QA/QC Formulation in Building Information Models via Structural Design Reviews

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Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Turkey

Approval Date: 2021

Thesis Language: English

Student: ESAT ÇANDIR

Supervisor: Güzide Atasoy Özcan

Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection

Abstract:

Building Information Models (BIMs) are being used widely in the construction industry, and a quality check should be performed in order to ensure the integrity and reliability of the models. Quality concern starts with the initial steps in modeling and continues through at the end of the lifecycle of a project. BIMs generally contain some errors and mistakes and if not identified, might result in long review processes with the employers or cause issues during code compliance checks or construction. Since the quality requirements vary according to the projects and even the stakeholders within the same project, it is challenging to establish a standard quality check procedure. In order to focus on the quality of the models, custom procedures tailored according to the needs of the design teams should be prepared. Hence, there is a need to explore the BIM quality issues and develop formalisms to identify and eliminate them in time. Currently, there are no guidelines and formalisms to determine the overall quality level of a Building Information Model and propose Quality Assurance and Control procedures. In this study, design reviews from the employer are used to determine the items to be checked for satisfying a structural model's integrity. The design and model reviews are classified and analyzed to understand the existing issues, and a quality control mechanism, including a checklist, is proposed. This study contributes to a better understanding of BIM quality issues and proposes a BIM quality assurance and control formalism that can be tailored by practitioners and design teams.