BIM and Model Checking to Support People with Disabilities
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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emphasizes the importance of creating buildings that are truly accessible, socially inclusive, affordable, culturally rich, healthy, and educational to ensure people with disabilities can fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Accessibility should not be limited to mere regulatory compliance but should strive to deliver the best possible solutions.
Project Overview
The Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy funded this project, which focuses on using software to assess building accessibility effectively.
Building Accessibility Assessment
Evaluating building accessibility involves a series of interconnected tasks, and even experts may encounter inaccuracies and errors. These challenges often arise due to complexity and difficulties in validating results, mainly because of inaccurate, missing, or incomplete reference data. Simply put, no single project contains all the necessary information.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
CAD technology has been used since the early 1980s, evolving from 2D drawings to 3D modeling over the years. Recently, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as the future of architectural design.
BIM facilitates seamless communication and collaboration among all project participants, including mechanical engineers, contractors, plumbers, architects, interior designers, lighting, safety, energy, ecology experts, and accessibility specialists, who can all contribute data within the BIM environment.
BIM also provides comprehensive information for cost engineers and project managers, enabling efficient project management and control. All this information is easily accessible with just a few clicks, allowing supervisors to manage the information model quickly and effectively.
Model Checking
Is there a way for accessibility experts to automate or simplify parts of the evaluation process? The answer lies in Solibri software, a powerful tool for model checking.
Solibri Model Checker (SMC) offers effective detection capabilities through the following features:
- 1. Reduces repetitive tasks, such as measuring sizes and distances.
- 2. Provides 3D visualization of models.
- 3. Evaluates spaces and objects within the model.
- 4. Generates detailed, well-organized reports.
To enable automatic accessibility analysis based on Italian regulations, SMC’s built-in accessibility standards have been modified and tailored to meet the specific needs of the project in Italy.
The project has implemented rules based on the Italian DM236.89 regulation and developed four types of government and public building models:
- Existing buildings
- Existing buildings undergoing renovation compliant with Italian law
- Recently renovated historic buildings compliant with Italian law but constrained by heritage preservation requirements
- Approved but not yet constructed 2D projects
SMC and the DM236.89 rule sets are used to evaluate these four building categories. The results and benefits of applying Solibri are clear and compelling:
- Extremely fast evaluation compared to manual inspections.
- Clear identification of key issues, making it easier for non-experts to understand.
- Allows evaluators to focus on resolving problems rather than identifying them.
We have successfully used SMC to handle complex tasks and gain a comprehensive understanding of projects. This includes visual assessments for individuals with visual impairments, such as analyzing the color and contrast of windows and doors, tactile signals and guide strips for the visually impaired, the force required to open doors and windows, floor friction indexes, and more. When Solibri rules are well-defined and BIM data is adequate, these evaluations can be performed quickly and accurately.
SMC Accessibility Analysis Results for the Friuli Venezia Giulia DM236.89 Project
Conclusion
The complexity of design and evaluation depends heavily on the software tools used and the expertise of the architects involved.
By integrating accessibility evaluations into the BIM workflow, we take a significant step forward in inclusive design.
We have only begun to explore this effective technology, but it undoubtedly contributes to better designing and constructing accessible facilities for all.
Computer-assisted accessibility assessment is now a reality.
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