RESEARCH ON ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING 3D VIEW FOR BUILDING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

Abstract

 This paper clarifies the advantages and disadvantages of creating 3D views by maintenance managers to support building operation and maintenance (O&M) using 3D models.

 Building information management (BIM) has pervaded rapidly, and CAFM's research and development efforts utilizing BIM in the facility management field have intensified. We have already studied O&M support using BIM, and developed a Building Information Management System (BIMS) that can operate a 3D model on the web browser to input and view information. In particular, smooth consensus between entities engaged in O&M is expected by utilizing the visual effect characteristic of 3D-views. We aim to contribute to the sophistication and efficiency improvement of O&M by BIMS.

 In order to utilize the 3D model to share the O&M information, it is necessary to have good operation techniques and judgement to create and share a 3D-view of information. However, as it is difficult for maintenance managers to operate 3D models, they cannot create satisfactory 3D-views. As a result, the usefulness of the information utilizing the 3D model is difficult to ascertain. For that reason, it is important to analyze the information using the 3D model from the perspective of creating and transmitting O&M information, and to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of creating maintenance management information using 3D-views.

 Therefore, in this research, we introduced BIMS experimentally to O&M of actual office buildings and analyzed the created 3D-view, and then systematically organized the 3D model to share the information. Furthermore, we tested how these 3D-views were created through 3D manipulation using BIMS, and derived the advantages and disadvantages of creating O&M information using the 3D model through opinion exchange with research participants.

 Maintenance managers in various fields obtain the visual effects of 3D-views, which enables them to understand the position of building components and O&M statuses. In addition, they can simulate the process using the 3D model in advance, thus enabling efficient work processes on site. One advantage, therefore, is that maintenance managers can provide high quality O&M works to the building owner. However, creating a 3D-view that is satisfactory is difficult when maintenance managers want to convey a specific component position, because the 3D-view is often concealed by other building components. Moreover, maintenance managers struggle to create a 3D-view that anyone can understand, because 3D-views can be expressed in various ways. Due to these disadvantages, and despite the opinion that it is convenient to utilize the 3D-views for O&M, it is difficult for maintenance managers to do so.

 This research revealed that creating a 3D-view was difficult for maintenance managers because of the 3D feature. However, the utilization of maintenance management information using 3D-views is a suitable method to support multiple building maintenance with a small number of people. O&M work using the 3D model is very effective in situations where a shortage of human resources is a concern due to the ongoing birthrate decline.