BIM-Based Approach for Automatic Pipe Systems Installation Coordination and Schedule Optimization

Detailed planning, sequencing, and scheduling for the installation of multiple pipe systems are greatly needed to efficiently complete a piping project with both reduced cost and duration. Conventional manual scheduling tools cannot produce optimized and robust installation schedules due to insufficient planning of the installation sequence in generating an appropriate installation schedule. This paper proposes a new approach for automating pipe installation sequence and schedule optimization using 4D building information modeling (BIM). BIM technology is used to automatically capture valuable information from 3D models to assist time-based 4D modeling. Matching rules based on the category of pipe system components are developed to automate the pairing and integration between the 3D BIM models and installation activities. Constraint analysis by sequential rules is formulated and developed to generate favorable sequence and coordination between pipe systems, and conventional simulated annealing (SA) is adapted to optimize the generated practical schedules for installation based on a formulated objective function. An illustrative example is presented to validate the developed approach, and the result shows that the proposed approach can generate a constraint-free installation sequence and an optimal schedule. Compared with conventional methods, the developed approach results in 96%–97% saving in time and enhances accuracy of generating an installation schedule.