BIM Technologies at Structural Design

Source abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM), also referred to as the digital twin of a building, is a widely used methodology for digitalizing building properties and parameters throughout the entire building lifecycle, from the planning stage to demolition. This process enables effective management of information, thereby increasing profitability and productivity while saving time. Compared with conventional design approaches, BIM coordination during the preliminary design stage has been shown to provide significant savings during construction and throughout the subsequent stages of a project. Recent BIM software has increasingly incorporated algorithm-assisted design tools to automate repetitive tasks. These tools perform a series of analyses based on constraints defined by the user and subsequently identify the most suitable solution. In addition, BIM models can be connected to external software through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Data transfer to SAP2000 can be achieved through the use of genetic algorithms within Grasshopper and Dynamo. Structural design under seismic loading requires considerable experience and time. Reinforced concrete shear walls are commonly used in buildings because of their substantial stiffness against lateral forces. The aim of this study is to obtain an optimum shear wall layout by utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies. The optimization of the shear wall arrangement is formulated as a topology optimization problem that aims to minimize cost, provide accurate analytical results, and reduce the time required from the engineer. In a typical project, the arrangement of shear walls is generally determined during the preliminary design stage through a coordination process involving architectural, mechanical, and electrical (MEP) disciplines. The main workflow of this study consists of identifying potential shear wall locations from architectural models and subsequently performing a series of structural analyses using different wall layout alternatives. Genetic algorithms and finite element software APIs are employed iteratively until an optimum solution is achieved. Dynamo visual programming software and the Python programming language are used to create BIM and structural models, establish connections between BIM models and structural analysis software, retrieve structural analysis results, and execute the optimization algorithm.