Graph-based BIM generation method for integrated design of steel modular buildings

Different from traditional building types, steel modular buildings are product-oriented. It is essential to conduct an integrated design process for this building type. Proposing a systematic framework to organize information and developing a unified model for representing steel modular buildings and multiple tasks are highly desired. In the current paper, a graph-based building information model (GBIM) generation method is proposed. Firstly, a progressive ontology development procedure is conducted to integrate domain knowledge and avoid conflicts. The defined ontology is instantiated through graph models, and corresponding modification and data query process are proposed for model adaptation. Based on the generated GBIMs, visualization, semantic enrichment and model transformation can be efficiently conducted for different design purposes. In addition, the proposed GBIM method is further utilized to organize information for project management and facilitate generative design of steel modular buildings.