensive framework focused on practical implementation and managerial issues coupled with BIM technologies. The proposed BIM framework would serve as a base to enhance the communications with shared understanding, and to further develop quantitative methodologies for evaluating practical BIM implementation. In addition, the proposed framework facilitates identifying promising BIM research areas. Singh, Gu, and Wang develop a theoretical framework of technical requirements for using BIM-server as a multi-disciplinary collaboration platform. The framework is developed by using focus group interviews (FGIs) with representatives from the diverse AEC disciplines, a case study of an Architectural project using a state-of-theart BIM-server, and a critical review and analysis of current collaboration platforms that are available to the AEC industries. They conclude that greater emphasis should be placed on supporting technical requirements to facilitate technology management and implementation across disciplines. Khosrowshahi and Alani investigate how to visualize impact of time on the internal lighting of a building. In their paper, the overall model of the visual building design and maintenance is proposed and its practicality is demonstrated through its application to the building lighting system. The overall process is modeled and generalized and the lighting system is introduced as an example where the research work can be applied: time-related behavior of different light sources under the impact of intrinsic and environmental factors is modeled and expressed in a mathematical form which facilitates visualization through the use of Visual User Interface. Zhang and Hu present the results of research efforts on how BIM can be used in an integrated solution which aims at decreasing the number of construction accidents. The paper rst delineates a 4D structural information model into the analysis and management for conict and structural safety problems during construction. Then three types of applications, i.e., dynamic safety analysis of timedependent structures, conict analysis and management of schedule/

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Editorial

resource/cost, and collision detection of site facilities, are separately discussed. At last, the paper argues the advantages provided by the combination of BIM and 4D technology for the presented integrated solution. In a second paper, Hu and Zhang investigate the implementation and site trials of an integrated archetypal system named 4D-GCPSU 2009. The paper rstly illustrates design and development of the system in detail, and then by three real project applications, the feasibility and effectiveness of the system are veried. Finally, utilization experiences, as well as future directions and potentials are discussed. Chen, Wang and Ling develop a common and extended Petri net simulation framework to simulate dynamic changes of workow and information ow in the earthmoving construction process and illustrate the constraint relationship between various operational equipment and construction restrictions. The framework considers factors including randomness of construction activities, individual preference of equipment scheduling, and constraint relationship between equipment and construction environment. With the given equipment availability and project indirect cost, the framework can predict construction situation, equipment utilization rate, estimated duration and cost to achieve visualized and intelligent scheduling of virtual construction process in earthmoving operations. The study will provide technical support and a management basis for equipment scheduling of earthmoving operations. Arayici, Coates, Koskela, and Kagioglou examine the relevant BIM technologies as part of the BIM adoption and implementation to demonstrate how efciency gains have been achieved towards a lean architectural practice. Research has proved that BIM technology adoption should be undertaken with a bottom-up approach rather than top-down approach for successful change management and dealing with the resistance to change. As a result of the BIM technology adoption, efciency gains are achieved through the piloting projects and the design process is improved through the elimination of wastes and value generation. Ma, Wei, Wu, and Lou present the possibilities and methods of applying IFC to the construction cost estimating for tendering in China. An information requirement model was established by using IFC with extensions of proxy elements and property sets, which can be applied to the development of construction cost estimating software in China.

Crosbie, Dawood and Dawood present a paper which illustrates how advances in information and communication technologies [ICTs] offer the opportunity to improve the way energy proling tools and techniques are used to measure and inform the energy performance of buildings throughout their lifecycle. Their paper denes the functions of energy simulations within the IntUBE Intelligent Use of Buildings project, outlines the systems architecture necessary to these functions and presents a case study illustrating part of the functionality under development. In doing so this paper illustrates the relationship between the energy simulation component and the building control component of the proposed IntUBE system. Finally, Azhar, Calton, Olsen, and Ahmad conduct a case study on Salisbury University's Perdue School of Business building to demonstrate the use of BIM for sustainable design and the LEED certication process. They rst develop a conceptual framework to establish relationship between BIM-based sustainability analyses and the LEED certication process. Next, the framework was validated via this case study. They report that documentation supporting LEED credits can be directly or indirectly prepared using results of BIMbased sustainability analyses software. This process could save substantial amount of time and resources which would otherwise be required in traditional methods.

Wilson W.S. Lu Dept. of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Corresponding author. E-mail address: wilsonlu@hku.hk. Heng Li Construction Informatics, Dept. of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong E-mail address: bshengli@polyu.edu.hk.