Data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis models

Abstract

The AEC industry lags behind other industries when it comes to digitalization process. The concept of building information modelling (BIM) promises improved productivity, quality and efficiency of business by increasing the digitalization, primarily in the building design phase. In BIM workflows, multiple design phase stakeholders create, edit and exchange building models, but these activities still face multiple human, procedural and technological problems. Workflows are in practice heterogeneous, which makes it difficult to provide a single solution across the industry. One of the processes regularly facing difficulties is a data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis models. This data exchange is required from the early design phase, followed by multiple iterations in order to find an optimal building design. In case that BIM-authoring tools are used by architects and structural engineers, a model-based exchange is still not a common practice; structural engineers recreate a model, which is an error-prone, redundant and inefficient process.How to achieve a seamless data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis models is the main question of this work.This doctoral thesis addresses several methodological steps that finally lead to a solution which facilitates a seamless data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis. The thesis is cumulative, based on four peer reviewed journal papers.Initially, the obstacles within the existing technologies were identified through literature review and a comparative study. A framework based on software-independent data management that overcomes the identified obstacles is conceptualized and implemented after examining multiple data management solutions. The framework implementation was realized with a pilot use case building model; the verification tests the framework with additional two use case building models, originating from an external design office. Finally, the framework is extended with automatic preprocessing steps, required before the structural analysis, and validated through an expert panel discussion. The framework and resulting technological solution demonstrate a way to automate the data exchange process and support the existing BIM-based modelling practices and end-user requirements. It displays reduction of manually performed tasks and delivers valid structural analysis models with an open exchange process, which can be further extended to satisfy heterogeneous practices.The innovative contribution of this thesis is that, rather than the existing academic and industrial solutions often focusing on single practices or proprietary software tool combinations, it recognizes the heterogeneity in the AEC industry. The proposed solution is based on the open data exchange approach and considers varying data management procedures between multiple domains and practices besides the varying data requirements. It can be linked to additional software tools (via APIs) and provide support for varying workflows (e.g. microservices). The novel framework integrates open inter-model procedures, which have been either counted out or taken as granted until now, although they are the main obstacle in the exchange between architectural design and structural analysis practices. This work emphasizes the need to document, standardize and automate the intuitive knowledge in the design workflows in order to realize the BIM promises. The digitalization in the industry needs to focus on the dynamical solutions within the design process, instead of focusing solely on the data-related issues.