Farzad Jalaei | University of Ottawa | Université d'Ottawa (original) (raw)

Papers by Farzad Jalaei

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Energy Analysis Tools with Green Building Certification System to Conceptually Design Sustainable Buildings

Journal of Information Technology in Construction, Nov 11, 2014

It is commonly known that the energy consumption of buildings is quite high; therefore, owners, a... more It is commonly known that the energy consumption of buildings is quite high; therefore, owners, architects, and engineers should be more concerned about the sustainability and energy performance of proposed building projects. For years, energy analysis tools have been used by designers to design energyefficient buildings. Generally, the energy analysis for this type of facilities is mostly conducted at the end of the design stage, once their components and elements have already been selected. However, analyzing the energy consumption of those components at the conceptual design stage is very helpful for designers when making decisions related to the selection of the most suitable design alternative that will lead to an energy-efficient building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has the capability to help users assess different design alternatives and select vital energy strategies and systems at the conceptual design stage of proposed projects. Furthermore, by using BIM tools, designers are able to select the right type of materials early during the design stage and to make energy-related decisions that have great impact on the whole building life cycle. The main objective of this paper is to propose an integrated methodology that links BIM and energy analysis tools with green building certification systems. This methodology will be applied at the early design stage of a project's life. It will help designers measure and identify potential loss or gain of energy for different design alternatives and calculate the potential LEED points they may accumulate and gain and accordingly select the best one. An actual building project will be used to illustrate the workability and capability of the proposed methodology.

Research paper thumbnail of An Automated BIM Model to Conceptually Design, Analyze, Simulate, and Assess Sustainable Building Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering, Nov 6, 2014

Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building's compone... more Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building's components at the conceptual design stage are very helpful for designers needing to make decisions related to the selection of the best design alternative that would lead to a more energy efficient building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of the project so that energy and life cycle assessment (LCA) strategies and systems are attained. This paper proposes an automated model that links BIM, LCA, energy analysis, and lighting simulation tools with green building certification systems. The implementation is within developing plug-ins on BIM tool capable of measuring the environmental impacts (EI) and embodied energy of building components. Using this method, designers will be provided with a new way to visualize and to identify the potential gain or loss of energy for the building as a whole and for each of its associated components. Furthermore, designers will be able to detect and evaluate the sustainability of the proposed buildings based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. An actual building project will be used to illustrate the workability of the proposed methodology.

Research paper thumbnail of Using Building Information Modeling to Evaluate the Costs and Benefits of Adopting Sustainable Universal Houses in Canada

International journal of 3-D information modeling, Oct 1, 2014

Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor acce... more Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor accessibility and design compatibility. Thus, Universal Design (UD) becomes more relevant, especially if it incorporates the principles of sustainability. Yet, adopting houses of this type requires detailed evaluation of their costs and benefits in a simple and efficient manner. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) concept enables engineers to design and create virtual models permitting the visualization and evaluation of design alternatives before physical construction. The tools used to create BIM models lack detail information about UD principles. This paper presents a methodology that integrates BIM, UD and sustainability to attain sustainable universal houses for Canadians. The goal of this model is to simplify the process of creating sustainable universal houses in 3D and to evaluate the costs and benefits to stakeholders at the conceptual stage of the life of the houses.

Research paper thumbnail of A framework for specifying low-carbon construction materials in government procurement: A case study for concrete in a new building investment

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Application of a mathematical approach in modeling wind time series : A general survey of the Langevin method

Today, the great importance and benefits of renewable energies as a source of endless energy is o... more Today, the great importance and benefits of renewable energies as a source of endless energy is obvious for all.Wind is recognized as one of the most stable and safest type of energy, due to ease of access as well as applying modern technical and scientific methods in order to its extraction.In this regard, much effort has been done in the developed societies to obtain knowledge besides getting access to new techniques in the exploitation of this unlimited wealth.Apart from the new aspects of the proposed research in wind area, the extraction operation requires specialists to advanced techniques and scientific research.The development of societies and their increasing necessity to energy resources have increased the importance of safe and clean renewable energy.This study investigates a technique to specify the power performance of the wind turbine directly from measured data which fluctuate with high frequency. This project is a review of a dynamical method for the specification of...

