Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct 22;19(21):13756.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192113756.

Monitoring and Assessment of Indoor Environmental Conditions in Educational Building Using Building Information Modelling Methodology

Antonio J Aguilar  1 , María L de la Hoz-Torres  2 , Diego P Ruiz  1 , Mª Dolores Martínez-Aires  2
Affiliations

Monitoring and Assessment of Indoor Environmental Conditions in Educational Building Using Building Information Modelling Methodology

Antonio J Aguilar et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Managing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a challenge in educational buildings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adequate indoor air quality is essential to ensure that indoor spaces are safe for students and teachers. In fact, poor IEQ can affect academic performance and student comfort. This study proposes a framework for integrating occupants' feedback into the building information modelling (BIM) methodology to assess indoor environmental conditions (thermal, acoustic and lighting) and the individual airborne virus transmission risk during teaching activities. The information contained in the parametric 3D BIM model and the algorithmic environment of Dynamo were used to develop the framework. The IEQ evaluation is based on sensor monitoring and a daily schedule, so the results show real problems of occupants' dissatisfaction. The output of the framework shows in which range the indoor environmental variables were (optimal, acceptable and unacceptable) and the probability of infection during each lecture class (whether or not 1% is exceeded). A case study was proposed to illustrate its application and validate it. The outcomes provide key information to support the decision-making process for managing IEQ and controlling individual airborne virus transmission risks. Long-term application could provide data that support the management of ventilation strategies and protocol redesign.

Keywords: COVID-19; building information modelling; educational building; indoor environmental quality; sensor monitoring.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Layout of the sensor location in classroom.
Figure A2
Figure A2
Polytechnic building of University of Granada: (a) location, (b) façade. Red dotted line indicates the location of the polytechnic building.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Automation process of integrating indoor environmental assessment and occupants’ feedback into BIM.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Workflow of the system developed in BIM.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Overview of the diagram of the scripts developed using Dynamo.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gender and age of the surveyed students.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Sensation votes and satisfaction votes: (a) thermal (heating season), (b) thermal (non-heating season), (c) acoustic, (d) lighting.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) TSV vs. Top winter season; (b) TSV vs. Top summer season, (c) ASV vs. SPL, (d) LSV vs. lighting.
Figure 7
Figure 7
(a) BIM model of polytechnic building. (b) Plan of the first floor. Blue colour indicates classroom 110.
Figure 8
Figure 8
IEQ evaluation results of classroom 110.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Assessment of the probability of airborne virus transmission in classroom 110.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Goubran S. On the role of construction in achieving the SDGs. J. Sustain. Res. 2019;1:20. doi: 10.20900/jsr201900. - DOI
    1. Nawawi A.H., Khalil N. Post-occupancy evaluation correlated with building occupants’ satisfaction: An approach to performance evaluation of government and public buildings. J. Build. Apprais. 2008;4:59–69. doi: 10.1057/jba.2008.22. - DOI
    1. Parsons K. Design and management of sustainable built environments. Springer; Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany: 2013. Design of the indoor environment; pp. 157–177.
    1. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) ASHRAE 55-2013. Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. ASHRAE; Atlanta, GA, USA: 2013.
    1. Nimlyat P.S., Kandar M.Z. Appraisal of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in healthcare facilities: A literature review. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2015;17:61–68. doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2015.04.002. - DOI

Publication types