Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings

248 Pages·2013·7.27 MB·English

by  Alexandra Cemesova

Enhancing BIM-based data transfer
to support the design of low energy
buildings

Alexandra Cemesova
[email protected]

THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PhD)

Cardiff School of Engineering
Cardiff, Wales, UK
July 2013
Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings
Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings  
DECLARATION 

This work has not been submitted in substance for any other degree or award at this
or any other university or place of learning, nor is being submitted concurrently in
candidature for any other degree or other award.
Signed: Alexandra Cemesova (candidate) Date:

STATEMENT 1
This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
of PhD.
Signed: Alexandra Cemesova (candidate) Date:

STATEMENT 2
This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where
otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. The views
expressed are my own.
Signed: Alexandra Cemesova (candidate) Date:

STATEMENT 3
I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying
and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to
outside organisations.
Signed: Alexandra Cemesova (candidate) Date:
Declaration iii
Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings  
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
“When you really want something to happen, the whole world conspires to help you
achieve it.”
-The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
First of all, I would like to thank my supervisors Christina Hopfe and Yacine Rezgui
for giving me the opportunity to study for a PhD, and for all your encouragement and
advice. I would especially like to thank Christina; without her kind words, edited
manuscripts and encouragement this thesis would never have seen the light of day.
The PhD was jointly funded by the BRE Trust and EPSRC, so I would also like to
thank them for their financial support. I would also like to mention Nick Tune from
BRE Wales, and thank him for all his interest and help. Furthermore, I was fortunate
enough to be involved in a project with BRE Wales with Andy Sutton, which was a
great learning experience.
I would also like to thank my examiners, Tony Jefferson and Arto Kiviniemi, for
taking the time to review this thesis.
During the last three years, I have been lucky enough to meet many professionals
who were always very helpful and interested in my work. There are too many to
name, but I would like to particularly mention Nick Newman from Bere:architects for
all the case study information. For the participation in the mock-ups, I am indebted
to Rob McLeod, Caroline Weeks, Gareth Selby, Elrond Burrell, Toby Rollason, and
Andy Sutton. I would also like to give further thanks to Sylvain Robert, Jakob Beetz,
Nick Nisbet, Bruno Fies, Michel Bohms, Michal Otreba, and Sylvain Marie. A thank
you must also go to the IT department and the research office staff, especially Syd
for fixing IES issues almost on a weekly basis.
Of course, the thesis would not have been as enjoyable without my friends and
colleagues: Ian, Tom, Mike, Ioan, Catherine, Pawadee, Tom, Rhodri, Toby, Kat,
Anghared, the various members of cake club, Ger, Gaia, Nikki, Iana, Ieuan,
Laura…the list is endless so I am sorry if I have missed anyone. A special thank you
goes to Apeksha: I am looking forward to many more films, wine and heart-warming
occasions.
Furthermore, I will forever remain in debt to my loving family. Mum, Dad, and
Marcus: thank you for all the moral support over the years, the packages and
postcards, the fantastic places we have visited, and of course all the advice and
Acknowledgments iv
Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings  
vitamins. I cannot thank you enough for everything, and above all for providing me
with a great start to life. Marcus, you are the best brother a person could wish for.
Babka, Dedko a Dedko Berto, dakujem za vsetky rady, ovocie, telefonaty…a hlavne
pekne casy co sme spolu stravili. Marika, dakujem za vsetky zaujmave debaty a
kolaciky. A Maria a Jana, na spolocne chvile v chorvatsku nezabudnem. A thank
you also has to go to all of James’ family; you have always made me feel very
welcome, and I really have to say a huge thank you for all your help before and
during the writing up of this thesis. I look forward to repaying you all with cheap
skiing holidays in the south of France!
And finally James, thank you for putting up with me all these years. You were
always there ready to give moral support and cups of tea, and no matter if I was
happy, sad, angry…and well just about every mood there is. Thank you for being
understanding and caring, especially on the long nights and early mornings when
writing was tough. Lubim Ta.

