Template Customization for Construction Site Information Models

Building Information Modelling is gradually becoming the most developed method for building design all over the world. Its rapid expansion is visible not only in research environment but also in construction habits because of the several standards released in different countries. The spread of the method implied continuous software improvements with the aim to comply as much as possible with different design needs. Nevertheless, an insufficiency of tools specifically developed for construction site planning is still detectable among BIM panorama. The principal aim of the presented research is then to develop BIM use for making more efficient construction site design. Having defined, in an early report, the structure and the contents of the postulated Construction Site Information Model, the research goes ahead by customizing the available tools in order to fit the needs of a construction site designer. One of these tools is a predetermined template, useful as a starting point for the design, as it is for other design disciplines. The aim is to have at disposal, from the beginning of the project, a model completed of a series of elements, parameters, visualization tools and many other issues able to satisfy the needs of construction site design in terms of information contents, level of detail and model efficiency. A step-by-step procedure is also provided to assure the correct use and guarantee the completeness of the model. In particular the research steps have been the following: (i) analysis of some software to evaluate the chances of customizing templates; (ii) creation of the template according to the defined contents and aims of the Construction Site Model; (iii) test and improvement of the tool in a project simulator specifically created for the purpose; (iv) practice in real case study and evaluation about its operation. The case study permits to evaluate how this tool increase efficiency of site designer tasks in terms of spent time and avoided mistakes.