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Procedia Environmental Sciences 38 (2017) 436 444

International Conference on Sustainable Synergies from Buildings to the Urban Scale, SBE16

Implementation of Cloud BIM-based Platform Towards High-

performance Building Services
Szu-cheng Chiena,*, Tzu-chun Chuangb, Huei-Sheng Yuc,, Yi Hanb, Boon Hee Soonga,
King Jet Tsenga
a
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
b
Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong LTD., Level 5 Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue,Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 
c
OneWork LTD, 1F., No.17, Aly. 18, Ln. 207, Sec. 3, Xinglong Rd., Wenshan Dist., Taipei City 116, Taiwan

Abstract

In this research effort, we aim to develop an advanced integrated platform between FM, BIM, BMS, and front-end sensor data
visualization. We first assessed of the status quo, conceptual design of the platform components and configuration, and identified
the LoD. Subsequently, the BMS and environmental sensing information were incorporated into the BIM-based platform. Such
information categories include the building geometry, indoor air quality, energy generation and consumption. This integrated
BIM-based platform is exemplified in one existing low-rise zero energy office building in Tropics as a demonstration and pilot
study. In this research effort, the platform to link different types of building information system and the visualization of front-end
data in the phase of building operation and maintenance was developed. Also, the implementation process of this BIM-based
platform together with a user-friendly dashboard for ease of O&M was demonstrated. The research results are expected to serve
as the solid basis towards larger scale and comprehensive platform development.
2017
2017TheTheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by Elsevier
by Elsevier B.V.B.V.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of SBE16.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of SBE16.
Keywords: BIM; Building Management System; Facility Management; Built Environment; System Integration

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +65-6601-3193; fax: +65-6684-0384.

E-mail address: scchien@ntu.edu.sg

Formerly with ARUP.

1878-0296 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of SBE16.
doi:10.1016/j.proenv.2017.03.129
 Szu-cheng Chien et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 38 (2017) 436 444 437

1. Introduction

Based on the ICT advancement, it is foreseen that BIM is not only for 3D modelling in design phase, but also a
full life cycle data management platform which benefits all the stakeholders, whereby a number of dimensions (e.g.
time, space, cost, sustainability, FM, BMS, etc.) are considered. Information modelling has been commonly
conducted as a preferred technique to illustrate the static, functional, and dynamic aspects of a domain 1. BIM, as
such, was generated to demonstrate the whole building life cycle including the period of construction and building
operation. This term BIM is used to distinguish the next generation of IT and CAD for buildings from traditional
CADD, which focused on drawing production in the AEC industry2. Up to now, a number of works related to the
field of BIM have been done on software tool and protocol developments to achieve the goal of creating semantic
models for buildings, mainly to improve collaboration in lifecycle (i.e., design, construction, and facility operation
phase) of buildings3,4.
BIM denotes the process of generating and managing building data through the lifecycle of a building 2. Thereby,
IFCs based data structures (or other representations) are employed. BIM encompasses a range of characteristics such
as building geometry, spatial relationships, geographic information, and quantities and properties of building
components. It also includes environmental data from weather stations, indoor sensors, system maintenance, and
occupancy information sources. Thus, it can support 3D, real-time, intelligent, dynamic modelling applications to
facilitate successful coordination and achieve sustainability in building design, construction, and O&M4. For
example, building management may intend to remove an internal wall to plan a new space usage in a building.
Instead of checking the actual building, they may review the piping systems located in the planed location via their
BIM reference. Also, certain pipe specifications, manufacturer, and other necessary information could be retrieved
to the building management to better evaluate the strength and deficiency of the plan without information loss in the
model. Currently, most of the BIM applications in building O&M phase focus on the integration of BIM and FM.
However, such implementations are still rare, specifically in existing buildings, due to challenges of high modelling
conversion effort, updating of BIM information, and handling of uncertain data, objects and relations in BIM5.

Nomenclature

AEC Architecture-Engineering-Construction
AR Augmented Reality
BIM Building Information Modelling
BMS Building Management System
CAD Computer-aided Design
CADD Computer-aided Drafting and Design
CAVE Cave Automatic Virtual Environment
CMMS Computerized Maintenance Management System
FM Facility Management
IAQ Indoor Air Quality
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IFC Industry Foundation Class
IT Information Technology
LoD Level of Development
O&M Operation and Maintenance
SCTF Single Coil Twin Fan
VR Virtual Reality
VOC Volatile Organic Compounds
WebGL Web Graphics Library
UML Unified Modelling Language
ZEB Zero Energy Building
3D Three dimensions
438 Szu-cheng Chien et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 38 (2017) 436 444