Acknowledgments v
Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings  
SUMMARY 
Sustainable building rating systems and energy efficiency standards promote the
design of low energy buildings. The certification process is supported by Building
Performance Simulation (BPS), as it can calculate the energy consumption of
buildings. However, there is a tendency for BPS not to be used until late in the
design process.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) allows data related to a buildings design,
construction and operation to be created and accessed by all of the project
stakeholders. This data can also be retrieved by analysis tools, such as BPS. The
interoperability between BIM and BPS tools however is not seamless.
The aim of this thesis is to improve the building design and energy analysis process
by focusing on interoperability between tools, and to facilitate the design of low
energy buildings. The research process involved the following: undertaking a
literature review to identify a problematic area in interoperability, extending an
existing neutral data transfer schema, designing and implementing a prototype
which is based on the extension, and validating it. The schema chosen was the
Industry Foundation Classes. This can describe a building throughout its lifecycle,
but it lacks many concepts needed to describe an energy analysis and its results. It
was therefore extended with concepts taken from a BPS tool, Passive House
Planning Package, which was chosen for its low interoperability with BIM tools.
The prototype can transfer data between BIM and BPS tools, calculate the annual
heat demand of a building, and inform design decision-making. The validation of the
prototype was twofold; case studies and a usability test were conducted to
quantitatively and qualitatively analyse the prototype. The usability testing involved a
mock-up presentation and online surveys. The outcome was that the tool could save
time and reduce error, enhance informed decision making and support the design of
low energy buildings.

Summary vi
Enhancing BIM-based data transfer to support the design of low energy buildings  
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 
The following are conference papers in which the author is named:
• Cemesova, A., Hopfe, C.J., Rezgui, Y. 2013. An approach to facilitating data
exchange between BIM environments and a low energy design tool. In:
BS2013, 25-28th August.
• Cemesova, A., Hopfe, C.J., Rezgui, Y. 2013. Client-driven sensitivity
analysis of the energy consumption of a Welsh office building using
probabilistic climate projections. In: BS2013, 25-28th August.
• Gupta, A., Cemesova, A., Hopfe, C.J., Rezgui, Y., Sweet, T. 2013.
Development of a solar PV simulation tool compatible with the Industry
Foundation Classes. In: BS2013, 25-28th August.
• Cemesova, A., Hopfe, C.J., Rezgui, Y. PassivBIM – A new approach for
low energy simulation using BIM. In: ECPPM 2012. Reykjavik, 25-27th July.
• Cemesova, A., Rezgui, Y., Hopfe, C.J. 2011. Possibilities and challenges
created by a smart material in building performance simulation. In: CIB W078
W102. Sophia Antipolis, 26-28 October.
The author is currently involved in writing the following journal publications:
• Cemesova, A., Hopfe, and C.J. PassivBIM: Enhancing interoperability
between BIM and low energy design.
• Gupta, A., Cemesova, A., Hopfe,. C.J., Rezgui, Y., Sweet, T. A conceptual
framework to support solar PV simulation using an open-BIM data exchange
standard.
The author is also named in the following documents:
• Rezgui, Y., Cemesova, A., Hopfe, C. 2011. Building systems modeling and
design challenges. In Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS),
section: Technology, Information and Systems Management Resources.
Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO, EOLSS Publishers, Oxford,
UK, [http://www.eolss.net]
• Cemesova, A., Rezgui, Y., Hopfe, C.J. 2010. Future Adaptability of
Buildings. BRE Trust Review. BRE Press: Watford.

