Comparative Analyses of Four BIM-Based Compliance Checking Tools

In much of the world, digital tools are already being used in industry for the everyday process of work, leading to better productivity and quality. But, according to recent studies, the architecture engineering and construction industry is lagging behind in this move to digital processes. Very few construction operations have been automated, and productivity in the construction industry is still low in 2022. However, several digital approaches and tools have been developed for the construction industry in the last few decades. Among them, the building information modeling (BIM) approach has the potential to significantly improve processes in the construction industry. BIM uses a multidimensional digital mock-up to document and simulate the design, construction, and operation of a built asset. Automatic code compliance checking is one of the many proposed BIM uses. It is defined as “a process in which code validation software is used to check the model parameters against project-specific codes.” While several software systems have been proposed, the existing tools are not yet commonly used and it is still difficult for end users to select the one most suited to their needs. As observed, there is a lack of studies comparing and assessing the verification tools available in today's software market. We aim to compare the four main commercially available digital verification tools. Two comparisons were conducted. In the first one, each tool was reviewed according to some desired functionalities based on criteria summarized in three categories: features, interoperability, and usability. In the second one, we studied the whole rule-checking process in detail. The results suggest that Navisworks offers interesting functionalities for reviewing collision issues and to inspect the inner view of a mock-up (walk-through). Due to its large rule library, Solibri Model Checker is well suited to assess a global mockup; nevertheless, it may be limited because its rule customization is restricted. On the contrary, both visual programming tools—Dynamo and Grasshopper—offer a broad possibility for rule checking due to the customization available to create their own rules, but there is a long learning code to master coding in visual programming.