Towards a client-oriented integration of construction processes and building GIS systems

•Approach to manage and visualize nD information in AEC processes over buildings.•Based on an IFC model arising from COLLADA and MPP files following a BIM methodology.•Evaluates the results by Web3D Advance Visualization using Open Source technologies.•Solution has been implemented using the WebGL rendering for Advance Visualization.•3D building model can be inspected remotely and simulate the construction evolution.

BIM (Building Information Modelling) methodology allows sharing the information about the same construction between the involved stakeholders. The same building will be affected by different AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction) processes. Some n-dimensional extensions have been recently proposed in the literature. The fourth dimension of BIM represents the planning of the building phases. This dimension can be used to simulate the building state at a fixed point in time, as a snapshot. This paper shows the development of a Web3D visualizer, which integrates 3D documentation with building planning following the BIM methodology using just Open Source software. Our main contribution is the merging of project planning and 3D documentation into a single model, which can be visualized in a modern web browser without plugins. Different construction phases are visualized in a unique and shared global model, which is updated along execution time according to a well-specified visual planning. Our application allows identifying bottlenecks or delays in processes with a status indicator, which is updated along time. Filtering processes allows select the most meaningful aspects for each stakeholder to improve management and satisfaction for final client. The use of Open Source software and standard protocols and technologies allows a wide spread and rapid adoption of the solution, which can be easily extended to support future use cases.