From Construction to Operations: BIM and Facility Management

Approximately 20% of a building's life cycle cost is spent on design and construction, while 80% is spent on operation and maintenance (O&M) processes. Nevertheless, BIM is often seen as a tool focused solely on the construction process. However, an As-Built BIM Model is a goldmine of data for facility managers.

Operations with Digital Twin

When a "Digital Twin" of an existing structure obtained through laser scanning is integrated with facility management systems (CAFM / CMMS), it provides the following advantages:

1. Asset Management and Localization

In traditional methods, when a failure occurs, maintenance personnel try to find the faulty valve or fuse with 2D papers in hand. In BIM-integrated systems, personnel can instantly see on their tablet:

2. Energy Analysis and Simulation

The as-built model contains the actual geometry and material properties of the building. This data can be transferred to energy simulation software to generate scenarios for optimizing the building's heating/cooling performance.

3. Renovation Planning

In renovations during operations (e.g., converting office space to a laboratory), demolition costs and risks are minimized because the installations above the ceiling or behind the walls can be seen in the BIM model.

COBie Data Standard

The bridge between BIM and Facility Management is the COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) standard. At Eos Proje, we add COBie parameters (equipment serial number, installation date, spare part code, etc.) to the BIM models we produce, transforming the model into an "intelligent" database.

Conclusion

The BIM investment does not end when construction is complete; on the contrary, it continues to amortize itself by providing cost savings during the operation process. Having the digital key to your facility is the first condition for efficient operations management.

To learn about BIM-based asset management solutions for your facility, contact us.