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Reinforcement Learning (RL) has emerged as a promising approach to solve complex problems in many different domains, including the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) industry. RL is a type of machine learning that focuses on training an agent to interact with an environment in order to maximize a reward signal. In the AECO industry, RL has been used to optimize building design, construction planning and scheduling, and building energy management. This contribution presents an application of RL for the generation of an InfraBIM model of a tunnel built by mechanised excavation using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). In particular, the present application was developed to minimise the distance between the theoretical layout and the operational one to be executed by the TBM, considering the geometry of the ring and the structural joints required for the solidity of the structure. RL has the potential to improve efficiency, sustainability, and safety in the AECO industry by enabling intelligent decision-making and optimization across different phases of the construction process., QC 20231204

Nowadays, the Digital Twin (DT) concept is one of the most talked-about topics in the building sector. Previous research has addressed both the definition of DT concept and the development of applications for specific purposes, such as facility and asset management, built environment performance monitoring etc. However, the specificity of such applications reduces both its replicability and understanding. This results in the spread of confusion when approaching such concepts. For this reason, this study explores how DTs can be effectively used for educational purposes. The methods used include the integration of several systems and tools, highlighting different approaches for data integration and capture. The proposed methodology was tested on a real case study, the U-building on the KTH Campus in Stockholm, which is equipped with a Building Management System (BMS). The building is used as a pilot in master courses to allow students to produce a first attempt of using a DT, by connecting real-time monitored data and digital objects. The results show how efficient data communication helps towards the organization and assimilation of complex concepts. Furthermore, the testing of several approaches proves the replicability and flexibility of the method within different environments and for several uses., QC 20240614

Over the years, the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) methods has changed the workflows of various actors, providing better integration across different domains and allowing for new ways of working. This paper outlines the interest towards the integration of BIM with geotechnical/geological modelling (GeoBIM), which still represents a major challenge in several respects. The present study aims to provide a flexible method for assessing various integration strategies and to establish a preferred workflow based on the selected requirements and preference parameters. This integration is designed to provide a final federated model that can also be archived in the as-built documentation. Four alternative processes were selected to analyse the specific types of data and transformations required in the process. Each process was applied on a real case study in order to test the developed assessment framework using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Due to technological advances, modelling and integration workflows change rapidly; however, our results show that the proposed evaluation framework is universal and adaptable to any new integration approach. Further research efforts must be undertaken to reduce attribute data losses and enhance the interoperability between systems and professionals., QC 20231013

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in adopting circular approaches in the built environment, specifically reusing existing buildings or their components in new projects. To achieve this, drawings, laser scanning, photogrammetry and other techniques are used to capture data on buildings and their materials. Although previous studies have explored scan-to-BIM workflows, automation of 2D drawings to 3D models, and machine learning for identifying building components and materials, a significant gap remains in refining this data into the right level of information required for digital twins, to share information and for digital collaboration in designing for reuse. To address this gap, this paper proposes digital guidelines for reusing precast concrete based on the level of information need (LOIN) standard EN 17412-1:2020 and examines several CAD and BIM modelling strategies. These guidelines can be used to prepare digital templates that become digital twins of existing elements, develop information requirements for use cases, and facilitate data integration and sharing for a circular built environment., Part of ISBN 9789491207358QC 20231013, ReCreate project

The application of BIM methods and tools plays a key role in transportation infrastructure asset management. Road pavements represent one of the main components of the asset, which greatly influences safety and quality of service for users. The work presented herein exploited the potentialities of BIM processes and methods for management of road pavement structures. The specific goal was to define best practice for development of a methodological framework for Pavement Information Modelling (PIM). The starting point of the process was the identification of the specific BIM use, as intended by Kreider and Messner [1]. In this case, the BIM use identified concerned the 3rd (3D), 4th (4D), and 5th (5D) dimensions of BIM. The adopted approach had the aim to define the steps to build PIM based on geometrical and structural parameters to be used as a database for different kinds of maintenance strategies. Within this context, the main objectives of the study can be summarized as follows:(1)Define the steps to develop a PIM including all the relevant information to be stored for management purposes, from data collection to data restitution,(2)Define a best practice for the integration among BIM tools and road pavement management methods in order to obtain a digital repository for predictive maintenance strategies,(3)Define a planning and cost database for the different technologies and materials involved in the different maintenance strategies.From a practical point of view, the methodological framework was divided into three main categories (Figure 1) dealing with data: (i) data collection and input definition, which includes the analysis of available data and the BIM tools to be used to develop specific workflows; (ii) data processing, by dividing the workflows and related tasks in sub-sections for the fulfilment of the previously enounced objectives; (iii) data output, by defining the final result of each workflow., QC 20230706