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating Decision Support System (DSS) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to Optimize the Selection of Sustainable Building Components

J. Inf. Technol. Constr., 2015

One of the challenges in sustainability analysis and its development is the optimum selection of ... more One of the challenges in sustainability analysis and its development is the optimum selection of sustainable materials to meet the project’s requirements while doing sustainable design. This can only be achieved when project team adopt the use of a strategic approach while selecting the materials, although this could be a complex task for decision makers. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of a project. As a method of integration and through its modeling techniques, BIM can be used to assess the impacts of design alternatives on the energy saving of buildings all over their life. Furthermore, BIM has the potential to help designers select the right type of materials during the early design stage, and make vital decisions when selecting the materials that have sustainable impact on the building’s life cycle. The main purpose of this study is to propose a methodology that integrates BIM with ...

Research paper thumbnail of BIM-based approach to conduct Life Cycle Cost Analysis of resilient buildings at the conceptual stage

Automation in Construction, 2021

Abstract All costs within the life cycle of a building are known as its life cycle cost (LCC). In... more Abstract All costs within the life cycle of a building are known as its life cycle cost (LCC). In the design process of a building, the use of a lower initial cost index to select an option among others with similar performance may not lead to an economically optimal alternative during the life cycle. Hence, today, building designers and investors require a tool to estimate life cycle cost at the conceptual design stage to select an economically efficient option. Resilient solutions generally lead to a higher level of complexity and upfront costs and carry additional embodied environmental impact as well. This study aims to support the design of resilient buildings using a sound LCC methodology in the preliminary design stage. The research aims to integrate LCC capabilities directly into a Building Information Model (BIM) and increase the economical relevance and scientific robustness of LCC indicators towards better LCC cost optimization. The plugin, which is developed in the BIM tool is represented to use cost and resiliency factors to predict the whole process cost of building projects to assist designers in selecting a cost-efficient and resilient design option. The LCC of a building includes its initial cost, repair and maintenance cost, operating cost and salvage value at the end of the building's useful life, and all of which were considered in the estimation. The earthquake expected failure and human fatality cost are calculated to consider the resiliency index in building design. The application of the proposed framework to design a residential building is developed and validated on two design options. The application of the actual building project illustrates that by increasing the initial cost in the second alternative by 4.6%, its annual expected failure cost is decreased by 35.4%, and its total life-cycle cost is reduced by almost 10.4% within the first 45 years of operation. The reduction in the cost of the building and human fatality due to failure during an earthquake means the building's resilience would be improved. Using the developed plugin, designers could estimate LCC of the buildings at the early design stages and design more resilient buildings with better economic performance in its life cycle according to the proposed indices.

Research paper thumbnail of An integrated BIM-based approach for cost estimation in construction projects

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020

PurposeAnalyzing different scenarios at the design stage of construction projects has always been... more PurposeAnalyzing different scenarios at the design stage of construction projects has always been a challenging task. One of the main parameters that helps owners in making better decisions in designing their buildings is to look after the cost perspective on different design scenarios. Thus, this study aims to propose a semi-automated BIM-based cost estimation approach that enables practitioners to estimate the cost of projects based on different design scenarios by an accurate and agile system.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes an integrated framework, through which the cost estimation standard of Iran (FehrestBaha) is linked to the materials quantity take-offs (QTO) from BIM models. The performance of the system is based on connecting the classification standards of UniFormat and MasterFormat to the cost estimation standard of FehrestBaha. A BIM-based extension in the Revit environment is developed to automate the cost estimation process.FindingsTo evaluate the effici...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the effects that a non-stationary climate and dynamic electricity grid mix has on whole building life cycle assessment: A multi-city comparison

