by Chiara Vernizzi*10   Dicembre   2020

eBIM: managing maintenance in existing buildings

The eBIM project (existing Building Information Modeling) is co-financed by the Emilia Romagna region within the Call for strategic industrial research projects for Smart Specialization Strategy priority areas (DGR n. 986/2018) POR_FESR 2014-2020 (Priority Axis 1 Research and Innovation) and involves both the Construction industry and Communications Technology (ICT).
All partners will be operating within the project in an integrated way. Many are the industrial sectors involved, all linked with the construction industry: digital technologies applied to 3D data acquisition and object reconstruction; information technologies for the implementation of web-based semantic platforms; ceramic manufacturing companies; construction companies engaging in different kinds of projects as to quality and size, in order to verify the process validity and effectiveness through an integrated digital acquisition of morphometric and parametric data of the existing building. The partners involved (CIDEA UNIPR, lead project organization, TEKNEHUB UNIFE, CIRI EC UNIBO) can boast expertise in the following areas: research and technological transfer concerning the promotion and conservation of BIM designed buildings through the employment of specific IT platforms, thanks to operating protocols for the implementation of BIM methodology into existing buildings; identification and characterization of materials (building envelope, structure, cladding); transfer of information onto web-based semantic platforms. Furthermore, their fields of expertise include optimization of advanced geomatics for the creation of 3D models of historic buildings, and implementation of algorithms for the creation of BIM-integrated structural models, with a view to identifying what structural components can be integrated into BIM architecture and be given geometric-mechanical information gathered during the previous survey steps.
Great importance is also given to the more practical aspect of building materials, in particular ceramic tiles, their role and application in construction. To that extent the Centro Ceramico is particularly committed to product R&D, while CertiMaC research focuses on building materials, in particular on how to improve the energy efficiency of both existing and historic buildings. These research activities are being carried out through field measurements on over 1,000 different materials, so as to create and/or increase the platform's background data and make information which is sometimes not so transparent more accessible and available. All companies involved operate in different sectors and fields of application, all linked to BIM technology for architecture applied on both existing and new homes. They have been identified and selected also on the basis of previous BIM related partnerships.
This project sees Confindustria Ceramica working along with Centro Ceramico to create and validate ceramic BIMobjects, as well as to promote and spread results.
To set up a BIM implementation system to employ BIM technology in the management and renovation of existing buildings, the project’s objectives are:
- enhancing cooperation between stakeholders of the construction industry and enterprises in our Region, pooling shared standards and common languages and technological cooperation platforms, open-standard web;
- supporting data value extraction from available data gathered all along the process by sharing technological spaces as well as technologies and procedures of acquisition, integration, modeling, and drafting.
- promoting product and service innovation through integrated digital contents and the adoption of (mostly ceramic) materials, components and enabling technologies connected to the implementation of BIM methodology;
- promoting construction process optimization and competitiveness in the industry along the various phases, from the planning stage to construction, and from management to the phasing out stage;
- promoting innovation, transparency, sustainability and inclusiveness.
One of the project’s main objectives is the implementation of a semantic database so as to support value extraction from identified stakeholders, from available data gathered all along the process by sharing technological spaces a well as technologies and procedures of  acquisition, integration, modeling and drafting.
In this framework, BIM is by all means the Construction Industry's solution to the critical issues faced: this new digitalized and co-operative space provides the traditional building process with a digital area, from planning to construction, from management to phase-out, in order to create efficient, sustainable, people- and environmental friendly living spaces.

*CIDEA University of Parma 
 

Proposing parties:
CIDEA – University of Parma; lead project organization (head of research: Professor Chiara Vernizzi)
Laboratorio Teknehub, University of Ferrara;
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna Interdepartmental Center for Industrial and Building Research  and Costruction – CIRI EC;
Centro Ceramico;
CertiMaC soc. cons. a r.l. .

Companies taking part into the project:
CMB Social Co-operative;
POLITECNICA Engineering and Architecture Social Co-operative;
Buia Nereo S.r.l.;
Telematica Informatica S.r.l.;
Nemoris S.r.l.;
Smart Domotics S.r.l.;
Cooprogetto Social Co-operative;
Ceramiche Refin S.p.A.;
Tonalite S.r.l.;
Monitor the Planet S.r.l.