Is digital innovation helping towards achieving a higher level of education or not? Since the impact of technologies is affecting more of our society, it is also true that its use in education is still limited, even in university education, where it could have the real added value of experimenting with new approaches to didactics. Within this context, the chapter briefly presents digital innovation and the enabling technologies currently in use that are also producing new opportunities for the architectural, engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) sector. Furthermore, the chapter provides two examples of master and bachelor courses related to BIM and algorithmic parametric modelling that integrates several tools and technologies, such as cloud-computing, big data, and machine learning to add value to harnessing technologies so that digital innovation could truly improve the efficiency of the AECO sector., Part of book: ISBN 9781668448540, ISBN 1668448548QC 20230706

Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodologies and approaches are becoming topics of increasing interest within several infrastructural engineering applications. As far as Construction Management (CM) is concerned, BIM technologies provide a valid support-decision tool, which includes a repository of CM related data, useful for any further development and use. This work presents current Infrastructural Building Information Modeling (InfraBIM) implementation possibilities regarding the correlation between information digital modeling, schedule, and cost management dimensions. The methodology is applied to case studies simulation of excavation and construction phases in underground structures to generate budgeted cost and time schedules linked to BIM models. The major benefit in applying such an approach results in obtaining a model with different types of information that can be updated during the design and construction phases. Also, the associated workflow management system allows to update the 3D model, time schedule, and cost estimation while maintaining relations and interconnections previously defined between model components and specific information on their activities and cost. Another key result is about the chance to communicate design and construction schedules via Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR) techniques, which provide a consistent support tool for the visualization of infrastructure projects., Part of book ISBN 978-3-030-35533-3QC 20230706

Developing evaluation methods using key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive smart cities assessment represents a very interesting topic that have been deeply analysed over time. The aim of the chapter is to present several different approaches towards the assessment of cities’ performance, discussing advantages and disadvantages of such methods that could be integrated in order to get more farsighted results in terms of decision-making strategies. For this reason, the chapter firstly analyses the different context in which KPIs are applied, defining the fields of application and describing the characteristics of such indicators. Then, two examples of European projects using indicators for evaluation purposes are studied in detail, highlighting the different level of application of indicators, used for assessments at city level in the first project (INDICATE) and at a district/building level in the second one (DIMMER). At the end, the use of KPIs as metrics of evaluation to develop multi-criteria decision approaches (MCDA) is discussed by introducing several examples., QC 20230707

The sudden need to find solutions for online didactics for Coronavirus emergency measures has turned into an opportunity for students and teachers of Politecnico di Torino. The university has decided to do something new by abandoning something old. Advanced didactics experimentation using Virtual Reality has started to analyze and discuss the projects that the students are developing as a delivery for their final exam. Students and teachers operate as avatars in the virtual space within Building Information models, with the possibility to move in different environments, observe together the critical points of the design or the digitalization process. This review mode allows the user to experience “from the inside” thanks to the use of a suitable collaboration software and viewers such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. A way of doing distance education certainly futuristic, a pilot experience in Italy and among the first cases in the world. Virtual reality is used not simply as a substitute for traditional teaching, but as an added value, which allows people to overcome physical barriers creating an effective interaction even at a distance. The trial is performed on four different courses of study, where the response of the students has been positive. Indeed, feedback from students reported a great interest towards the chance to use VR from a “serious perspective” and not only as a tool for video games, offering an exciting solution to the issues related to distance learning. Therefore, the fact they managed to monitor and check their project from an immersive perspective also helped them in finding better design solutions. To conclude, this experience has initiated future investigations on the use of visualization technologies as a real teaching tool, both useful to educate and amuse students., QC 20230707