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Research paper thumbnail of An integrated BIM-LEED application to automate sustainable design assessment framework at the conceptual stage of building projects

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2020

Abstract Construction industry has become more interested in designing and constructing environme... more Abstract Construction industry has become more interested in designing and constructing environmentally friendly buildings that can provide both high performance and monetary savings. Generally, the sustainability analysis is mostly conducted at the end of the design stage, once their components and elements have already been selected. However, achieving an integrated sustainable design solution prior to construction means that the design team must manage reciprocal task interdependencies when making decisions related to the selection of the most suitable design alternative that will lead to sustainable and efficient buildings. This study describes a methodology to automate the process sustainability assessment for proposed buildings by integrating Building Information Model (BIM) and LEED certification system while providing a framework to calculate the credits that building could potentially earn at the conceptual stage. This research aims to propose an integrated methodology that links BIM with green building certification systems at the early design stage of a project’s life. A plug-in is developed to calculate and predict the potential accumulated LEED credits with access to the Application Program Interface (API) of the BIM tool, energy analysis and lighting simulation tool, Google Map and their associated library. The plug-in uses K Nearest Neighbour (KNN) data mining method to estimate the missing credits, which could not be calculated directly from design specifications, to propose the whole scale innovative green building evaluation interface for building projects.

Research paper thumbnail of BIM-integrated TOPSIS-Fuzzy framework to optimize selection of sustainable building components

International Journal of Construction Management, 2019

Existence of diverse sustainable materials with distinctive features causes more difficult decisi... more Existence of diverse sustainable materials with distinctive features causes more difficult decision makings for project teams especially when it is intended to use ideal materials from diverse type...

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating building information modeling (BIM) and LEED system at the conceptual design stage of sustainable buildings

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2015

Designing environmentally friendly buildings that provide both high performance and cost savings ... more Designing environmentally friendly buildings that provide both high performance and cost savings is of increasing interest in the development of sustainable cities. Today, we are looking at not just buildings' certification but sustainable practices that go beyond ratings to satisfy our social responsibilities. The construction industry in general will benefit from an integrated tool that will help optimize the selection process of materials, equipments, and systems at every stage of a proposed building's life. Building information modeling (BIM) has the potential to aid designers to select the right type of materials during the early design stage and to make vital decisions that have great impacts on the life cycle of sustainable buildings. This paper describes a methodology that integrates BIM with the Canadian green building certification system (LEED©). Also, it explains how this integration would assist project teams in making sustainability related decisions while accumulating the required number of points based on the applied green building rating system. The methodology depicts the implementation of a model that automatically calculates the compiled number of LEED certification points and related registration costs for green and certified materials used in designing sustainable buildings all within the concepts of BIM. Using BIM in this methodology will help designers to invent and animate sustainable buildings in 3D mode easily and efficiently at the conceptual stage. The design information of the proposed sustainable building will be produced in a timely manner by using new plug-ins, which are developed for that reason, and which will link the BIM model with an external database that stores sustainable materials and assembly groups. A real case project is presented to illustrate the usefulness and capabilities of the proposed model.

Research paper thumbnail of Using Building Information Modeling to Evaluate the Costs and Benefits of Adopting Sustainable Universal Houses in Canada

International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 2014

Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor acce... more Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor accessibility and design compatibility. Thus, Universal Design (UD) becomes more relevant, especially if it incorporates the principles of sustainability. Yet, adopting houses of this type requires detailed evaluation of their costs and benefits in a simple and efficient manner. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) concept enables engineers to design and create virtual models permitting the visualization and evaluation of design alternatives before physical construction. The tools used to create BIM models lack detail information about UD principles. This paper presents a methodology that integrates BIM, UD and sustainability to attain sustainable universal houses for Canadians. The goal of this model is to simplify the process of creating sustainable universal houses in 3D and to evaluate the costs and benefits to stakeholders at the conceptual stage of the life of the houses.

