As-built building information modeling: joint effort of 3D reconstruction and semantic enrichment

Abstract

As-built BIM represents a facility as actually constructed or as it currently exists. The information, such as actual geometry, current functions, and real topology, in as-built BIM is vital to construction research and smart city development. Two complementary classes of methods, i.e., digital 3D reconstruction and semantic enrichment, were applied, yet to consolidate, for as-built BIM creation in the literature. This paper presents a general framework that formulates the two classes as a joint effort. Two illustrative cases, one on outdoor rooftops and the other on indoor furniture, were employed to explain how the two streams of approaches can co-create as-built BIMs. Two future directions, i.e., digital twin building and blockchain BIM, are discussed. As a result, the semantically rich as-built BIM forges a shared construction information hub for smarter applications.