USING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELS AND COMPREHENSIVE COST MODELING TO OPTIMIZE THE LIFE-CYCLE DESIGN OF BUILDINGS

Abstract eng:
The objective in this work is to predict and minimize the total life-cycle cost of buildings, from construction through extreme events until deconstruction or demolition. Direct costs are combined with many others, including environmental impacts, human health implications, and direct and indirect cost of damage. A matrix of cost models is implemented in Rts, an extension of the computer program Rt developed by Mahsuli and Haukaas in 2012. In addition to new cost models the extension introduces finite element models that are generated by importing building information models from programs like Revit and Archicad. When the building components are created in Rts they are populated with information about geometry, structural behavior, damage, and costs. Parameter uncertainties and model uncertainties are characterized by means of random variables. This means that the total life-cycle cost is also a random variable. Its mean, i.e., the expected cost, is minimized using gradient-based optimization algorithms. This presentation explains the key ingredients in the new framework: 1) the creation of information-rich finite element model by reading industry-foundation-class-files generated by programs like Revit and Archicad; 2) the development and implementation of probabilistic models for direct and indirect costs; 3) the execution of analyses with multiple hazards and uncertain occurrence times; 4) the computation of exact cost sensitivities by implementing the direct differentiation method in a multi-model framework; and 5) the creation of an object-oriented framework with models that can be shared and co-developed between research groups. An example is also presented, in which a building information model is created in Archicad and imported into Rts. This building, shown on the left-hand side in the figure below, is subjected to life-cycle cost analysis and then design optimization. The results, some of which are shown on the right-hand side in the figure below, suggest that inclusion of environmental impacts and other costs can lead to dimensions and material choices different from what is suggested by current codes. This work supports and extends recent initiatives in earthquake engineering to complement limit-states based on strength and stiffness with cost considerations. Preliminary results show that selecting certain materials and increasing the construction cost can lead to reductions in the total expected life-cycle cost.

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