Building information modelling (BIM) has demonstrated its potential as a solution providing support to a series of operations related to facility management (FM) through building data retrieval, analysis, and processing. However, some challenges to the effective adoption of BIM-centred FM information systems occur in their design and implementation, causing obstacles to usability. Among these challenges are the customization of the information structure for each application case, the dynamic character of data supporting building maintenance, and the range of FM specialities involved, frequently including persons who are not BIM experts. This paper presents a BIM–FM prototype to support operations and access updated environmental data for a university building. The two contributions of the developed prototype are its ability to register two types of dynamic data, namely, the regularly acquired environmental sensor information and the sporadic building intervention records, and the automation of the data feeding, updating, and retrieval processes, allowing a user-friendly environment for both BIM experts and non-BIM users. Exploring the BIM interoperability and the integration of plug-ins, the proposed solution enables the comprehensive registration of dynamic FM-related data in an updated model while being accessible to all the specialities involved in the building management operations, enhancing its usability as an integrated solution for data maintenance and retrieval.

The preservation and safeguarding of built cultural heritage is a permanent concern for institutions. These structures were generally poorly prepared for movement triggered by natural disasters, a situation further complicated in the case of earthquakes, as each building has a unique structural dynamic linked to its geometry, materials, method of construction and environmental conditions. The use of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems integrating monitoring techniques as well as inspection and structural analyses has gained great relevance in the appearance of low-cost IoT (Internet of Things) sensors on the market. In this paper, an IoT BIM-based solution is presented for real-time monitoring using low-cost sensors in the scope of building SHM systems. The case study takes place at the central body of the Palace of Monserrate, one of the most distinguished elements of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra. An H-BIM model was created in Autodesk Revit^® software (version 2022 and 2023) based on a point cloud, and used as the basis for the numerical model developed in 3MURI. A MeM low-cost sensor was installed on the third floor of the central tower of the Monserrate Palace in Sintra, and the data gathered were recorded in the H-BIM model. The capacity to acquire real-time information on a structure’s vibration, both during normal operation and after an extraordinary occurrence, could allow the application of more effective maintenance and repair practices, resulting in lower operating costs and allowing for the best management of built cultural heritage.

Structural lightweight aggregate concrete is currently an alternative to normal-weight concrete when thermal insulation properties are required to meet the objectives of energy efficiency and sustainability. The accurate evaluation of the thermal performance is thus essential for designing structural lightweight concrete elements. This paper aims to evaluate the thermal behavior of structural lightweight aggregate concrete, assessed through different tests methods. To this end, a vast experimental campaign was carried out involving specimens produced with several types of lightweight aggregate and different water/cement ratios. The thermal performance was established by thermal conductivity, which was determined according to a modified transient pulse method and a quasi-stationary method, and specific heat capacity, which was determined through a transient pulse method and a heat transfer method. Normal-weight concrete was also tested for comparison purposes. Experimental evidence showed that lightweight aggregate concretes with lower density are associated with up to about 50% lower thermal conductivity and higher specific heat capacity than normal-weight concrete. Moreover, the study demonstrated that the expeditious transient pulse method is suitable for assessing the thermal conductivity of this type of concrete, and that both the transient pulse method and the heat transfer method are adequate to determine the specific heat capacity.