Abstract
In Hong Kong, low-rise residential buildings, which are mostly built next to mountains and occupy half
of the total residential area, are often seriously damaged by debris flow. The extent of damage to each building
depends not only on the intensity of the debris flow but also on the interaction of the neighboring components of
the building and their collective performance. With the application of BIM (Building Information Modeling)
technology in structural analysis, data conversion and information transfer between the BIM model and the FEM
(Finite Element Method) model have become the main factors limiting its efficiency and quality. Unlike the
automatic conversion method for frame structure building models, the conversion method for such models is a
semi-automated method that relies on manual labor at the cost of losing a large amount of BIM information due
to the problems of non-standardization and confusing information. Therefore, this study proposes an automatic
standardized conversion method based on OpenBIM data (IFC) for developing refined FEM models of low-rise
residential buildings. It consists of three parts: 1) guaranteeing model refinement and spatial robustness through
model geometry transformation and calibration; 2) standardized conversion during the conversion process through
material information database establishment and matching; and 3) integration of the output information to achieve
data interoperability and provide a reference for debris flow damage assessment. Conversion tests of this method
and the traditional conversion method were conducted in the same BIM model, and the results show that the FEM
model generated by this method is significantly better than the traditional conversion method in terms of spatial
closure and mesh quality(i.e., spatial robustness and model refinement). Future research will continue refining
spatial robustness detection, standardized conversion, and data interoperability.
of the total residential area, are often seriously damaged by debris flow. The extent of damage to each building
depends not only on the intensity of the debris flow but also on the interaction of the neighboring components of
the building and their collective performance. With the application of BIM (Building Information Modeling)
technology in structural analysis, data conversion and information transfer between the BIM model and the FEM
(Finite Element Method) model have become the main factors limiting its efficiency and quality. Unlike the
automatic conversion method for frame structure building models, the conversion method for such models is a
semi-automated method that relies on manual labor at the cost of losing a large amount of BIM information due
to the problems of non-standardization and confusing information. Therefore, this study proposes an automatic
standardized conversion method based on OpenBIM data (IFC) for developing refined FEM models of low-rise
residential buildings. It consists of three parts: 1) guaranteeing model refinement and spatial robustness through
model geometry transformation and calibration; 2) standardized conversion during the conversion process through
material information database establishment and matching; and 3) integration of the output information to achieve
data interoperability and provide a reference for debris flow damage assessment. Conversion tests of this method
and the traditional conversion method were conducted in the same BIM model, and the results show that the FEM
model generated by this method is significantly better than the traditional conversion method in terms of spatial
closure and mesh quality(i.e., spatial robustness and model refinement). Future research will continue refining
spatial robustness detection, standardized conversion, and data interoperability.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Civil and Building Engineering Informatics |
| Editors | Jack C.P. Cheng, Nobuyoshi Yabuki, Yantao Yu |
| Publisher | Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
| Pages | 20-31 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - Jan 2025 |
| Event | The 6th International Conference on Civil and Building Engineering Informatics (ICCBEI 2025) - , Hong Kong Duration: 8 Jan 2025 → 11 Jan 2025 |
Conference
| Conference | The 6th International Conference on Civil and Building Engineering Informatics (ICCBEI 2025) |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Hong Kong |
| Period | 8/01/25 → 11/01/25 |
Keywords
- building information modeling (BIM)
- finite element model
- industry foundation classes (IFC)
- model conversion
- debris flow
