My building was designed in BIM. Do I already have a digital twin?

Typically unfortunately not. A Digital Twin is something that you can integrate with your services, processes and is something that you can easily keep updated.

IFC files, digital twins differ a lot from each-other. The ones created to support construction might be great for that purpose, but it’s really rare that they meet the requirements of operation. Typically already existing IFC files are lack of room polygons, many times walls don’t connect to each other to define closed rooms and also typically they don’t contain the basic assets, such as walls, doors and windows, even though they look like so. These are only technical difficulties yet, but the real missing part is about data content.

There is data, that cannot be provided by the architects as they don’t exist at the time of BIM creation. Such are unique identifiers on all assets to support workflows or attached photos of dismantled machines at their final location to support the future maintenance of them.

Still, existing IFC files can be imported into OrthoGraph as main data source as a service, which needs high effort for the preparation of the models. Please take a look at the requirements that should be fulfilled by such BIM models to be used for facility operation: [Knowledge base (orthograph.net) IFC requirements](https://answers.orthograph.net/knowledgebase/article/ifc-import-requirements)

Last but not least the accuracy of the model. Think about that if there is only a 2% deviation e.g. in the rental area, then during the 30-50 years of usage period it will sum up to an amount, that is comparable with the total construction cost of the building. The typical inaccuracy we have experienced in already existing models are between 5-15% comparing the real-world and the IFC files we compared. What we also learned from our clients is when selling a commercial building if the documentation is not accurate / detailed enough, then it’s an instant 1.5-2.5% loss on the sales price. Capturing a building into BIM is always less than this number.

Interested? Start getting in control today!

Contact us