Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis on the Integration of Geographic Information Systems and Building Information Modeling for the Generation and Management of 3D Models

Abstract

3D virtual management is a topic of growing interest. The AEC industry is undergoing a real revolution because of the technological changes that are taking place. Synchronized 3D visualization is one of the tools being deployed at an accelerated pace. This, together with collaborative work, contributes to optimal management for all stakeholders. The integration of geographic information systems and building information modeling and heritage BIM is one of the most innovative concepts; it enables the generation of collaborative, fluid systems. The objective of this research is to identify the most significant technological developments and potential applications of the aforementioned integration. For this purpose, after a bibliographic consultation (26,245 sources), two analyses are carried out (from the screening of 179 sources), one quantitative (bibliometric) and the other qualitative (focused on five key concepts). The results show that regarding the integration of GIS with BIM and HBIM, the highest concentration of contributions is in engineering with 30.66%, followed by computer science with 21.01%. The country with the highest number of citations is China with 717, followed by Australia and the USA with 549 and 513, respectively, but relativizing the number of citations based on various indices (human development index, gross national income per capita, and population-tertiary education level), Hong Kong (18.04), Australia (10.64), and Egypt (10.16) would take the top positions, respectively. Regarding universities, the entity that has generated the most references is Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) with 15 papers, followed by University College London (UK) with 13. Finally, the results show that GIS and BIM and HBIM provide virtual 3D models with multiple applications for buildings and infrastructures.