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating BIM with Green Building Certification System, Energy Analysis, and Cost Estimating Tools to Conceptually Design Sustainable Buildings

Construction Research Congress 2014, 2014

Owners, architects and engineers are more concerned about the sustainability and energy performan... more Owners, architects and engineers are more concerned about the sustainability and energy performance of proposed buildings. Evaluating and analyzing the potential energy consumption of buildings at the conceptual design stage is very helpful for designers when selecting the design alternative that leads to a more energy efficient facility. Building Information Modeling (BIM) assists designers assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of a building life so that effective energy strategies are attained within the green building constraints. As well, at that stage, designers can select the right type of building materials that have great impact on the building's life cycle energy consumption and operating costs. The aim of this paper is to propose an integrated method that links BIM, energy analysis and cost estimating tools with green building certification system. The successful development of the proposed method helps owners and designers evaluate different design alternatives taking into consideration the sustainability constraints in an efficient and timely manner. BIM's tool is customized to allow its integration with the energy analysis application in order to identify the potential gain or loss of energy for the building, to detect and to evaluate its sustainability based on the US and/or Canadian Green Building Council (USGBC and/or CaGBC) rating systems and to approximately estimate the costs of construction early at the conceptual design stage. An actual building project will be used to illustrate the workability and capability of the proposed method.

Research paper thumbnail of An Automated BIM Model to Conceptually Design, Analyze, Simulate, and Assess Sustainable Building Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering, 2014

Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building’s compone... more Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building’s components at the conceptual design stage are very helpful for designers needing to make decisions related to the selection of the best design alternative that would lead to a more energy efficient building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of the project so that energy and life cycle assessment (LCA) strategies and systems are attained. This paper proposes an automated model that links BIM, LCA, energy analysis, and lighting simulation tools with green building certification systems. The implementation is within developing plug-ins on BIM tool capable of measuring the environmental impacts (EI) and embodied energy of building components. Using this method, designers will be provided with a new way to visualize and to identify the potential gain or loss of energy for the building as a whole and for e...

Research paper thumbnail of Steel Bridge-Coating Systems and Their Environmental Impacts: Current Practices and Future Trends

Coatings

Coatings are essential for protecting structural steel bridges from corrosion in harsh environmen... more Coatings are essential for protecting structural steel bridges from corrosion in harsh environmental conditions. The selection of a suitable coating system can significantly impact the performance and longevity of a bridge as well as its environmental footprint. This study investigates the U.S. and Canada’s environmental ISO corrosivity map and the general environments to which bridges are exposed. Additionally, environmental data and road maintenance practices of transportation departments and the use of de-icing salts were investigated to examine the impact of micro-corrosive environments on bridge elements. The study reviews commonly examined coating systems and their expected service life in moderate and highly corrosive environments. This sheds light on factors influencing coating system selection, such as life-cycle cost analysis and maintenance practices for bridge elements. For the first time to our knowledge, an environmental life-cycle evaluation of one of the most commonl...

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating BIM and GIS to improve the visual monitoring of construction supply chain management

In recent years, with the increasing level of competition in the global construction market, seve... more In recent years, with the increasing level of competition in the global construction market, several research efforts have focused on the application of information technology (IT) as a way to improve the integration process of construction supply chain management (CSCM). Visual representation of the process can provide an effective tool for monitoring resources in the CSCM. In order to support this objective, this paper integrates building information modeling (BIM) and geographic information systems (GIS) into a unique system, which enables keeping track of the supply chain status and provides warning signals to ensure the delivery of materials. First, the proposed methodology is implemented by using BIM due to its capability to accurately provide a detailed takeoff in an early phase of the procurement process. Furthermore, in order to support the wide range of spatial analysis used in the logistics perspective (warehousing and transportation) of the CSCM, GIS is used in the present model. Thus, this paper represents the integrated GIS-BIM model manifesting the flow of materials, availability of resources, and "map" of the respective supply chains visually. A case example is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the developed system.

