Integrating 4D BIM and GIS for construction supply chain management

Construction supply chain management (CSCM) requires the tracking of material logistics and construction activities, an integrated platform, and certain coordination mechanisms among CSCM participants. Researchers have suggested the use of building information modeling (BIM) technology to monitor construction activities and manage construction supply chains. However, because material warehousing and deliveries are mostly performed outside construction project sites, project information from a single BIM model is insufficient in meeting the needs of construction supply chain management. In this research, an integrated framework was developed based on four-dimensional (4D) BIM and a geographical information system (GIS) for coordination of construction supply chains between the construction project sites and other project related locations, such as supplier sites and material consolidation centers. The proposed integration was used to solve three common tasks in CSCM, namely (1) supplier selection, (2) determination of number of material deliveries, and (3) allocation of consolidation centers, using information from 4D BIM and GIS. The proposed 4D BIM-GIS framework was demonstrated via case studies. The results of the case studies indicated that determinations of supplier and number of deliveries need to take into account both the transportation distance and material unit price. Mathematical solutions were also generated to support decision making for the allocation of consolidation centers in congested regions with long transportation distances. The outcomes of this paper serve as a decision support base for a more efficient CSCM in the future.