BUILDING LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT:

OVERVIEW OF TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES AND

STAKEHOLDERS
Matthieu Bricogne1, Benot Eynard1, Nadge Troussier1, Eduard Antaluca2, Guillaume
Ducellier3

(1) (2) Universit de Technologie de Compigne, France

(1) Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, CNRS UMR 6253 Roberval
(2) Department of Urban Systems Engineering, Avenues Research Group
(3) Universit de Technologie de Troyes, France
Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, CNRS UMR 6279 ICD LASMIS
{matthieu.bricogne; benoit.eynard; nadege.troussier; eduard.antaluca}@utc.fr, guillaume.ducellier@utt.fr

Keywords: Building Lifecycle Management (BLM),
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), Building
Information Model (BIM), SaaS (Software as a
Service)
Abstract
Over the past decade, construction industry has been
faced to numerous changes and crisis. The paper
summarizes the main technology challenges and
stakeholders for Building Lifecycle Management
(BLM). A survey of data exchange and Industry
Foundation Classes (IFC) standard has been proposed
to enable information sharing in construction project.
A synthesis of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
principles and best practices is also proposed to
enhance BIM towards Building Lifecycle
Management. Last, the BATILIVE proposal is
introduced for specifying and implementation of next
generation of BIM2.0 i.e. BLM.
1. Introduction
The construction industry faces several challenges,
whether economic or sociological.
On the one hand, the economic crisis forces companies
to imagine new organizations for more efficiency. This
change brings to new business processes based on
innovative and consistent IT developments.
On the other hand, environmental awareness has
pointed out the need for environmentally friendly
industries and has led governments to impose new
regulatory constraints. The construction industry is
directly concerned with these new rules and has to
implement these processes in order to anticipate and
manage the future impacts.
Finally, construction industries have to contract with
their customers about energy consumption. These
energy commitments have to be more and more
detailed and should be evolved in order to be adapted
during the whole building lifecycle. To be efficient,
they have to guarantee that the building information
model and the digital mock-up are up-to-date [1]. It
requires a strong involvement of the each partner
during the different lifecycle's stages: design, planning,
construction, operation, maintenance, etc. In addition
to these new challenges, the construction industry is
generally composed of a heterogeneous group of
independent companies with sometimes conflicting
interests. Lack of collaborative systems to enable these
partners to work together prevents from having an
effective digital environment [2],[3],[4]. The cost
increase has also to be considered as a significant
barrier to innovation in this sector.
2. Building Information Modelling and
Industry Foundation Classes
Despite the fact that the AEC/O (Architecture,
Engineering, Construction, and Operations) industry
spends billions each year [5] on inter-operability
issues, little added value is obtained. Moreover, the
exchange of building-model data is increasingly
demanding as systems for modelling, analysis,
visualization, and simulation evolve [6]. Building
Information Model (BIM) allows the creation and the
use of structured, coordinated and consistent data
about a construction project during the whole building
lifecycle.