In this research effort, we aim to develop an advanced integrated platform between FM, BIM, BMS, and front-
end sensor data visualization towards high-performance building services. Thereby, four major high performance
building attributes are considered, including life-cycle performance, energy efficiency, occupant productivity, and
environmental sustainability. We first assessed of the status quo, conceptual design of the platform components and
configuration, and identified the LoD. Subsequently, the BMS and environmental sensing information were
incorporated into the BIM-based platform. Such information categories include the building geometry, IAQ, energy
generation and consumption. This integrated BIM-based platform is exemplified in one existing low-rise zero
energy office building in Tropics as a demonstration and pilot study. In this research effort, the platform to link
different types of building information system and the visualization of front-end data in the phase of building
operation and maintenance was developed. Also, the implementation process of this BIM-based platform together
with a user-friendly visualization method for ease of O&M was demonstrated. It allows for modification of the BIM
model easily based on the dynamic environmental changes. This study contributed to the advanced BIM application
in built environment and big data analysis capabilities on integrated BIM platform. The research results are expected
to serve as the solid basis towards larger scale and comprehensive platform development.

2. Previous efforts

In a previous research effort6, a user survey (134 participants) and three focus group sessions (24 participants)
were conducted to capture the views of the potential receivers of building monitoring information regarding the
relative importance of different kinds of information and the modes and means of presenting and visualizing such
information. We included two groups, namely building experts (system developers, designers, building operators,
facility managers) and building users (occupants, guests). The main findings from this study were summarized as
below.

2.1. Functional requirements

x "Experts" would require more comprehensive technical information from a building monitoring system. Such
information includes indoor environmental information (concerning CO2 and VOC concentrations as well as
illuminance, air velocity, and air change rates) and outdoor environmental information (including wind speed and
direction as well as global irradiance).
x Non-expert users express more interest in information of general character, such as indoor air temperature and
humidity, general outdoor weather conditions and outdoor temperature. Instead of detailed and comprehensive
information levels, non-expert users should be provided with general and intuitively comprehensible information.
x A high level of interest in buildings' energy performance for both groups. A relevant question in this con-text
may be the potential of user interfaces to not only provide energy use information, but also to motivate users
toward energy efficient behavior.

2.2. Cognitive design requirements

x The importance of interface design strategies that properly address mobile device usage for queries pertaining to
building-related information.
x Advanced interface products that provide non-expert users with environmental information, must pay attention to
the clarity of terms and navigational ease so that the interface of building monitoring system is easy to use and
understand.
x The postures of the building monitoring user interface differ in view of user types. Potential users of sovereign
posture application are typically advanced user types (i.e. building experts). On the other hand, Non-experts favor
the user interfaces with a transient posture offering very short-term manipulation possibilities.
x The monitoring system interface should be available on a wide range of hardware devices, such that a convenient
and ubiquitous access to building-related information is supported.
x It is important that the environmental information displayed in interface products is appropriate and effective for
target user types. For example, the desired product should offer not only technical modes of information
 Szu-cheng Chien et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 38 (2017) 436 444 439

communication (such as charts and graphs), but also easily understandable elements such as icons and emotional
pictorials and animations to present and visualize the environmental information.

3. Prototypical implementation

The observations analyzed in the previous section informed the resulting system named as AssetHub. It serves
as a cloud BIM-based platform in a pilot living lab project. The end-users of this system are the building managers
and research staffs. In this section, firstly, the implemented living lab infrastructure is described. The design and
implementation are then introduced.

3.1. Testbed description

To demonstrate the envisioned dynamic multilayered data acquisition and processing, a retrofitted office building
ZEB (completed in 2009) located in BCA Academy Singapore was considered to conduct the prototypical
realization under realistic conditions (see Fig. 1(a)). The building footprint is about 76m long and 20m deep, with an
external corridor on the longer east side. By implementing a number of best practice strategies and active building
technologies, this three-storey building has achieved the net energy targets in 2015 7,8.
ZEB is monitored in real time via a wide array of sensors installed throughout the building collecting data on
different areas of ZEB. Such collected parameters include CO2, temperature, humidity, illuminance, and electricity.
All of these data together with control equipment status will be conveyed to current ZEB BMS for management
studies or analysis to further optimize the performance of ZEB building systems (see Fig. 1(b)). In ZEB, data
collected from the sensors are used as feedback to actively control the various building systems such as the air-
conditioning. These data and other energy information are also used for benchmarking studies and to produce audit
reports.

a b

Fig. 1. (a) birds-eye view of ZEB6; (b) screenshot from existing ZEBs BMS7.