In order to “survive” you must reinvent yourself. Even if you are a professional whose career is successful or a university which offers second level masters for professionals to give them the chance to keep up to date. For this reason, the construction industry and the education sector have a duty to be fully aligned with the objectives of bridging the gap of knowledge. Indeed, thursday, January 24th started the first edition of the InfraBIM Manager Second Level Master of the Politecnico di Torino. The 25 participants were mainly professionals who decided to invest in themselves to play a leading role in the new digital challenges of the AEC sector, showing great interests towards BIM-related topics. For this reason, the paper aims at understanding possible ways of engaging experienced people in new working methodologies, convincing them that something new it is less scary if faced by developing new skills and opening their mind towards new opportunities. They could attend the lessons in person, by videoconference or remotely in on-demand mode; that is fundamental! How can you ask people to be updated by using only old communication strategies? The structure of the Master was thought in order to push students beyond their limits of knowledge, so it was divided into 3 main phases: 350 hours of lectures given by professors from Politecnico di Torino or from other universities and professionals already working with InfraBIM methodology, telling students their own experience and advices; 375 hours of internship either in their company or somewhere else; 250 hours of project work during which they had to put into practice what they had learnt from lectures and exercises on a case study, defining specific objectives. Another reason that inspired the starting of such kind of Master was the chance to present methodology and BIM-related tools in an unbiased way, by presenting several software platforms, trying to define pros and cons, benefits and weaknesses of all products, QC 20230707

The current situation of AECO sector is challenging Universities in bridging the gap between skills required from the market and current qualified capabilities of young professionals. The real innovation is in the definition of new rules both for teaching and evaluating, considering the importance of new evaluation criteria and focusing on the digital value of education., QC 20230707

The need for specific documents in terms of environment and landscape has its origin in late eighties, when in Italy both at European and Regional level several dispositions related to the improvement of the landscape quality came out to guarantee the compatibility of territorial transformations. Within this traditional context, how innovative, mainly BIM-oriented, technologies can be useful in offering new ways of interpretation for the landscape planning and safeguarding? The aim of the present work is to read and translate landscape elements using digital BIM-oriented platforms, in order to develop an optimized procedure to collect/organize/implement data and define guidelines for landscape and visual impact assessment; furthermore, the aim is to understand the limits that are still present within available tools. After having read the features of the territory another key point is the creation of digital parametric libraries to represent environmental mitigation works. As far as visual mitigation works are concerned, visibility analysis of the infrastructure is possible through Virtual and Mixed Reality. Once the modeling of specific components is performed, they can be located within the contextual model, where outputs related to the “whole” can be extracted and updated afterwards. New digital technologies and techniques undoubtedly offer new interpretation scenarios of the landscape evolution; nevertheless, there are still strong limits related to the interactions among these tools. The present work provides a valid methodology to involve landscape and urban planning in the BIM process. The research also proposes a series of BIM oriented tools and software to develop a typical output (landscape report) required during the design process, useful for landscape architects., QC 20230705

Nowadays, unexpected situations in public spaces are quite frequent; for this reason, there is the need to provide valid decision-making tools to support people’s behavior in emergency situations. The aim of these support tools is to provide a “training” for the public on how to behave when something unexpected happens, in order to make them aware of how to manage and control their own emotions. Thanks to the introduction of new technologies, trainings are also feasible in Virtual Reality (VR), exploiting the chance to create virtual environments and situations that reflect real ones and test different scenarios on a sample of people in order to verify and validate training procedures. Virtual simulations in this context are paramount, because they offer the possibility to analyse reactions and behaviors in a safe, “not real”, so without health concern, environment. Three scenarios (fire, heart attack of a person in the environment and terrorist attack) have been reproduced in VR, analyzing how to define the context for emergency situations. Users approaching the training only know they are going to face a situation without having details on what is happening; this is fundamental to test the training efficiency on people’s reaction., QC 20230707