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Energy Analysis Tools with Green Building Certification System to Conceptually Design Sustainable Buildings

Journal of Information Technology in Construction, Nov 11, 2014

It is commonly known that the energy consumption of buildings is quite high; therefore, owners, a... more It is commonly known that the energy consumption of buildings is quite high; therefore, owners, architects, and engineers should be more concerned about the sustainability and energy performance of proposed building projects. For years, energy analysis tools have been used by designers to design energyefficient buildings. Generally, the energy analysis for this type of facilities is mostly conducted at the end of the design stage, once their components and elements have already been selected. However, analyzing the energy consumption of those components at the conceptual design stage is very helpful for designers when making decisions related to the selection of the most suitable design alternative that will lead to an energy-efficient building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has the capability to help users assess different design alternatives and select vital energy strategies and systems at the conceptual design stage of proposed projects. Furthermore, by using BIM tools, designers are able to select the right type of materials early during the design stage and to make energy-related decisions that have great impact on the whole building life cycle. The main objective of this paper is to propose an integrated methodology that links BIM and energy analysis tools with green building certification systems. This methodology will be applied at the early design stage of a project's life. It will help designers measure and identify potential loss or gain of energy for different design alternatives and calculate the potential LEED points they may accumulate and gain and accordingly select the best one. An actual building project will be used to illustrate the workability and capability of the proposed methodology.

Research paper thumbnail of An Automated BIM Model to Conceptually Design, Analyze, Simulate, and Assess Sustainable Building Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering, Nov 6, 2014

Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building's compone... more Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building's components at the conceptual design stage are very helpful for designers needing to make decisions related to the selection of the best design alternative that would lead to a more energy efficient building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of the project so that energy and life cycle assessment (LCA) strategies and systems are attained. This paper proposes an automated model that links BIM, LCA, energy analysis, and lighting simulation tools with green building certification systems. The implementation is within developing plug-ins on BIM tool capable of measuring the environmental impacts (EI) and embodied energy of building components. Using this method, designers will be provided with a new way to visualize and to identify the potential gain or loss of energy for the building as a whole and for each of its associated components. Furthermore, designers will be able to detect and evaluate the sustainability of the proposed buildings based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. An actual building project will be used to illustrate the workability of the proposed methodology.

Research paper thumbnail of Using Building Information Modeling to Evaluate the Costs and Benefits of Adopting Sustainable Universal Houses in Canada

International journal of 3-D information modeling, Oct 1, 2014

Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor acce... more Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor accessibility and design compatibility. Thus, Universal Design (UD) becomes more relevant, especially if it incorporates the principles of sustainability. Yet, adopting houses of this type requires detailed evaluation of their costs and benefits in a simple and efficient manner. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) concept enables engineers to design and create virtual models permitting the visualization and evaluation of design alternatives before physical construction. The tools used to create BIM models lack detail information about UD principles. This paper presents a methodology that integrates BIM, UD and sustainability to attain sustainable universal houses for Canadians. The goal of this model is to simplify the process of creating sustainable universal houses in 3D and to evaluate the costs and benefits to stakeholders at the conceptual stage of the life of the houses.

Research paper thumbnail of A framework for specifying low-carbon construction materials in government procurement: A case study for concrete in a new building investment

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Application of a mathematical approach in modeling wind time series : A general survey of the Langevin method

Today, the great importance and benefits of renewable energies as a source of endless energy is o... more Today, the great importance and benefits of renewable energies as a source of endless energy is obvious for all.Wind is recognized as one of the most stable and safest type of energy, due to ease of access as well as applying modern technical and scientific methods in order to its extraction.In this regard, much effort has been done in the developed societies to obtain knowledge besides getting access to new techniques in the exploitation of this unlimited wealth.Apart from the new aspects of the proposed research in wind area, the extraction operation requires specialists to advanced techniques and scientific research.The development of societies and their increasing necessity to energy resources have increased the importance of safe and clean renewable energy.This study investigates a technique to specify the power performance of the wind turbine directly from measured data which fluctuate with high frequency. This project is a review of a dynamical method for the specification of...

