Development of a BIM and IoT-Based Smart Lighting Maintenance System Prototype for Universities’ FM Sector

Abstract

Reactive maintenance (RM) is a core service of the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase, the most prolonged and costly within the building lifecycle. RM is characterised by inefficient asset information and communication management, impacting critical FM problems and users’ experience. Building information modelling (BIM) and Internet of things (IoT) has enabled the development of digital twins, moving facilities management (FM) from a reactive approach towards a predictive one. Although previous studies have investigated the application of such technologies to FM, there is a lack of understanding on procedural issues related to its implementation in FM and RM. This research aimed to characterise strategies and decisions involved in prototyping a BIM and IoT-based smart-lighting maintenance system and identify its potential impacts on universities’ maintenance processes. The adopted research strategy and data collection methods involved prototyping, questionnaires, and interviews. The results show a high level of complexity in converging maintenance needs and technological abilities for FM and the importance of procedures and standards at organisational and industry levels. Moreover, it evidenced that the automation of functions and the centralisation of information enabled by BIM and IoT can optimise service provision, generate environmental and efficiency gains, and improve users’ safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the opportunities and challenges of building automation and control systems to support facility management – an extensive literature review

“…BACS support facility managers with providing real-time monitoring and notifications of defects, enabling faster response and minimising potential hazards (Villa et al, 2022). However, reactive maintenance can be costly as it requires urgent and unexpected repairs or replacement and it disrupts the optimal operation of the building (Fialho et al, 2022).…”

Towards an Interoperable Approach for Modelling and Managing Smart Building Data: The Case of the CESI Smart Building Demonstrator

“…There are various studies on the integration of BIM and IoT at the operational phase of buildings [16][17][18][19]. Studies either investigated the potential of their integration or demonstrated such integration through prototypes throughout the project lifecycle [20].…”

“…Studies either investigated the potential of their integration or demonstrated such integration through prototypes throughout the project lifecycle [20]. Fialho et al [19] demonstrated the application of BIM and IoT prototypes for smart lighting management, which showed the potential for complementing reactive maintenance with predictive insights. Chung et al [21] proposed a process in which virtual reality and open BIM are combined to enable smart facility management systems.…”

Using RPA+BIM for High Efficient Operation of Smart Building's Equipment Room

“…Reverse modeling is a method to obtain 3D spatial model by combining the point cloud data scanned in the project with professional modeling software [17][18][19][20]. According to the different ways of 3D model representation, there are two methods to reconstruct 3D models from point cloud data: one is 3D surface model reconstruction, which mainly involves constructing meshes (triangular meshes, etc.)…”