A Digital Future for Construction as Infrastructure Operations Integrate BIM and GIS

By Nidhi DhullReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Dec 2 2024

A recent study published in Applied Sciences investigated the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The research utilized the Madrid Calle 30 ring road in Spain as a case study to illustrate the influence of BIM-GIS integration on the operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure.

Background

The integration of BIM and GIS is becoming increasingly important as the architecture, engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) sector continues to embrace digital transformation. While both technologies focus on organizing and analyzing information, they serve distinct purposes: BIM is designed for detailed work on a specific infrastructure, while GIS handles larger geographic areas.

These technologies are used throughout the lifecycle of infrastructure projects—from design and planning to management and maintenance. Integrating BIM and GIS offers the opportunity to improve decision-making at every stage. This is particularly valuable during the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase, where their combined use can help managers make more informed decisions and optimize resources efficiently.

Despite their benefits, BIM and GIS rely on different technologies and standards, which can create barriers to collaboration. Standardization is crucial for bridging these gaps and enabling seamless cooperation among stakeholders. This study looks at how BIM and GIS are advancing their approaches to standardization and explores how these efforts can support reliable integration between the two systems.

Methodology

This study utilized a BIM-GIS integration method for Calle 30, a ring road infrastructure in Madrid, Spain, to enhance O&M efficiency. The approach combined BIM for structural modeling and GIS methods for facility management (FM). The GIS-derived data was later used to create a BIM model, bridging the two systems.

The process began with obtaining input data from the infrastructure management company in GDB (geodatabase) and SHP (shapefile) formats. These datasets were standardized to the Coordinated Reference System (CRS) ETRS89 using the QGIS open-source application. A library of BIM objects was then created to represent key structural elements, such as road markings, safety barriers, road equipment, and facilities.

Next, the BIM model was developed in Revit 2023 software, leveraging custom scripts in Dynamo to automate the modeling process and accurately position the elements of the ring road. The resulting BIM model, combined with the GIS data, provided a robust representation of the infrastructure.

To integrate and manage all the information, an external relational database was established using PostgreSQL, an open-source platform, with Structured Query Language (SQL) to organize the original data, BIM outputs, and complementary O&M details.

Finally, the BIM model and its surrounding environment were visualized in a GIS scene using ArcGIS software. This 3D visualization was exported in Scene Layer Package (SLPK) format, enabling seamless three-dimensional representation for analysis and communication.

Discussion

The integration of BIM and GIS resulted in a detailed model of the Calle 30 road within its urban environment, offering administrators a powerful tool for managing incidents, assessing traffic impacts, and coordinating with other city infrastructure. This unified approach enhanced the understanding of the infrastructure’s status and improved decision-making capabilities.

A key achievement was the systematic organization of FM data in an external database. This resolved the common challenge of information loss during intermediate processing stages under industry standards. Additionally, GIS and BIM applications automatically generated unique internal codes for each modeled element, ensuring that data remained accessible and traceable at every stage of the modeling process.

To make the information more accessible, a web-based management application was developed. This platform allowed users to interact with the 3D GIS scene or individual BIM models and access the associated data intuitively. Crucially, it enabled O&M technical staff to use these tools from any connected device, regardless of their familiarity with GIS or BIM software, streamlining their workflows and enhancing usability.

Finally, the system was designed with scalability in mind. The database can incorporate real-time data from Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, enabling dynamic updates that connect the model directly to its real-world environment. This capability offers exciting possibilities for real-time road management and monitoring, ensuring the model remains relevant and actionable over time.

Conclusion and Future Prospects

This study successfully showcased how BIM and GIS integration, using open standards, could be applied in the Calle 30 case study. While the geometric connection between the systems was achieved, further research is needed to improve semantic interoperability to fully unlock the potential of this approach.

One limitation of the study was the reliance on the SLPK format, which is currently supported only by commercially licensed software. To make this approach more inclusive, future work should focus on adapting the format for use with open-source applications.

While this research primarily explored integrating BIM models into a GIS environment, the reverse—converting data from the SLPK standard into Industry Foundation Classes—should also be investigated. Additionally, comparing the effectiveness of the BIM-GIS management application to traditional road maintenance methods could provide valuable insights into its practical advantages and areas for improvement.

Journal Reference

Cepa, J. J., Alberti, M. G., Pavón, R. M., & Calvo, J. A. (2024). Integrating BIM and GIS for an Existing Infrastructure. Applied Sciences, 14(23), 10962. DOI: 10.3390/app142310962, https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/10962

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