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating Decision Support System (DSS) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to Optimize the Selection of Sustainable Building Components

J. Inf. Technol. Constr., 2015

One of the challenges in sustainability analysis and its development is the optimum selection of ... more One of the challenges in sustainability analysis and its development is the optimum selection of sustainable materials to meet the project’s requirements while doing sustainable design. This can only be achieved when project team adopt the use of a strategic approach while selecting the materials, although this could be a complex task for decision makers. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of a project. As a method of integration and through its modeling techniques, BIM can be used to assess the impacts of design alternatives on the energy saving of buildings all over their life. Furthermore, BIM has the potential to help designers select the right type of materials during the early design stage, and make vital decisions when selecting the materials that have sustainable impact on the building’s life cycle. The main purpose of this study is to propose a methodology that integrates BIM with ...

Research paper thumbnail of BIM-based approach to conduct Life Cycle Cost Analysis of resilient buildings at the conceptual stage

Automation in Construction, 2021

Abstract All costs within the life cycle of a building are known as its life cycle cost (LCC). In... more Abstract All costs within the life cycle of a building are known as its life cycle cost (LCC). In the design process of a building, the use of a lower initial cost index to select an option among others with similar performance may not lead to an economically optimal alternative during the life cycle. Hence, today, building designers and investors require a tool to estimate life cycle cost at the conceptual design stage to select an economically efficient option. Resilient solutions generally lead to a higher level of complexity and upfront costs and carry additional embodied environmental impact as well. This study aims to support the design of resilient buildings using a sound LCC methodology in the preliminary design stage. The research aims to integrate LCC capabilities directly into a Building Information Model (BIM) and increase the economical relevance and scientific robustness of LCC indicators towards better LCC cost optimization. The plugin, which is developed in the BIM tool is represented to use cost and resiliency factors to predict the whole process cost of building projects to assist designers in selecting a cost-efficient and resilient design option. The LCC of a building includes its initial cost, repair and maintenance cost, operating cost and salvage value at the end of the building's useful life, and all of which were considered in the estimation. The earthquake expected failure and human fatality cost are calculated to consider the resiliency index in building design. The application of the proposed framework to design a residential building is developed and validated on two design options. The application of the actual building project illustrates that by increasing the initial cost in the second alternative by 4.6%, its annual expected failure cost is decreased by 35.4%, and its total life-cycle cost is reduced by almost 10.4% within the first 45 years of operation. The reduction in the cost of the building and human fatality due to failure during an earthquake means the building's resilience would be improved. Using the developed plugin, designers could estimate LCC of the buildings at the early design stages and design more resilient buildings with better economic performance in its life cycle according to the proposed indices.

Research paper thumbnail of An integrated BIM-based approach for cost estimation in construction projects

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020

PurposeAnalyzing different scenarios at the design stage of construction projects has always been... more PurposeAnalyzing different scenarios at the design stage of construction projects has always been a challenging task. One of the main parameters that helps owners in making better decisions in designing their buildings is to look after the cost perspective on different design scenarios. Thus, this study aims to propose a semi-automated BIM-based cost estimation approach that enables practitioners to estimate the cost of projects based on different design scenarios by an accurate and agile system.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes an integrated framework, through which the cost estimation standard of Iran (FehrestBaha) is linked to the materials quantity take-offs (QTO) from BIM models. The performance of the system is based on connecting the classification standards of UniFormat and MasterFormat to the cost estimation standard of FehrestBaha. A BIM-based extension in the Revit environment is developed to automate the cost estimation process.FindingsTo evaluate the effici...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the effects that a non-stationary climate and dynamic electricity grid mix has on whole building life cycle assessment: A multi-city comparison

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Research paper thumbnail of An integrated BIM-LEED application to automate sustainable design assessment framework at the conceptual stage of building projects

