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1. Introduction
Architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) and facilities management (FM) represent an information-intensive but often fragmented industry (Froese, 2003; Laakso and Kiviniemi, 2012). However, efficient information sharing and integration among disciplines and software applications are critical throughout the building’s life cycle to facilitate seamless building operation and maintenance (O&M) (Gökçe et al., 2012). Researchers and practitioners recognize building information models (BIM) as a compelling tool for collaborative BIM because they can provide a consolidated source of both geometric and semantic data (Eastman et al., 2011; Preidel et al., 2017a). However, while the AEC industries are increasingly integrating BIM within the context of integrated project delivery approaches (Cavka et al., 2015; Preidel et al., 2017a), the later phases of the project’s life cycle rarely implement these models in a meaningful way for handover and O&M practices. An AEC-purposed BIM is typically developed by various stakeholders using different modeling applications, and adapting these design models to accurately provide pertinent and specific O&M information is challenging (Laakso and Kiviniemi, 2012; Steel et al., 2012; Cavka et al., 2015; Edirisinghe et al., 2017). Various interoperability issues, including software limitations and different methods for developing a BIM, contribute to the difficulty of using the AEC-purposed model for O&M (Laakso and Kiviniemi, 2012).
Organizations at the leading edge of virtual design and construction have developed standards to promote consensus on various aspects of interoperability for BIM development and implementation (buildingSMART Alliance, 2015). As established standards for BIM development have not become mainstream until recently, industry stakeholders have developed in-house modeling standards over time which vary between firms (BIMForum, 2017). Thus, limited consensus exists regarding the ways of developing a BIM in terms of the content and implemented information technology (Steel et al., 2012; Yoders, 2013).
This paper represents the results of a case study approach to establish a BIM-based building handover workflow to identify information requirements and to capture, validate, retrieve and document this information as final O&M deliverables with proper content and in the client’s desired format. Lessons learned in this process contribute to development of a BHIM framework that contextualizes two established openBIM standards in determining information needed for model elements in a BHIM according to the client’s O&M...