177 ICSSC 2011

 Fig. 1. Relations between CAD and BIM [7]
With CAD, the focus was on creating a geometric
modelling of a building using basic entities such as
lines, arcs and circles. Now BIM focuses on building
objects (e.g. walls, beams) with technical parameters
and objects that describe the construction process
(action, work, files maintenance costs...). BIM
manages all the available digital information on the
building.
It is built and enriched mainly in the early stages of the
lifecycle (especially design) but it is considered as a
referential during construction and facility
management stages. During these stages, the building
can also change (structure change, usage change)
and all these changes have to be reported and stored in
the BIM.
BIM is not solely limited to the construction sector,
but can also be used for bridge projects, roads, etc
As explained in the "conclusion and future work"
section, BIM could also be used at a bigger level, such
as the city level. BIM contains a set of objects that can
be:
physical components (e.g. windows, doors,
valves, beams ...),
properties and relationships between
building components (geometry, spatial
relationships, quantities and properties, materials)
spaces (including rooms, floors, buildings,
site and other outdoor areas),
business processes describing relations
between organizations, data, etc
BIM is often considered and represented as a 3D
model. However it can also be represented in other
178
forms, especially in 2D. New non-geometric BIM are
also emerging. Figure 1 illustrates the fact BIM is not
only representing physical but also functional
characteristics.
Currently, IT vendors are trying to promote legacy
platforms. These platforms include a set of software
and different interfaces allowing to make interoperate
different other applications.
Figure 2 shows an example with the Autodesk
Revit 1 platform. The main applications (in green
boxes) are applications such as Revit Architecture,
Revit Structure, Revit MEP. Each application
registers its own information in an internal data
structure (the big yellow box). 3ds Max provides an
application that provides a realistic view while
NavisWorks is used to display other information as
simulations of the construction phases for example.
Autodesk also provides software for structure analysis
(Robot) and environmental assessment (Ecotect +
Green Building Studio). This example illustrates the
business needs in terms of intern interoperability
(platform integration) and extern interoperability
(other software).
1
www.autodesk.com
 Fig. 2. Autodesk Revit platform
An alternative to the IT vendors platforms is neutral
platform. This kind of platform is generally based on
standard data model. The Industry Foundation Classes
(IFC) is an object-oriented data model to describe
building and construction industry data [9] [10]. It is
partially based on the STEP [11] standard. The IFC is
neutral and opened specification schema, publicly
accessible. This scheme covers a wide range of
information in the construction industry. Several other
data models/specifications have recently been
proposed such as CIMSteel, Green Building XML
(gbXML), Keyhole Markup Language (KML) but
IFC remain the most popular. Some building CAD
software already integrates an interface for the IFC
standard.
3. Product Lifecycle Management
approach
One of the purposes of the paper is to describe the
transfer of the benefits and best practices issued from
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) integration in
manufacture industry towards the construction sector.
During the different lifecycle stages (especially during
the design and construction steps), a great number of
experts have to collaborate. Each experts use its
specific Computer-Aided X systems to create and
manage the information he/she is interesting in.
Different challenges follow from this observation. One
is that consistency between all the created data has to
be insured, despite of their heterogeneity. To solve
such a kind of problem, unique and up to date
information referential must be provided to all these
experts. This information referential has to be
179
consistent regarding the project lifecycle: the expert
role into the design project, the progress of the
project has to be considered.
PLM is defined as a systematic concept for the
integrated management of all product and processes
related information through the entire lifecycle, from
the initial idea to end-of-life [12]. In [13], PLM is
considered as a strategic business approach that
applies a consistent set of business solutions in support
to the collaborative creation, management,
dissemination, and use of product information across
the extended enterprise.
A great part of the scientific issues described above
are already partially solved for the manufacturing field
by the usage of the Product Data Management (PDM)
systems [14]. Indeed, standard PDM systems are
focused on parts modelling and documents
management, but they also:
- Enable the collaboration through the entire the
virtual/extended enterprise (workflow and
process management, communication and
notifications, secure data exchange) [15],
- Manage the product structure and its evolution
during the different steps (xBOM) [16],
- Track the different modifications
performed [16],
- Help for the project management: organization
(roles, tasks), planning, costs [17]
- Enable the integration of heterogeneous data
coming from diverse design software tools [17],
- Enhance knowledge capture and reuse [16][17],
- Provide a global Digital Mock-Up (DMU)
centralizing the different design contributions.
PLM strategy requires an infrastructure, a backbone,
giving the right information about the system aiding
design or manufacture and that in real time. It has to
be consistent with the various viewpoints of experts,
provides general information such as dashboards and
implements company best practices and business
processes
To support this strategy, PDM systems need to be
enriched and extended in order to integrate and take
into account all the different experts' point of views.
4. BATILIVE project
BATILIVE [7] is an application proposal for the "ICT
& Sustainable City" call from French Ministry of
Industry. It is led by Bouygues Construction2, one of
the world's leaders in building, civil engineering,
electrical contracting and maintenance. This project
has for main purpose to catalyse and accelerate the
industrialization process and the standardization of the
DMU and of data management throughout the
complete building's lifecycle. The main idea of this
project is to aid construction industry to integrate BIM
enhancement based on manufacturing PLM feedback
and the standardization and generalization of BIM
principles.
4.1 SaaS to support BIM diffusion
Industrial organizations are always more complex,
hierarchical and split all around the world. To promote
the adoption of such a kind of BIM platform,
technologies of web services enable the
implementation of a new paradigm: a web distribution
