Reverse engineering of 3D-BIM of existing infrastructure using parametric tooling to accelerate the digitization transition in asset management

Abstract

Amid global climate change challenges, the
construction industry faces an urgent  transition
from a linear production model to a Circular Economy (CE). Initiatives  and recommendations in Dutch transition
roadmaps and literature predominantly  focus
on ensuring a future circular built environment, while lacking concrete actions
on leveraging the existing assets for reuse. Dutch CE roadmap timelines  and interventions are developed based on
Material Flow Analysis (MFA) studies with highly uncertain data input, this
uncertainty impacts either environment or  economy with inaccurate interventions on the
CE-transition. Secondly, the Replacement & Renovation (R&R) task of
civil structures poses a threat for the  industry
due to the limitations of capital, contractor capacity, and material  resources required to facilitate this peak.
There is currently a lack of centrally  stored
high-quality physical asset data available at public organisations. This data
is essential in effectively managing the decommissioning peak and reduces risk
for reuse realization. Lastly, Asset Management (AM) is transitioning towards a
3D-centralised strategy in line with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and  digital twins, while existing assets are still
in 2D with often incomplete and  fragmented
data documentation. Consequently, a large data quality gap is forming between
new and existing assets. This led to the research question: How can centrally
stored, quantified, and visualised asset data of existing infrastructure impact
the CE-transition, bridge R&R-task efficiency, and AM practices? An upgrade
towards 3D-BIM is required for existing assets to bridge this data gap. In
doing so, facilitate higher quality- and more accessible asset specific  information that can be used in reusability
scanning and structural assessments,  material
quantification for CE-transition roadmap accuracy, and numerous AM  benefits. The costs for upgrading the existing
assets using manual modelling or  3D
scanning technology are currently too large to justify. An opportunity was  identified for modelling 3D-BIM of existing
beam & slab bridges from 2D drawings using a modular approach to Parametric
Engineering, aiming to reduce the investment threshold, and accelerating the
digitization transition. Preliminary testing executed by the author showed a
potential for 50-80% reduction in modelling efforts compared to conventional
modelling practices with a volume  accuracy
of >97%. The prototype calls for further development, validation, and
similar efforts for other infrastructure types. The tool also showed potential
for 3D structural & reusability assessments, reinforcement approx., and
ptioneering & circularity scoring for the design phase. To put the tool’s
use in perspective, a roadmap towards 3D centralized AM and a reuse economy was
developed for AM.