BIM and BEM Interoperability–Evaluation of a Case Study in Modular Wooden Housing

Abstract

Building information modelling (BIM) is the first step towards implementing Building 4.0, where virtual reality and digital twins are key elements. The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) to capture data from buildings is nowadays a very popular method, so a methodology was developed to digitally integrate the photogrammetric surveys of a building into BIM, exclusively with the use of drones. Currently, buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption in Europe; therefore, the interconnection between BIM and building energy modelling (BEM) is essential to digitalize the construction sector, increasing competitiveness through cost reduction. In this context, the BlueWoodenHouse Project aims, among other activities, to characterize the solutions/systems of building materials and monitor the temperature, relative humidity and CO2, as well as energy consumption, of a single-family modular wooden house located in the north of Portugal, with 190 m2 and three users. Thus, the experimental monitoring results, of this case study, were used to validate the numerical model developed in the DesignBuilder simulator, which includes the building envelope’s 3D geometrical data obtained by one of those aircraft, in order to demonstrate the usefulness of drones for the optimization of solutions, from the energy point of view.