A research on interoperability between BIM and digital fabrication concepts in construction industry

Researches show us, construction industry has even biggest concern, and its productivity is the lowest. Low productivity must be criticised in the lifecycle of project, from start to end off it. After all when we compromise all industries, construction industry has lowest budget for research and development. If industry wants to catch perfect conditions, all manufacturing of construction materials and outputs, all design and applications methods, construction technologies, usage of machines must be rebuilt. With adaptation of innovative technologies, productivity of construction industry could be increase. Digital fabrication concept at construction industry extends, adaptation of innovative progress, which uses for the high productivity to conventional methods and the industrialisations of the construction works. Construction industry has its own characteristics, because of, adaptations of innovations takes longer time than the other industries. That's why, Industry 4.0 is the concept which offers digitalised and automatized production processes, could not get enough attention of construction industry. Being unique and non-repetitive projects, and characteristics of sector has role on that. According to characteristic difficulties of construction industry, two attitudes have recommended by researchers and they are including all stakeholders. One of them is modularisation and prefabrication, and the other one is BIM technologies. BIM technology aims to keep this criteria's with strong communication and collaboration. The third level of BIM projects aim to integrate connecting systems that are centralise BIM. Third level of BIM technology is defined as "iBIM" means Integrated BIM because of all the elements of this techonogy will be fully integrated. At this last level of BIM projects, it has reached from fully integrated and collaborated model server with IFC standard compatible web services. Integration and collaboration of BIM with other digital fabrication technologies is the topic, which must criticise with transition to 3rd Level of BIM. All technologies, which could find use in construction industry and seen as a part of Industry 4.0 concept, have connection with the main idea of digitalisation and integration. Industry 4.0 related technologies are robotics, siber phisycal systems, Internet of things, additive manufacturing, simulations, cloud computing, mobile computing, big data etc. BIM technology has active role from start to end of the project, because of it has mental of digital data production. It is the key technology in for use to all other technologies in the lifecycle of construction industry. For continuous of projects lifecycle, BIM is the source of digital project information. That is why BIM technology must communicate with all other technologies. With communication, transaction will always be continuing. Compatibility and collaboration of BIM technology with other digital fabrication technologies are important. In this study, with a literature review of background of Industry 4.0 and construction sector related technologies, the relationship between BIM technology and other technologies was investigated. For analysing the capability of BIM technology in a right way, a conceptual framework has been created. The conceptual framework based on process within the lifecycle of construction projescts, key stakeholders, data flow between the stakeholders, data type, regulations and standards. With the help of the conceptual framework, first, BIM capabilities and characteristics have been examined within the lifecycle of construction projects and the results have revised in the context of digital fabrication technologies. After that, a proposal of workflow within the lifecycle of construction projects has developed. Key stakeholders of construction projects, which use BI technology, have analysed within the context of digital fabrication technologies. Therefore, not only the new stakeholders have suggestes, but also existing key stakeholders have highlighted, which will be important hence the interoperability of technologies. The collaboration was investigated against the backdrop of project delivery systems. Through the inferences, advantages and disadvantages of collaboration have showed by perspective of BIM technology. This practice aims to emphasise collaboration of BIM systems with digital fabrication technologies for the rise of efficiency in construction industry. In addition to this, this study has aimed to be a base for future researches.