List of Publications vii
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Declaration ................................................................................................................ iii
Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................... iv
Summary ................................................................................................................... vi
List of Publications ................................................................................................... vii
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... viii
List of Figures ........................................................................................................... xii
List of Tables ........................................................................................................... xvi
List of Symbols and Abbreviations .......................................................................... xvii
Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Problem Description ..................................................................................... 2
1.1.1 Sustainable building design .................................................................. 2
1.1.2 The financial and time-saving incentives of BIM ................................... 3
1.1.3 BIM and BPS ........................................................................................ 5
1.2 Motivating case example ............................................................................. 6
1.2.1 Admiral Insurance Headquarters .......................................................... 6
1.3 Hypothesis, aims, and objectives ................................................................. 8
1.3.1 Hypothesis ............................................................................................ 8
1.3.2 Aims, objectives .................................................................................... 8
1.4 Research Questions and methods ............................................................... 8
1.4.1 An analysis of interoperability between tools to support building design
and assessment .................................................................................................. 9
1.4.2 Development of an extension to a data transfer schema ..................... 9
1.4.3 Implementation of the extension to the Industry Foundation Classes 10
1.4.4 Validation of the prototype .................................................................. 10
Chapter 2 Sustainable building rating systems and standards ................................ 12
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 12
2.2 Sustainable building rating systems ........................................................... 13
2.2.1 BREEAM ............................................................................................. 13
2.2.2 LEED .................................................................................................. 16
2.2.3 BEAM Plus .......................................................................................... 18
2.2.4 CASBEE ............................................................................................. 19
2.3 Energy efficiency standards ....................................................................... 20
2.3.1 The Passivhaus standard ................................................................... 21
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2.3.2 MINERGIE .......................................................................................... 24
2.4 Comparisons of sustainable building rating systems and standards ......... 25
2.5 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 29
Chapter 3 Review of BIM ......................................................................................... 32
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 32
3.2 Worldwide BIM adoption ............................................................................ 32
3.3 Benefits and challenges ............................................................................. 36
3.4 Existing BIM authoring tools ....................................................................... 39
3.5 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 41
Chapter 4 Interoperability between BIM and energy analysis tools .......................... 43
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 43
4.2 Data standardisation and transformation efforts ........................................ 44
4.2.1 ISO Step ............................................................................................. 45
4.2.2 Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) ..................................................... 46
4.2.3 IFD, COBie and OmniClass ................................................................ 55
4.2.4 Extensible Markup Language (XML) and XML Schema Definition
(XSD) 56
4.3 Addressing specific instances of data exchange ....................................... 60
4.3.1 Plug-ins and add-ons .......................................................................... 61
4.3.2 IFC- and gbXML-based data exchanges ............................................ 62
4.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 69
Chapter 5 The PassivBIM system development ....................................................... 71
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 71
5.2 Data transfer requirements of the PHPP annual heat demand calculation 72
5.2.1 Variables in the annual heat demand calculation ............................... 72
5.2.2 Geometrical data needed for PHPP calculations ................................ 75
5.3 The PassivBIM system outline ................................................................... 76
5.4 IfcXmlEnergyAnalysisExtension ................................................................. 82
5.4.1 Identifying existing energy concepts in the IFC schema ..................... 82
5.4.2 Adding energy concepts to IFC ........................................................... 86
5.5 MsExcel Template Document .................................................................... 92
5.6 Java tool ..................................................................................................... 93
5.6.1 EnergyApp .......................................................................................... 93
5.6.2 ExtractIfcGeometry ............................................................................. 96
5.7 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 102
Chapter 6 PassivBIM validation and case studies .................................................. 104
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6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 104
6.2 Hannover Kronsberg ................................................................................ 105
6.2.1 Overview of Case Study ................................................................... 105
6.2.2 Results and Discussion on the validation process ............................ 108
6.2.3 Results and Discussion on the decision informing function .............. 111
6.3 Larch House ............................................................................................. 113
6.3.1 Overview of Case Study ................................................................... 113
6.3.2 Results and Discussion on the validation process ............................ 118
6.3.3 Results and discussion on the decision informing function .............. 120
6.3.4 Results and discussion on developing PassivBIM interoperability ... 121
6.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 126
Chapter 7 Challenges in the implementation process ............................................ 128
7.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 128
7.2 Passivhaus standard related issues ........................................................ 128
7.3 AutoCAD Revit Architecture related issues ............................................. 128
7.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 134
Chapter 8 Usability Testing .................................................................................... 135
8.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 135
8.2 PassivBIM Usability testing procedure ..................................................... 136
8.2.1 The selection of participants ............................................................. 137
8.2.2 The determination of the procedure and the creation of task scenarios
139
8.2.3 The choice of performance measures .............................................. 140
8.2.4 The preparation of the test materials and of the test environment ... 141
8.2.5 The design and analysis of the questionnaires ................................. 141
8.3 Results and discussion of the usability testing ......................................... 142
8.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 151
Chapter 9 Conclusions and future work ................................................................. 153
9.1 Summary .................................................................................................. 153
9.2 Concluding remarks ................................................................................. 155
9.3 Future challenges .................................................................................... 157
9.3.1 Further testing ................................................................................... 157
9.3.2 Sensitivity analysis and optimising capabilities ................................. 157
9.3.3 Extend import and export capabilities ............................................... 157
9.3.4 Database of default or recommended values ................................... 158
9.3.5 Interface ............................................................................................ 158
Table of Contents x