Structural Performance Monitoring Using a Dynamic Data-Driven BIM Environment

Structural health monitoring data has not been fully leveraged to support asset management due to a lack of effective integration with other data sets. A building information modeling (BIM) approach is presented to leverage structural monitoring data in a dynamic manner. The approach allows for the automatic generation of parametric BIM models of structural monitoring systems that include time-series sensor data, and it enables data-driven and dynamic visualization in an interactive 3D environment. The approach supports dynamic visualization of key structural performance parameters, allows for the seamless updating and long-term management of data, and facilitates data exchange by generating models compliant with industry foundation classes (IFC). A newly constructed bridge near Stafford, United Kingdom, with an integrated fiber-optic sensor–based monitoring system was used to test the capabilities of the developed approach. The case study demonstrated how the developed approach facilitates more intuitive data interpretation; provides a user-friendly interface to communicate with various stakeholders; allows for the identification of malfunctioning sensors, thus contributing to the assessment of monitoring system durability; and forms the basis for a powerful data-driven asset management tool. In addition, this project highlights the potential benefits of investing in the development of data-driven and dynamic BIM environments.