3.2. Defining posture

Posture is a way of talking about how much attention a user will devote to interacting with a product, and how
the products behaviors respond to the kind of attention a user will be devoting to it 9. The primary end-users of this
system are the building management and research staffs. They value more a sense of monitoring over the building
performance and the associated devices and tools in ZEB. Thus, they are more willing to allocate time and patience
to manipulate their monitoring dashboards and to deal with rather complicated settings and details. Likewise, they
would be open to and interested in acquiring more information about system concurrent conditions and means and
ways of monitoring the system performance. They must efficiently offer a set of comprehensive functionalities and
allow the users to keep them up and running continuously while taking up the full screen.
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3.3. Design requirements

To better portray the interface, user requirements generated from the user needs (based on expert reviews and
focus groups) and scenarios with are described as follows (see Table 1).

Table 1: Design requirements generated from the user needs and scenarios.
User needs Scenarios
Environmental Monitor environmental parameters using three
and energy indicators such as illuminance, CO2, electricity
information Check the parameters per device or per zone
query Understand the performance trends in terms of
spatial zoning and over differing periods of times
(e.g. single point in time, daily, weekly, and
monthly)
Provide Sensing device info
System Monitor critical system performance based on each
Performance component or system. Such system pertains to air
query conditioning system, lighting system, and
personalized ventilation system,etc..
Understand the performance trends in terms of
parameters and over differing periods of times (e.g.
single point in time, daily, weekly, and monthly)
Provide system info/records
Navigation Info panels may be opened and closed separately
when needed.
Make learning and retaining of the required
manipulation sequence easy
Design requirements
Real-time info display of illuminance, CO2, and power
consumption
Real-time (average) info display per sensor device or per
zone
Further info display of the selected performance trend for
selected zones over differing spans of time
Sensing device specification
Use BIM model to visually demonstrate the geometry and
related critical info
Further info display comparing the system performance
trends over differing spans of time
System specification
Maintenance records
System layouts, such as lighting and fan layouts
Instead of overwhelming the occupants, each information
group on the right-hand of the dashboard layout are
embedded in accordion-like panels and may be opened and
closed separately when needed
The occupants may also trigger panels simultaneously and
keep them in view all the time. In this aspect, the occupants
may experience a neat layout while offering richness in
manipulation options.

3.4. Implemented services

All identified system services are implemented and aggregated in terms of a cloud-based interface that provides a
central portal for the occupants to access all query services.

3.4.1 System architecture

The cloud BIM-based AssetHub platform includes five systems, namely BMS system, BIM system, FM data set,
CMMS, and dashboard (see Fig. 2(a)). Each system possesses its database protocol with a variety of object IDs to
represent the corresponding attributes (e.g. documents, values, sensor positions). The BMS system database is for
updating mainly real-time sensor data changes, facility statuses, and retrieving data for web publishing via a cloud
BIM-based dashboard. The BMS server accommodates all facility and sensor information in raw file (CSV format).
Assethub can then obtain those data and map those data to specific purpose, such as real-time sensor data, positions,
facility statuses. FM system is a cloud-based system aggregating all facilitys manuals, system drawing documents
in its database. It keeps all buildings life cycle data and stores them in database. CMMS stores the maintenance
records of all assets and maintenance teams responsibilities, signatures and can track all maintenance tasks. For
instance, CMMS covers both hand score sheet documents (involving analog format) and digital lower duty of
maintenance task records (pertaining to e-format). The BIM system conducts the latest webGL technology to make a
lightweight BIM model and use cloud technology to create a buffer for BIM data and high performance operation
across different devices (e.g. mobile and desktop).
The BIM model comprises all As-built level and LoD 500 information, includes space, object properties
(including material features, manufacturers, size, and installation date/period, etc.). Each element has its specific
Element ID for better system synchronization among different databases in the entire platform. In the BIM
system, up-to-date Revit BIM model is seamlessly converted to cloud-based 3D model with detailed database and
then be stored in BIM server for further query. Information from other systems is integrated into a unified
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Dashboard system (see Fig. 2(b)). With organized info and agile navigation flow, Dashboard allows users to interact
with the whole platform and obtain required information. The cloud based framework contains integrated data from
BMS, maintenance records, and facility management and makes Assethub portable, networkable, and scalable. It
could allow complicated BIM-based platform with high data resolution (i.e. LoD) run in different devices. Thus, the
users can easily proceed maintenance tasks with portable devices.
Finally, the cloud BIM-based platform acts as a container with three dementia database to communicate with
other systems and query different data from different system via object ID. AssetHub allows users to interact with
each BIM element via front-end dashboard on cloud-based environment. A wide coverage of data could be obtained
via this platform. For example, once a user clicks any BIM element, AssetHub provides the user with all related
information (e.g. historical maintenance records, manuals, relevant drawings, status and historical data log).
a b

