As urban above-ground space becomes increasingly congested, developing urban underground space has emerged as a crucial challenge for many countries. What role can BIM Technology play in this context? This article explores the application of BIM technology in urban underground spaces from four key perspectives.
Application in Planning
Leveraging the BIM platform alongside the city’s overall development strategies allows for the integration of urban underground space planning into comprehensive urban planning. In China, digital city platforms are widely adopted, with urban planning primarily relying on CAD+GIS platforms. However, GIS platforms mainly offer two-dimensional graphical interfaces that display macro-level designs—such as infrastructure, transportation, buildings, and green spaces—but lack detailed information on building interiors, including structural attributes, equipment details, indoor layouts, and pipeline configurations. They also do not provide associated data such as construction costs, contractors, or equipment manufacturers.
By integrating BIM and GIS platforms, the BIM model not only presents planners’ ideas in a three-dimensional, realistic manner but also provides detailed internal building information. Furthermore, combined with digital city planning data, BIM’s robust data collection and collaboration capabilities can accurately reflect the current status and changes of both above-ground and underground facilities. This supports coordination with the city’s overarching planning from a macro perspective.
At a micro level, BIM technology enables simulation and analysis of the underground environment, including lighting, noise, and thermal conditions within building complexes, ensuring occupant comfort. Planning from both macro and micro perspectives facilitates harmonious development of underground spaces alongside surface construction, infrastructure coordination, and the formation of an integrated urban underground space system.
Application in Design
Developing urban underground spaces requires multidisciplinary collaboration. BIM’s collaborative technology allows architects, structural engineers, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical specialists to work on a shared model, eliminating information gaps. Timely updates and information sharing enhance design quality and efficiency.
Designers utilize BIM models to optimize space, reserve maintenance access for equipment, conduct clash detection, and rationalize the layout of underground pipelines. This streamlines later building operation and maintenance, refines design details, and ensures the building’s functional quality and efficient construction implementation.
BIM visualization technology vividly simulates various design options, presenting the entire project lifecycle—from design to construction to operation—in a three-dimensional, realistic manner. This aids in understanding and decision-making regarding design schemes. Using virtual reality technology, realistic 3D virtual scenes are created based on engineering design standards, enabling “virtual rehearsals.” Personnel can freely explore the virtual environment to identify design flaws that might otherwise go unnoticed, reducing losses caused by insufficient pre-planning and design.
Application in Construction
Since underground space development is permanent and difficult to modify or demolish once complete, selecting the right construction plan is critical. BIM technology allows construction teams to simulate multiple plans early on, conduct comparative analyses, identify design errors, mitigate risks, and choose the optimal construction approach.
Given the limited space for underground construction and the need to allocate adequate room for each process, BIM can simulate and coordinate various specialty constructions, determine the best construction sequence, optimize machinery travel routes, and define personnel activity zones. This helps prevent chaotic construction activities across different disciplines.
Additionally, BIM-based 4D relational databases provide quick and accurate access to essential engineering data throughout construction. This supports procurement planning, material requisition, and more. BIM also enhances risk and cost control, facilitates comparative analysis of construction plans and schedules, tracks progress, and enables effective management by providing timely construction information.
Application in Maintenance and Management
BIM technology integrates and organizes data from all stages of the project lifecycle into a comprehensive information database upon project completion. This database facilitates future maintenance and management tasks.
Property management teams can utilize BIM models to access equipment details such as production dates, maintenance status, and manufacturer information. The system can alert staff when equipment approaches the end of its service life, prompting timely replacement. By integrating sensors into water, electricity, and gas meters, energy consumption for each area can be monitored directly through the BIM model.
Underground commercial areas, subway stations, and other high-occupancy spaces are critical during emergencies. BIM can be integrated with monitoring systems to enhance daily management and provide crucial information for early warnings and evacuations. For example, in the event of a fire, the system can automatically detect and trigger alarms, quickly locate the fire area using the BIM model, and guide occupants to the safest escape routes.
In summary, this article has discussed the role of BIM technology in urban underground spaces across four dimensions, hoping to offer valuable insights. For more information on BIM, please visit our official website: BIM Architecture Training Website bimii.com.
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