Grazie ai contributi raccolti in questo volume, l'obiettivo degli autori è quello di porre l'attenzione su due elementi essenziali per l'industria delle costruzioni 4.0: l'innovazione, attraverso il Building Information Model/Modeling (BIM) e l'interoperabilità dei dati tra le persone e gli strumenti; le infrastrutture, quale volano di sviluppo per il Paese, caposaldo dal quale non si può assolutamente prescindere. Da qui il titolo del volume "InfraBIM. Il BIM per le infrastrutture", con considerazioni di carattere sia generale che di dettaglio, relative alla metodologia di lavoro che pone nel valore della conoscenza le basi essenziali per un sistema delle costruzioni al passo con il cambiamento tipico dell'epoca digitale (Industria 4.0). Il volume è strutturato in quattro capitoli che illustrano le ragioni del cambiamento, attraverso il contributo di players importanti sul territorio nazionale in tema di infrastrutture e di diverse realtà professionali italiane che operano anche all'estero e che utilizzano il BIM nell'attività quotidiana. Infine, vengono introdotti possibili scenari futuri legati non solo all'Industria 4.0 ma anche e soprattutto alla Società 5.0 in relazione alle disruptive Technologies e all'impatto che esse potranno avere nell'industria delle costruzioni. Nella collaborazione per questo lavoro, gli autori hanno consolidato l'idea che l'innovazione tecnologica è inevitabile. Sta ai singoli decidere se coglierla come opportunità o subirla come imposizione. Si tratta chiaramente di gestire una complessità, che deve essere affrontata con buona volontà e con un giusto investimento di risorse umane e tecnologiche. Risulta pertanto essenziale traguardare il futuro, anziché arroccarsi sul passato, anche perché, per quanto testimoniato dai diversi contributi del volume, emerge chiaramente che "il futuro è oggi"., QC 20230707

Data management has been one of the most interesting research fields within the smart city framework over the last years, with the aim of optimizing energy saving at district level. This topic involves the creation of a 3D city model considering heterogeneous datasets, such as Building Information Models (BIMs), Geographical Information Systems (GISs) and System Information Models (SIMs), taking into account both buildings and the energy network. Through the creation of a common platform, the data sharing was allowed starting from the needs of the users, such as the public administrator, the building manager and the energy professional. For this reason, the development of a District Information Modelling (DIM) methodology for the data management, related to the energy saving and CO2 emission, is considered the focus of this paper. It also presents a specific tool developed for the comparison of energy data in a selected district: the Benchmarking Tool., QC 20230706

Users’ awareness is a highly influential topic within all European and National research projects funded respectively by the 7th Framework Programme and by the Italian Smart Communities Technology Cluster. The idea to bridge the gap between high level knowledge that characterizes people involved in the development of scientific projects and the knowledge of the main public is widely shared nowadays. The need of a “spread of knowledge” is related to the engagement of common users in the Smart Cities developing process, in order to stimulate them to change their behaviors towards sustainability. The gamification approach helps to achieve this objective, because it envisages the use of video game objects in non-games systems. This way, the users’ experience is amplified through new and interactive technologies that increase engagement and motivate changed behaviors. The experience of the District Information Modelling and Management for Energy Reduction (DIMMER) European project and the Zero Energy Buildings in Smart Urban Districts (EEB) Italian national cluster in the field of users’ involvement is related to the dissemination activities carried out during the development of both studies. The greatest challenge was to find the right gamification approach that could be applied to different contexts and that could be used for several topics, on the basis of specific needs. Although the demonstrators of the projects are characterized by different aspects, the objectives are alike in some respect; both projects are focused on energy and CO2 emission reduction and the realization of Building Information Models (BIMs) is the starting point. For this reason, games for children were realized within both projects as a step forward compared to “traditional” dissemination activities. They include both Virtual (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) and require knowledge about energy efficiency and smart city-related issues. The focal point of the games is a map where the districts case, QC 20230707