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Using BIM in urban development

Multi-criteria performance of a BIM/CIM development project in Paris La Défense

Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square
Simulation of performance on the digital platform of the Paris La Défense public authority, around Nelson Mandela Square

Protecting from light reflections, cast shadows and wind corridors, offering reassuring public lighting and a controlled urban sound environment and reducing the city’s environmental impact: the comfort of users in the Paris La Défense neighborhood is recreated and presented virtually, using a general approach. This is the outcome of research led by the local public institution Paris La Défense and the CSTB, as part of an R&D partnership. Technological innovations have now made it possible, using BIM/CIM (Building Information Management / City Information Model), to use several criteria when simulating the performance of a construction project, via the local area’s digital platform. Here is a close-up of this pioneering development that is helping improve urban quality to serve citizens.

By offering innovative services to the stakeholders of the Paris La Défense area, the CSTB performed 6 performance calculations (airflow, acoustic, environment, public lighting, sunlight reflection and glare) at a single location (Nelson Mandela Square) to find ways to increase the comfort of users. It used the data of the Paris La Défense BIM/CIM digital platform, connected to its own calculation programs. Next, the results were made visible on the digital platform, to be exploited. Color codes are used for reading and sharing each performance level, by zone or building/infrastructure (sound level, frequency of unpleasant wind, number of hours of sunshine, CO2 emissions, etc.).

This tool to aid design and decision-making represents a major advance, helping stakeholders project themselves into a real urban environment, with precise information at their disposal. It is the outcome of R&D conducted by the CSTB with Paris La Défense on multi-criteria BIM simulation, on the scale of a city. Given the amount of information in the digital platform, the CSTB had to develop a dataset corresponding to each calculation. The work is continuing in 2018-2019 to integrate energy performance into the BIM/CIM simulation, relying on data from existing buildings already being used. The work aims to support developers, builders and operators in a multiphysical approach to urban projects.

Simulating performance in BIM/CIM: this was made possible thanks to another advance. The calculations were based on qualified input data. For this purpose, in 2017, the digital platform of the current Paris La Défense area was expanded with readings taken by a land surveyor to supplement the GIS (geographic information system) data. The role of the CSTB was to structure all of the information in an open, international format (CityGML) and then to consolidate it in a vast, scalable, interoperable, autonomous database. A major technical challenge consisted of guaranteeing the quality of the information, the continuity of the exchanges and the durability of the system. Bearing in mind that hundreds of people can interact on an urban project, dealing with dozens of gigabytes of data over several years’ time, it’s easy to see the importance of this guarantee. Furthermore, the CSTB has developed an on-demand query service. A plug-in integrated into the eveBIM® software environment, it enables stakeholders to visualize the information in the digital platform of the local area and easily extract the information they need. This facilitates and expands their contributions to the project.

Alexandre Vinauger
CIM and geomatics project manager at EPA Bordeaux-Euratlantique
“As part of our partnership, the CSTB helps us structure CIM data in an open format so that a common, sustainable language emerges.”
Alexandre Vinauger
CIM and geomatics project manager at EPA Bordeaux-Euratlantique

“On the right bank of the Garonne in Bordeaux, the development of about 10 hectares of the Belvédère district, including 4 hectares for a public space, is in the preliminary design stage. City information modeling (CIM), a digital platform that integrates the data of future buildings provided by the CSTB, is giving EPA Bordeaux-Euratlantique a global view of the territory. We use it to ensure architectural consistency and the preservation of the panoramic view of the hillsides. We also check the interfaces between buildings and public spaces. Examples include access to housing through good leveling of doorways and sidewalks, and parking lot exits without bollards on the road. We assess projects against the specifications before submitting them to municipal authorities and beginning work. As part of our partnership, the CSTB helps us structure CIM data in an open format so that a common, sustainable language emerges. This facilitates usage of CIM by stakeholders and requires developing methods to automate the conversion of data into CIM. In the future, we want to extend the use of CIM to other projects.”

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Hugues Parant
directeur général de l’EPA Euroméditerranée (EPAEM)
“The CSTB’s technical expertise and ability to engage all parties in a dialogue contributed to the BIM-CIM upskilling of public and private urban stakeholders.”
Hugues Parant
CEO of EPA Euroméditerranée (EPAEM)

“After determining and implementing collaborative working methods with municipal stakeholders, the CSTB performed multi-scale digitization of the “Euromed” territory from 3D surveys and semantization of urban objects in BIM-CIM language. The collaboration permitted us to develop a new generation of the digital platform, essential to designing projects that take comprehensive approaches, and sustainably capitalize on territory information. This work required substantial support from stakeholders. The CSTB’s technical expertise and ability to engage all parties in a dialogue contributed to the BIM-CIM upskilling of public and private urban stakeholders. We are now deploying the entire digital initiative in Les Fabriques, a district which serves as a laboratory for the EPAEM eco-city initiative. In the future BIM-CIM will be used with the CSTB to optimize project performance and improve the organization of communication and cooperation among stakeholders. This will allow Euromed to build the Mediterranean and coastal city of tomorrow, a sustainable and smart city, in the heart of the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis.”

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