Process model for BIM-based MEP design

Planning quality is a key aspect for the development of sustainable buildings. This particularly applies to mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems, which have a high impact on the building performance. The design of these systems considerably affects construction and operational costs. Moreover, it has a substantial impact on the consumption of resources such as energy or water and also on the building quality in terms of user satisfaction. Building information modeling (BIM) is a method capable of substantially improving the quality of MEP design. This requires adequate component models as well as processes describing the proper use of these models in a BIM project. This paper presents a Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) model which describes the required interactions between project stakeholders during the design phase of a geothermal heat pump system. It describes the roles, tasks and responsibilities of the involved stakeholders and outlines which kind of information is required from whom at which point of time. The specific activities of the stakeholders are linked by information flows. In addition to the process model, a set of parameters describing a heat pump is presented. The parameters can be used as attributes in a BIM model. Each parameter is assigned to the design phase in which it is needed for the first time. This establishes a link between the attributes in the BIM model and the process model. Both, the process model and the parameter set were evaluated by MEP experts.