Towards the implementation of building information models in geospatial context

The construction industry is very much fragmented and the concept of interoperability and integrated model based engineering is now becoming an industrial need, to address the difficulties of information exchange at all stages and between all parties involved in the construction life cycle. The lAI's IFC (common building information model standard) is now maturing in supporting the various phases of the construction life cycle. In addition, the industry is beginning to use geographic information systems (GISs) in various stages of the construction life cycle. Geospatial representations of building information models can be required when working with geographic information systems in the construction life cycle. On the other hand, geographic information systems are commonly used information systems to plan and manage the urban built environment. Some urban management tasks such as disaster management, delivery of goods and services, detailed cityscape visualisation require a high amount of geometrical and non-geometrical information about buildings. In fact, the lack of integration between Building Information Models and the Geospatial Information Domain, creates a technological barrier to, automation of some industrial processes in construction life cycle and urban management domains. In order to find a solution to this integration problem, this study aimed to assess the applicability and benefits of an implementation of a building information model in geospatial context. In light of the aim, the research assesses how a technological innovation (an implementation of a building information model in a geospatial context) can improve the process in related areas of the construction life cycle and urban management domains. The research started with a background literature review that is concerned with the trends and visions of construction information technology, in order to determine the main research directions. Major industrial trends and visions of, computer integrated construction were investigated and, building and geospatial information modelling are selected as two main research directions. The next phase of the background study aimed to investigate the building information modelling knowledge domain. In this context Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP), STEP based methods for information exchange, file and database implementations of STEP, STEP based building information modelling efforts, the structure of industry standard building information model- Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)-, several industrial projects that implement IFC model are investigated. The final stage of the background study investigated the modelling and management of geospatial information. This stage of the research started with investigating the role of geospatial information in construction and urban management knowledge domains. The research continued with investigating the geospatial data modelling efforts in two and three dimensions, and also looked at the use of three dimensional geospatial