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Buildings
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Data-Driven and Intelligent Decision Support Systems in Digitized Construction
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Data-Driven and Intelligent Decision Support Systems in Digitized Construction

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 14628

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhen Lei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Offsite Construction Research Centre (OCRC), Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
Interests: offsite construction; prefabricated construction; digital technologies in construction; data analytics and decision making in construction; building information modeling (BIM) and virtual design and construction (VDC)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. SangHyeok Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Interests: automation in construction; equipment management; modular construction; BIM
Dr. Hexu Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Interests: off-site construction; Building Information Modelling (BIM); BIM-GIS asset management; human-centered AR/VR/AI application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The construction industry has been stagnant in terms of efficiency and productivity for the past two decades, especially if compared to other industry sectors (e.g., manufacturing). However, the recent development of digital technologies enables the construction industry to make use of data-driven systems to improve its decision-making processes and construction efficiency. In particular, various digital applications have been developed in aiding this digital transformation: the Internet-of-things (IoT), simulation and optimization-based systems, machine learning and artificial intelligence, among others. Potential submission candidates of this Special Issue include: (1) smart data collection systems in construction (e.g., IoT applications, image/vision-based); (2) real-time/near-real-time decision-making systems (e.g., optimization, simulation); (3) hybrid data visualization systems in construction (e.g., dashboard systems, virtual reality/augmented reality/mixed reality/augmented virtuality); and (4) frameworks for construction digitization implementation and strategies.

Dr. Zhen Lei
Dr. SangHyeok Han
Dr. Hexu Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Internet-of-Things (IoT) in construction
  • Sensors and wearables
  • Computer vision and imaging processing
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
  • Simulation and optimization in construction
  • Augmented/virtual/mixed reality and immersive environments
  • Digital twin and cyber physical systems
  • Blockchain and smart contracts
  • Building information modelling (BIM)/Virtual Design and Construction (VDC)
  • Decision support systems
  • Roadmaps, frameworks and strategies of digitization in construction industry

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4013 KiB  
Article
MODI: A Structured Development Process of Mode-Based Control Algorithms in the Early Design Stage of Building Energy Systems
by Xiaoye Cai, Thomas Schild, Alexander Kümpel and Dirk Müller
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020267 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1627
Abstract
The growing share of renewable energy sources in building energy systems leads to more complex energy conversion and distribution systems. The current process of developing appropriate control functions for energy systems is insufficient and consequently error-prone. Regarding this problem, a new method is [...] Read more.
The growing share of renewable energy sources in building energy systems leads to more complex energy conversion and distribution systems. The current process of developing appropriate control functions for energy systems is insufficient and consequently error-prone. Regarding this problem, a new method is expected to systematically develop appropriate control functions for buildings and reduce design errors in this process. This paper introduces the MODI method, aiming at a structured development process of mode-based control algorithms to reduce errors in the early design stages of buildings. A complete framework and a standardized application process of the MODI method will be established to systematically design mode-based control algorithms described through signal-interpreted Petri nets. Furthermore, we performed a simulation-assisted evaluation approach to test and improve the performance of the control algorithms generated by MODI. In a case study, we applied MODI to develop a mode-based control strategy for an energy system containing heating and cooling supply networks. The desired control strategy was tested and tuned in a simulation phase. Compared to a reference control, the mode-based control algorithm shows an improvement in system efficiency by 4% in winter and 8% during the transitional season phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Data-Driven and Intelligent Decision Support Systems in Digitized Construction)
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38 pages, 4400 KiB  
Article
Software Architecture and Non-Fungible Tokens for Digital Twin Decentralized Applications in the Built Environment
by Benjamin Teisserenc and Samad M. E. Sepasgozar
Buildings 2022, 12(9), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12091447 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3812
Abstract
Blockchain technology (BCT) can enable distributed collaboration, enhance data sharing, and automate back-end processes for digital twin (DT) decentralized applications (dApps) in the construction industry (CI) 4.0. The aim of this paper was to propose a software architecture and to develop a framework [...] Read more.
Blockchain technology (BCT) can enable distributed collaboration, enhance data sharing, and automate back-end processes for digital twin (DT) decentralized applications (dApps) in the construction industry (CI) 4.0. The aim of this paper was to propose a software architecture and to develop a framework of smart contracts for blockchain-based digital twin (BCDT) dApps throughout the lifecycle of projects in CI 4.0. This paper leveraged the existing literature and action research interviews to identify and validate the critical industry problems, functional requirements (FRs), and non-functional requirements (NFRs) to be addressed by BCDT dApps in CI 4.0. Basic use cases were developed to design a framework of smart contracts for BCDT dApps throughout the lifecycle of projects. The analysis of an online survey was used to identify the key requirements and enablers to propose a software architecture for BCDT applications and to validate the requirements for developing the framework of a smart contract for BCDTs. The findings were: (1) The identification of key problems in CI 4.0 for each BIM/BCDT dimension (3D, 4D, 5D, 6D, 7D, 8D, and contractual (cD)) and the related FRs and NFRs for BCDT applications. Additionally, key use cases were designed to address the problems identified. (2) The proposed BCDT architecture permitted us to narrow gaps in the literature on blockchain-based decentralized digital twins. Moreover, the proposed BCDT architecture and smart-contract framework addressed the main requirements in the literature on BCDTs. (3) The study leveraged the non-fungible token (NFT) standard to develop a framework for smart contracts that addressed the key use cases and the related industry problems and functional requirements that were identified. The study also considered the contractual dimension (cD) as an overarching dimension in relation to the other BCDT dimensions. (4) We also compared the costs of several public blockchains for executing the proposed smart-contract framework throughout the lifecycle of a medium-sized building project. The cost analysis permitted the development of criteria to evaluate the suitability of blockchain networks for BCDT applications in CI 4.0 depending on the principal blockchain networks’ properties (security, decentralization, scalability, and interoperability). Finally, this study resulted in a novel framework that included software architecture, smart-contract use cases, and selection criteria among blockchain networks for BCDT dApps in CI 4.0. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Data-Driven and Intelligent Decision Support Systems in Digitized Construction)
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Other

