A 5D simulation method on post-earthquake repair process of buildings based on BIM

The post-earthquake repair process of buildings is one of the key components of building seismic resilience. Understanding the details of the repair process in advance will benefit the evaluation and decision making for the seismic resilience of buildings. To this end, a five-dimensional (5D) simulation method on the post-earthquake repair process of buildings is proposed based on building information modeling (BIM), by which the repair activities can be presented in the way associated with a 3D model, time (denoted as the fourth dimension), and the related costs (denoted as the fifth dimension). First, a decision-making model of repair schemes based on the interval index of the possibility degree is created to determine the optimal post-earthquake repair schemes for a damaged building. Subsequently, an algorithm based on separate flow-repetitive process is designed to automatically make the repair schedule on a BIM platform according to the determined repair schemes. Finally, an algorithm of automatic mapping between the components in BIM and their repair schedules is developed, so that a 5D simulation of a post-earthquake repair process can be implemented. A six-story office building is selected as a case study, and the details of the post-earthquake repair process (e.g., the costs of labor, material and equipment over the repair time) are presented by the proposed 5D simulation method. The outcome of this study can be used to evaluate the seismic resilience of buildings and also to facilitate the decision making for seismically resilient buildings by providing the detailed guidance of the repair process.