In the construction industry, there is a constant demand for better quality buildings, and at the same time, complexity increases. These factors put a lot of pressure on construction companies to improve their methods and processes. This forces companies to turn to technology and become more digitalized. A big part of digitization in the construction industry is BIM (Building Information model), which allows the industry to use the data in construction smarter and more efficiently. An extension to the BIM is 4D and 5D which adds time and cost.
This research studies the possibility of implementing 4D/5D in a Faroese company. The main challenge for the company is the lack of labour, which means standard software solutions like Bexel Manager, Vico Office, and Navisworks can’t be used. This study will therefore design an application that utilizes software already in use in the company. For cost estimates, the company uses Sigma, and for construction planning, the company uses MS Project. The application connects files from Sigma and MS Project to an IFC model.
The design is a standalone application that can create a Sigma template from an IFC file and a MS Project template from an IFC file and a Sigma file. The application can also update the Sigma and MS Project files if changes are made to the IFC file. Built into the application is also an IFC viewer where the user can load a MS Project file, created by the application, as well as the corresponding IFC file to view the 4D simulation of the model.