Space and asset management encompasses the comprehensive oversight of buildings. Effective management in these areas maximizes revenue, ensures efficient maintenance and operation, and supports the sustainable lifecycle of buildings.
(1) Space Management
Prefabricated buildings offer multiple standardized floors, efficient spatial planning, and high space utilization. By implementing effective space management, it is possible to optimize space usage, allocate areas strategically to share costs, reduce operating expenses, and fulfill the spiritual and functional needs of production.
Using BIM for space management enables categorizing spaces, optimizing layouts, integrating spatial resources, and connecting with enterprise management systems. This allows for rapid response to personalized space requirements, smooth handling of daily operations, and smart leasing of idle spaces to boost operation and maintenance revenue, indirectly supporting financial management tasks.
Traditional space management often lacks a holistic perspective, focusing instead on local and temporary spatial planning. This limits the ability to explore deeper needs and refine management practices. In contrast, BIM-based operation and maintenance models include spatial and positional data, enabling comprehensive space inventories.
For residential prefabricated buildings, space management primarily targets public areas such as landscaping, waste disposal, and outdoor leisure spaces. BIM visualization tools help track space utilization and occupancy in these public zones, allowing real-time dynamic control of their status.
In prefabricated public buildings, which host social activities related to politics, economics, and culture, spatial management demands greater proactivity, coordination, and precision. BIM-based space management combines different functional areas within the model alongside supporting facilities to create versatile space templates tailored to various needs, such as meeting rooms or activity spaces. It can also merge similar functional zones and quickly adapt to temporary, personalized requirements by considering spatial functions, routes, and occupancy markers to prevent overlapping or wasted space.
Intelligent displays inside buildings enhance spatial clarity and user experience by showing activity names, area locations, routes, and other guidance information. Leveraging BIM’s spatial visualization and usage tracking, managers can analyze and optimize space allocation, assign costs reasonably, and procure auxiliary equipment accordingly. The model visually presents spatial usage across locations and functions, helping plan and operate spaces efficiently to unify management of usage, revenue, and costs, thereby improving return on investment.
Additionally, the BIM model provides ratio analyses for each allocated space, updating usage status, cost-benefit metrics, energy consumption, and maintenance records in real time. This multidimensional data supports managers in making informed decisions and improving operational strategies.
(2) Asset Management
Assets such as elevators, heating systems, and mechanical and electrical equipment are essential for the smooth operation of buildings, especially prefabricated ones. These assets not only ensure community functionality but can also serve as revenue sources. The primary goal of asset management is to efficiently oversee assets, minimize waste, and maximize their utilization.
BIM-based asset management provides real-time information on asset usage, operational status, maintenance activities, and more. It enables continuous monitoring and rapid maintenance responses, reducing both direct and indirect economic losses. The operation and maintenance model includes asset classification, product details, and positioning information, which can be integrated directly into asset management systems for inventory control.
Within the BIM model, 3D visualization allows for asset viewing and status tracking, supporting dynamic management. When assets exhibit abnormal detachment or unusual status values, the system issues real-time alerts to prevent loss or damage, thereby safeguarding assets.
Assets in the operation and maintenance model are organized by category and location. Management personnel can access asset details through the system for inventory checks and perform statistical analyses to assess utilization over time. The asset management system also handles depreciation, lifecycle cost analysis, maintenance frequency, and repair expenses, providing valuable data for quarterly and annual procurement decisions.
Automated reminders based on annual plans help prevent delays and unnecessary costs due to insufficient asset availability. The system supports asset addition, removal, modifications, transfers, borrowing, and returns, integrating with enterprise management platforms for approvals and updating the BIM model accordingly.
For temporary asset additions or replacements during maintenance, the system allows precise location marking and facilitates procurement approval requests through the enterprise management system. When asset borrowing is necessary, engineering staff can allocate assets based on their location and target destination to minimize consumption and optimize resource use.
If an asset issue arises within the BIM model, relevant personnel receive immediate notifications on their mobile devices. Staff can quickly locate the problem, enter a simulated environment for inspection, and use authorized work identification codes to perform repairs onsite. Alternatively, nearby personnel with temporary authorization can conduct maintenance using asset identification codes. Repair outcomes are recorded in the asset management system and reflected in the BIM model as operation logs.
In cases of asset detachment, personnel receive warnings and can promptly inspect the situation within the BIM model to mitigate risks. They can trace asset paths to reduce loss probability. For critical assets, access is restricted by authorization codes, preventing unauthorized removal and significantly reducing asset loss.
Author: Liu Lu (Shandong Jianzhu University)
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