The Study of BIM-Based MRT Structural Inspection System

The Taipei MRT (Metropolitan Rapid Transit) system has been operated since 1996. Facing the challenge of safety and sustainability of MRT, it is urgent to develop a structural inspection strategy and maintenance system based on the concept of life cycle management. In the mean while, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become an emerging technology in the architecture and construction industries. BIM utilizes the 3D CAD objects to simulate the real word building elements and with the ability to maintain life cycle information for a building. BIM is an ideal tool and platform for developing an inspection and maintenance system. The goal of this research is to establish a MRT structural inspection system concept based on BIM and life cycle management. In this study, a BIM model of shield tunnel was established to demonstrate the integration of 3D CAD with inspection records. A MRT structural maintenance database, which includes structural deterioration types, inspection records, and repair methods, was designed to interact with the BIM. An inspection prototype system was designed and implemented to perform the MRT structural inspection. The proposed system was designed with mobile-side and server-side systems. The mobile-side system was designed to perform on mobile devices such as tablet computer or smart phones with the ability to mark defects on BIM, as well as to fill in inspection sheets and photos; the server-side system can assign inspection tasks, maintains all inspection records, automatically output inspection reports, and analyze the database to prioritize all maintenance tasks.