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2020

Abstract Construction industry has become more interested in designing and constructing environme... more Abstract Construction industry has become more interested in designing and constructing environmentally friendly buildings that can provide both high performance and monetary savings. Generally, the sustainability analysis is mostly conducted at the end of the design stage, once their components and elements have already been selected. However, achieving an integrated sustainable design solution prior to construction means that the design team must manage reciprocal task interdependencies when making decisions related to the selection of the most suitable design alternative that will lead to sustainable and efficient buildings. This study describes a methodology to automate the process sustainability assessment for proposed buildings by integrating Building Information Model (BIM) and LEED certification system while providing a framework to calculate the credits that building could potentially earn at the conceptual stage. This research aims to propose an integrated methodology that links BIM with green building certification systems at the early design stage of a project’s life. A plug-in is developed to calculate and predict the potential accumulated LEED credits with access to the Application Program Interface (API) of the BIM tool, energy analysis and lighting simulation tool, Google Map and their associated library. The plug-in uses K Nearest Neighbour (KNN) data mining method to estimate the missing credits, which could not be calculated directly from design specifications, to propose the whole scale innovative green building evaluation interface for building projects.

Research paper thumbnail of BIM-integrated TOPSIS-Fuzzy framework to optimize selection of sustainable building components

International Journal of Construction Management, 2019

Existence of diverse sustainable materials with distinctive features causes more difficult decisi... more Existence of diverse sustainable materials with distinctive features causes more difficult decision makings for project teams especially when it is intended to use ideal materials from diverse type...

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating building information modeling (BIM) and LEED system at the conceptual design stage of sustainable buildings

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2015

Designing environmentally friendly buildings that provide both high performance and cost savings ... more Designing environmentally friendly buildings that provide both high performance and cost savings is of increasing interest in the development of sustainable cities. Today, we are looking at not just buildings' certification but sustainable practices that go beyond ratings to satisfy our social responsibilities. The construction industry in general will benefit from an integrated tool that will help optimize the selection process of materials, equipments, and systems at every stage of a proposed building's life. Building information modeling (BIM) has the potential to aid designers to select the right type of materials during the early design stage and to make vital decisions that have great impacts on the life cycle of sustainable buildings. This paper describes a methodology that integrates BIM with the Canadian green building certification system (LEED©). Also, it explains how this integration would assist project teams in making sustainability related decisions while accumulating the required number of points based on the applied green building rating system. The methodology depicts the implementation of a model that automatically calculates the compiled number of LEED certification points and related registration costs for green and certified materials used in designing sustainable buildings all within the concepts of BIM. Using BIM in this methodology will help designers to invent and animate sustainable buildings in 3D mode easily and efficiently at the conceptual stage. The design information of the proposed sustainable building will be produced in a timely manner by using new plug-ins, which are developed for that reason, and which will link the BIM model with an external database that stores sustainable materials and assembly groups. A real case project is presented to illustrate the usefulness and capabilities of the proposed model.

Research paper thumbnail of Using Building Information Modeling to Evaluate the Costs and Benefits of Adopting Sustainable Universal Houses in Canada

International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 2014

Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor acce... more Existing homes for senior population may not be safe because many injuries occur due to poor accessibility and design compatibility. Thus, Universal Design (UD) becomes more relevant, especially if it incorporates the principles of sustainability. Yet, adopting houses of this type requires detailed evaluation of their costs and benefits in a simple and efficient manner. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) concept enables engineers to design and create virtual models permitting the visualization and evaluation of design alternatives before physical construction. The tools used to create BIM models lack detail information about UD principles. This paper presents a methodology that integrates BIM, UD and sustainability to attain sustainable universal houses for Canadians. The goal of this model is to simplify the process of creating sustainable universal houses in 3D and to evaluate the costs and benefits to stakeholders at the conceptual stage of the life of the houses.