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22 pages, 3576 KiB  
Concept Paper
Data Cooperatives as a Catalyst for Collaboration, Data Sharing and the Digital Transformation of the Construction Sector
by Michael Max Bühler, Konrad Nübel, Thorsten Jelinek, David Riechert, Thomas Bauer, Thomas Schmid and Martin Schneider
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020442 - 05 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3104
Abstract
Digital federated platforms and data cooperatives for secure, trusted and sovereign data exchange will play a central role in the construction industry of the future. With the help of platforms, cooperatives and their novel value creation, the digital transformation and the degree of [...] Read more.
Digital federated platforms and data cooperatives for secure, trusted and sovereign data exchange will play a central role in the construction industry of the future. With the help of platforms, cooperatives and their novel value creation, the digital transformation and the degree of organization of the construction value chain can be taken to a new level of collaboration. The goal of this research project was to develop an experimental prototype for a federated innovation data platform along with a suitable exemplary use case. The prototype is to serve the construction industry as a demonstrator for further developments and form the basis for an innovation platform. It exemplifies how an overall concept is concretely implemented along one or more use cases that address high-priority industry pain points. This concept will create a blueprint and a framework for further developments, which will then be further established in the market. The research project illuminates the perspective of various governance innovations to increase industry collaboration, productivity and capital project performance and transparency as well as the overall potential of possible platform business models. However, a comprehensive expert survey revealed that there are considerable obstacles to trust-based data exchange between the key stakeholders in the industry value network. The obstacles to cooperation are predominantly not of a technical nature but rather of a competitive, predominantly trust-related nature. To overcome these obstacles and create a pre-competitive space of trust, the authors therefore propose the governance structure of a data cooperative model, which is discussed in detail in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Data-Driven and Intelligent Decision Support Systems in Digitized Construction)
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23 pages, 3330 KiB  
Perspective
Digital Technologies in Offsite and Prefabricated Construction: Theories and Applications
by Zhuo Cheng, Shengxian Tang, Hexu Liu and Zhen Lei
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010163 - 09 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4280
Abstract
Due to its similarity to industrialized products, the offsite construction industry is seen as a focus for the transformation of Construction 4.0. Many digital technologies have been applied or have the potential to be applied to realize the integration of design, manufacturing, and [...] Read more.
Due to its similarity to industrialized products, the offsite construction industry is seen as a focus for the transformation of Construction 4.0. Many digital technologies have been applied or have the potential to be applied to realize the integration of design, manufacturing, and assembly. The main objective of this review was to identify the current stage of applying digital technologies in offsite construction. In this review, 171 related papers from the last 10 years (i.e., 2013–2022) were obtained by collecting and filtering them. They were classified and analyzed according to the digital twin concept, application areas, and specific application directions. The results indicated that there are apparent differences in the utilization and development level of different technologies in different years. Meanwhile, the introduction, current stages, and benefits of different digital technologies are also discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the current popular fields and speculates on future research directions by analyzing article publication trends, which sheds light on future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Data-Driven and Intelligent Decision Support Systems in Digitized Construction)
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