BIM-based Automatic Pipeline Layout Design for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing System Conflict Resolution

Layout design and spatial coordination of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems are major challenges in the construction industry. The utilization of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology provides convenience for discovering conflicts in the MEP system before construction. However, solving the conflicts is labor-intensive and time-consuming due to the high reliance on engineering experience. We developed an automation method based on BIM. Through the general avoidance rule of pipelines, definition of typical collision scenario, solutions to typical collision scenarios, automatic scenario recognition, and professional collision check, pipeline collision problems were rapidly detected and classified, and conflicting pipelines were automatically adjusted. According to the proposed method, a Revit plug-in tool was developed for automatic pipeline layout design. In a case study, 72% of collisions were resolved automatically and reasonably by the tool.