of data and services between members of the business
process, which requires the emergence of standards to
contribute to the overall efficiency of the sector, and
therefore its competitiveness. A proposal for a
platform providing both the progression of these
standards and their implementation to the digital
environment is required.
Cloud computing grows rapidly in all sectors of the
economy. It is fundamentally changing the way of
managing collaborative exchanges in industrial
clusters and construction. The emergence of this
shared and outsourced technology pushes a new
paradigm in the organization, and therefore, the roles
of the numerous members of the business processes of
an industrial sector.
SaaS (Software as a Service), is one of different mode
of the Cloud Computing. Its main advantage is to offer
and adapted solution to the different companies, from
SMEs to large industrial groups. Services offered are
packaged offerings or customized solutions, but they
are all modular and scalable. It allows users to
2
http://www.bouygues-construction.com
180
significantly reduce their investment and infrastructure
costs, while maximizing flexibility, productivity and
communications (intra and intercompany).
4.2 BIM as communication support
Another fundamental aspect is the fact that the
BATILIVE project has to provide a platform which
will improve the communication. New
interfaces / technologies will be developed around the
platform to meet new needs. For example, new
communication devices and associated applications
could allow experts to daily exchange information
with the data model (photo-reality comparison,
planning evolution and associated digital model...).
But the communication messages could also be
addressed to the public: residents, future users,
government agencies, associations... to easily get
answers to all their questions such as "what kind of
building is under construction?", "what is the noise
impact on my home during construction?", "what kind
of new activities will be developed?", "is there job
opportunities for me in this building when
completed?"
All this information will have to be stored in the
BATILIVE platform. Rights management is a native
component of PLM platforms and will be helpful in
this case.
4.3 Improve hard / soft facility management
By providing a complete and updated DMU, facility
management of the building should be improved. For
example, a building that has been designed to provide
offices to 100 people has to be adapted in order to
become a dining hall for over 300 people. What kind
of changes should be performed to the air conditioning?
What kind of changes can I perform on the structure
without affecting the building? Can I respect the local
laws? All these hard facility management examples
illustrate the need for detailed information that can be
given by DMU. Soft facility management examples
could also be provided
5. Conclusion and future work
The paper has summarized the main technology
challenges and stakeholders for Building Lifecycle
Management (BLM). This proposal is based on the
feedback of 20 years of PDM/PLM in manufacturing
industry and on the assessment of BIM principles
adoption in construction industry. A survey of data
exchange and IFC standard has been proposed to
enable information sharing between the numerous
members of construction project. A synthesis of PLM
principles and best practises is also proposed to
enhance BIM towards Building Lifecycle
Management. Last, these assumptions lead to the
development of BATILIVE proposal for the [7] T. Beltran, Batilive Project, Application proposal
specification and implementation of next generation of for ICT & Sustainable City call, Internal Report,
BIM2.0 i.e. BLM. Paris, France: 2011.
Future work will concern the adoption of BIM by all [8] Construction : la maquette numrique simpose-
members of construction project while they do not t-elle?, cad-magazine, 2009, pp. 30-38.
have the size for integrating complex information [9] J. Hietanen, IFC model view definition format,
systems. Another critical issue will be the scale Helsinki, Finland: 2006.
information management in integrating data of a flat in[10] R. Vanlande, C. Nicolle, and C. Cruz, IFC and
the building, the building in the city blocks and the building lifecycle management, Automation in
city blocks in whole urban system growing. Construction, vol. 18, 2008, pp. 70-78.
[11] R. Howard and B.-C. Bjrk, Building
Acknowledgement information modelling-Experts views on
standardisation and industry deployment,
This work has been supported by the BATILIVE Advanced Engineering Informatics, 2008.
consortium, involving as main partners: 3me il, [12] A. Sksvuori and A. Immonen, "Product
Arts & Mtiers ParisTech, Bouygues Construction, lifecycle management," Springer-Verlag, London,
CSTB, CEA, Dassault Systmes, Immersion, PI3C, 2008.
Universit Bourgogne and Universit de Technologie [13] H. Jun, D. Kiritsis, and P. Xirouchakis, "Research
de Compigne. issues on closed-loop PLM," Computers in
Industry, vol. 8-9, 2007, pp. 855-868.
References [14] C. Weber, H. Werner, and T. Deubel, "A different
view on Product Data Management/Product Life-
[1] C. Eastman, P. Teicholz, R. Sacks, K. Liston, BIM Cycle Management and its future potentials,"
Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Journal of Engineering Design, vol. 14, 2003, pp.
Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, 447-464.
Engineers and Contractors, John Wiley & Sons, [15] N. Bouikni, L. Rivest, and A. Desrochers, "A
Inc., New Jersey, 2008. multiple views management system for concurrent
[2] T. Kvan, Collaborative Design: what is it, engineering and PLM," Concurrent Engineering:
Automation in construction, vol. 9, 2000, pp. 409- Research and Applications, vol. 16, 2008, pp. 61-
415. 72.
[3] S. Kleiner, R. Anderl, R. Grb, A collaborative [16] B. Eynard, T. Gallet, P. Nowak, and L. Roucoules,
design system for product data integration, "UML based specifications of PDM product
Journal of Engineering Design, vol. 14, 2003, pp. structure and workflow," Computers in Industry,
421-428. vol. 55, 2004, pp. 301-316.
[4] B. Eynard, X.T. Yan, Collaborative Product [17] M. Garetti, S. Terzi, N. Bertacci, and M. Brianza,
Development, Concurrent Enginering: Research "Organisational change and knowledge
and Applications, vol. 16, 2008 management in PLM implementation,"
[5] M.P. Gallaher, A.C. O connor, J.L. Dettbarn, International Journal of Product Lifecycle
and L.T. Gilday, Cost Analysis of Inadequate Management, vol. 1, 2005, pp. 43-51.
Interoperability in the US Capital Facilities [18] A. Bernard, F. Laroche, and C. Da Cunha,
Industry, Gaithersburg, MD, USA: 2004. "Models and methods for knowledge
[6] T. Cerovsek, A review and outlook for a formalisation in a PLM context," 3rd
Building Information Model (BIM): A multi- International Congress Design and Modelling of
standpoint framework for technological Mechanical Systems CMSM2009, Hammamet
development, Advanced Engineering Informatics, (Tunisia): 2009.
2010.

181