Existing assets maintenance management: Optimizing maintenance procedures and costs through BIM tools

Control and maintenance strategies are essential to preserve and ensure an adequate level of safety and functionality of civil or historical assets. In recent years, digital transformation is promoting new operational methods for Facility Management (FM) with the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) systems. The research proposes a method supported by BIM tools to improve maintenance processes in terms of efficiency, quality and speed. The method consists of the integration of Building Condition Assessment (BCA) with Building Information Modeling (BIM) in order to collect, digitize and evaluate the physical and performance conditions of assets to improve management and maintenance processes. The results show two procedures for data collection and integration into the BIM model. The first procedure uses mobile devices and Excel spreadsheets as databases imported into the BIM model through a Visual Programming Language (VPL). The second procedure uses a system of Common Data Environmental (CDE) that capture data from on-site monitoring sensors and link them to the BIM model. The case studies concern an existing building of historical and cultural value, the Brunelleschi’s Cloister, and a viaduct belonging to a road infrastructure.