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating BIM with Green Building Certification System, Energy Analysis, and Cost Estimating Tools to Conceptually Design Sustainable Buildings

Construction Research Congress 2014, 2014

Owners, architects and engineers are more concerned about the sustainability and energy performan... more Owners, architects and engineers are more concerned about the sustainability and energy performance of proposed buildings. Evaluating and analyzing the potential energy consumption of buildings at the conceptual design stage is very helpful for designers when selecting the design alternative that leads to a more energy efficient facility. Building Information Modeling (BIM) assists designers assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of a building life so that effective energy strategies are attained within the green building constraints. As well, at that stage, designers can select the right type of building materials that have great impact on the building's life cycle energy consumption and operating costs. The aim of this paper is to propose an integrated method that links BIM, energy analysis and cost estimating tools with green building certification system. The successful development of the proposed method helps owners and designers evaluate different design alternatives taking into consideration the sustainability constraints in an efficient and timely manner. BIM's tool is customized to allow its integration with the energy analysis application in order to identify the potential gain or loss of energy for the building, to detect and to evaluate its sustainability based on the US and/or Canadian Green Building Council (USGBC and/or CaGBC) rating systems and to approximately estimate the costs of construction early at the conceptual design stage. An actual building project will be used to illustrate the workability and capability of the proposed method.

Research paper thumbnail of An Automated BIM Model to Conceptually Design, Analyze, Simulate, and Assess Sustainable Building Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering, 2014

Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building’s compone... more Quantifying the environmental impacts and simulating the energy consumption of building’s components at the conceptual design stage are very helpful for designers needing to make decisions related to the selection of the best design alternative that would lead to a more energy efficient building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design alternatives at the conceptual stage of the project so that energy and life cycle assessment (LCA) strategies and systems are attained. This paper proposes an automated model that links BIM, LCA, energy analysis, and lighting simulation tools with green building certification systems. The implementation is within developing plug-ins on BIM tool capable of measuring the environmental impacts (EI) and embodied energy of building components. Using this method, designers will be provided with a new way to visualize and to identify the potential gain or loss of energy for the building as a whole and for e...

Research paper thumbnail of Steel Bridge-Coating Systems and Their Environmental Impacts: Current Practices and Future Trends

Coatings

Coatings are essential for protecting structural steel bridges from corrosion in harsh environmen... more Coatings are essential for protecting structural steel bridges from corrosion in harsh environmental conditions. The selection of a suitable coating system can significantly impact the performance and longevity of a bridge as well as its environmental footprint. This study investigates the U.S. and Canada’s environmental ISO corrosivity map and the general environments to which bridges are exposed. Additionally, environmental data and road maintenance practices of transportation departments and the use of de-icing salts were investigated to examine the impact of micro-corrosive environments on bridge elements. The study reviews commonly examined coating systems and their expected service life in moderate and highly corrosive environments. This sheds light on factors influencing coating system selection, such as life-cycle cost analysis and maintenance practices for bridge elements. For the first time to our knowledge, an environmental life-cycle evaluation of one of the most commonl...

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating BIM and GIS to improve the visual monitoring of construction supply chain management

In recent years, with the increasing level of competition in the global construction market, seve... more In recent years, with the increasing level of competition in the global construction market, several research efforts have focused on the application of information technology (IT) as a way to improve the integration process of construction supply chain management (CSCM). Visual representation of the process can provide an effective tool for monitoring resources in the CSCM. In order to support this objective, this paper integrates building information modeling (BIM) and geographic information systems (GIS) into a unique system, which enables keeping track of the supply chain status and provides warning signals to ensure the delivery of materials. First, the proposed methodology is implemented by using BIM due to its capability to accurately provide a detailed takeoff in an early phase of the procurement process. Furthermore, in order to support the wide range of spatial analysis used in the logistics perspective (warehousing and transportation) of the CSCM, GIS is used in the present model. Thus, this paper represents the integrated GIS-BIM model manifesting the flow of materials, availability of resources, and "map" of the respective supply chains visually. A case example is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the developed system.