Building Information Modelling in Operations of Maintenance at the University of Alicante

Abstract

The benefits derived from the use of building information Modeling (BIM) methodologies are a current issue in the field of research in both design and construction phase. However, the profits achieved in the maintenance stage are still an almost unexplored issue. This fact is especially relevant in public organizations, in particular on university campuses where the building assets are a value added service that must maintain their quality. In this connection, this paper aims to restructure the current maintenance operations at Alicante University and focus them towards BIM environments. It identifies the current building maintenance process on campus, determining the problems it faces since an incident occurs until it resolves. To this end, the research methodology includes semi structured surveys, interviews and benchmarking sessions with technical office staff, managers and maintenance workers at the University of Alicante together with relevant external stakeholders. Consequently, all the information obtained will enable a better procedure based on BIM for improving both preventive and corrective maintenance. The study case is focused on the renovation of the building Former Faculty of Education at The University of Alicante and the results confirm the potential of implementing BIM on campus through a more accurate access to information that optimizes and speeds up the maintenance process.