Fig. 2. (a) system framework; (b) simplified UML (pseudo-) class diagram of the dashboard

3.4.2 AssetHub

The sample screenshot of the AssetHub dashboard main page is shown in Fig. 3. Three major query scenarios
considered essential for the facility/building management are implemented by means of the users preferences over
differing spans of time and zoning (involving space), namely i) building performance at-a-glance; ii) indoor
environmental/energy indictors, and iii) building systems performance query. Three above-mentioned query
scenarios have been integrated in this dashboard model providing a one-for-all and consistent interface to unify
the query solutions to ZEB environment. The dashboard allows the users to change their monitoring preferences to
other parameter options (e.g., from CO2 to lighting) and systems/components (e.g. AHU to personalized
ventilation system) in the midstream of manipulation.
i) building performance at-a-glance: a schematic building performance service displayed in a modal window was
implemented for ZEB, which continuously updates information from BMS (see Fig. 4). This service could be
activated after system login or by triggering the overview icon in the top of the dashboard. The schematic
information in this service shows energy generation (involving the renewable energy sources in a variety of
locations) and consumption (per level) in pie chart (regarding real-time info) and line chart (involving the historical
energy performance) format.
ii) Indoor environmental/energy indicators: this accordion-like info panel on the right hand of the dashboard,
which is activated when the mouse clicks desired sensor device or colored bubble (based on query via spatial micro-
zoning), includes historical readings, current performance, and layout drawings (see Fig. 5(a)). Historical
readings provides the users with the historical line charts of desired indicator info (e.g. lighting load, illuminance
level, CO2 concentration, electricity). The users can trigger another separate screen and further inquire the historical
442 Szu-cheng Chien et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 38 (2017) 436 444

information via a corresponding line chart with agile user-based definitions of temporal extensions (i.e. scroll and
zoom functionality for timeline adjustment). The current performance panel displays the desired indicators in a
hierarchical tree structure from the entire building to level/room. Also, the relevant documents are integrated into the
panel of layout drawings.
ii) Building systems performance query: this panel on the right hand of the dashboard, which is activated when
the mouse clicks desired system or component, offers an integrated query view of ZEB in terms of system
performance (see Fig. 5(b)). Such provided information includes Historical Readings, Specification,
Maintenance Records, and Basic Info. Historical readings provides the users with the historical line charts of
desired indicator info. Specification shows the specification of the system and/or component with embedded
documents. Maintenance Records comprises O&M manuals, suppliers list, relevant layout drawings, and
maintenance records with temporal extensions (e.g. monthly report/sheet). Also, Basic Info provides basic info of
this queried system/component. It includes, for example, name, type, icon, material, source file name, layer, and
Element ID.

Fig. 3. A screenshot of the main menu.

Fig. 4. a screenshot of modal window regarding building performance at-a-glance.

 Szu-cheng Chien et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 38 (2017) 436 444 443

a b

Fig. 5. navigation flows of (a) lighting and (b)AHU.

4. Conclusion

This presented paper demonstrated the prototypical development of a cloud BIM-based platform. We first
assessed of the status quo, conceptual design of the platform components and configuration, and identified the LoD.
We then presented the development of a set of high-level user requirements to capture the core functionalities of
desirable system models. Subsequently, the BMS, FM, CMMS, and environmental sensing information were
incorporated into the BIM-based platform. Lastly, we demonstrated the prototypical implementation of this platform
model at ZEB in Singapore. For future phases of this research, we will make an attempt to further articulate current
effort toward a comprehensive real-time BIM-based BMS for ZEB building. Furthermore, the developed platform
and software tools could be further integrated to the advanced visualization facilities, such as BIM Connect CAVE
system, Virtual Design and Construction system, and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality devices.

Acknowledgements

This research is jointly funded by ARUP internal grant and the Republic of Singapores National Research
Foundation through a grant to the Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore (BEARS) for the
Singapore-Berkeley Building Efficiency and Sustainability in the Tropics (SinBerBEST) Program. BEARS has been
established by the University of California, Berkeley as a center for intellectual excellence in research and education
in Singapore. Also, the authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Building & Construction Authority (BCA)
Singapore toward implementation of this system mentioned in this paper.

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