Interdisciplinary Configuration Methods

Abstract

The construction industry relies on multidisciplinary teams, each working within its configuration framework to achieve shared project goals. As projects grow increasingly complex, the scale and interconnectivity of configurations expand, leading to a higher likelihood of clashes between components. This complexity makes effective Configuration Management (CM) increasingly challenging. Over the past two decades, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a promising solution for managing complex construction projects' configurations. However, systematic integration of CM within BIM remains insufficient. To address this gap, this research aims to explore how Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) can enhance configuration processes within a BIM environment. The primary objective of the study is to develop and demonstrate a structured approach that leverages MBSE to visualize and manage interdependencies between building components across different disciplines, thereby improving the integration of CM in BIM workflows. The main research question driving this study is: How can engineers in a BIM environment leverage MBSE to visualize and manage interdependencies between building components across different disciplines? To support this research, the study addresses the following sub-questions: 1. What MBSE methods can be adapted to manage design changes in a BIM environment? 2. How can a mock-up prototype be developed to illustrate the practical implementation of MBSE in BIM? 3. What are the potential applications of MBSE for estimating the impact of design changes in real-world construction projects? Key findings highlight MBSE’s transformative potential to improve decision-making in complex construction projects. By integrating BIM with MBSE, engineers can visualize and analyze interdependencies, enabling early conflict detection, enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration, and streamlining the change management process. Real-time updates and automated simulations further support effective impact analysis. The Design Structure Matrix (DSM) offers a systematic framework to anticipate the cascading effects of design changes across subsystems while improving cost and risk estimations. Despite its advantages, MBSE implementation faces significant challenges, including technical barriers, tool integration issues, scalability, accessibility, and organizational resistance to change. This research offers actionable recommendations to address these challenges, such as standardizing processes, adopting incremental implementation strategies, promoting cross-disciplinary training, and enhancing BIM tools with MBSE features. Ultimately, this research demonstrates how MBSE, when integrated with BIM, can transform CM practices by improving efficiency, reducing errors, and enhancing collaboration between different disciplines during design changes.