Integrating facility management information into building information modelling using COBie: Current status and future directions

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been implemented by architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms since it effectively manages and integrates information throughout the building life cycle bringing long term benefits compared to existing practices. BIM models serve as communication between design and construction phases. These models are used to determine geometry details, resolve constructability problems, track the types of materials, represent functional characteristics, and produce workflows among others. However, the benefits of BIM have not been fully extended to the operations and maintenance phase. Once the building is finished, the owner still needs the handover of paper documents to complete the information required to support the facility management phase. Therefore, to help owners extend information support throughout the building life cycle, this study proposes a process model to collect information required for facility management and incorporate it into BIM. A Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) approach is used to capture essential information to support facility management as it is created in design and construction. By capturing all the information, owners may be able to directly import data into maintenance management systems to support facility operations. Future directions are also discussed.