Digital Integration of 5D BIM and Building Energy Modelling for Sustainable Construction Management

Abstract

The use of BIM technology is currently limited in several segments of the Indian construction industry. However, the application of BIM technology to two residential building projects in Bengaluru, India, shows the potential for BIM to enhance construction industry performance in terms of cost control, scheduling, and environmental impact. Five-dimensional BIM was used to construct a seven-storey residential building with basement parking using Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, and Navisworks. This model allowed for the estimation of the total quantity of concrete that would be required for the construction of the buildings at 1,428.88 m³, as well as an estimation of the cost of constructing the concrete at approximately ₹39.57 lakh. Energy simulations were performed on the two-storey residential building in Bengaluru using Revit Green Building Studio and Autodesk Insight 360, as a way of estimating the energy that would be required to heat or cool the buildings according to the climate of Bengaluru. The energy simulations indicated that the heating and cooling energy use for the buildings was 163 kWh/m² per year - 7% more than the industry benchmark of 152 kWh/m² per year. The increased energy requirement by the residential buildings was attributed to the uninsulated walls constructed of brick masonry and the reinforced-concrete roof of the residential buildings. Additionally, a review of other construction industry projects that implemented BIM technology revealed cost savings of between ₹12.45 lakh and ₹16.60 crore, with the costs to implement BIM technology ranging between ₹1.20 lakh and ₹74.70 lakh. These results indicate that the implementation of BIM technology to residential construction projects in Bengaluru and other rapidly developing Indian cities has considerable potential to enhance the economic and environmental performance of construction projects.