Virtual Building Lifecycle - Giving Architects Access to the Future of Buildings by Visualizing Lifecycle Data

Today s software for architects and civil engineers is lacking support for the evaluation and improvement of building lifecycles. Facility Management Systems and 4D-CAD try to integrate lifecycle data and make them better accessible, but miss the investigation of the development of the structure itself. Much money is inappropriately spent when materials with different life expectancies are combined in the wrong way and building parts are repaired or replaced too early or too late. With the methods of scientific visualization and real-time 3D-graphics these deficiencies can be eliminated. The project Virtual Building Lifecycle (short VBLC, [W-VBLC]) connects 3D geometrical information to research data such as life expectancy and emissions and to standard database information like prices. The automated visualization of critical points of the structure in the past, presence and future is a huge advantage and helps engineers to improve the duration of the lifecycle and reduce the costs.