Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23

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Automation in Construction
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon

Perspectives on a BIM-integrated software platform for robotic construction T

through Contour Crafting
⁎
Omid Davtalaba,b, , Ali Kazemiana,b, Behrokh Khoshnevisa,c
a
The Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
b
Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
c
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Robotic construction through concrete 3D printing is an in-progress revolution in construction industry. While
Software platform significant progress is made on hardware related challenges, software and information related issues of such
BIM innovative system are less discussed. In this paper, a software platform is proposed for data retrieval and analysis
3D printing from BIM models and utilizing it efficiently during various stages of the process. While the general idea of using
Automated construction
BIM for automated construction has been mentioned before, the implementation details (the focus of this paper)
Toolpath optimization
were not previously discussed. To this aim, a framework is proposed to integrate BIM into an automated con-
Robotic control
Contour Crafting struction system. A Planning and Operations Control Software for Automated Construction (POCSAC) is de-
veloped as a major enabler for a seamless integration of BIM and Contour Crafting. The interoperation between
different components of the construction system and BIM platform are designed to maximize the realized
benefits through synergy of the two technologies.

1. Introduction improvement [11], as well as material performance [12]. However,

Automated construction through concrete 3D printing is deemed as
a revolution in construction industry. This novel idea of scaling up
additive manufacturing techniques for automated building construction
has been topic of academic and industrial research for several years.
Many advantages are offered by automated building construction such
as superior construction speed and higher degree of customization.
There are considerable efforts on use of robots for various construction
purposes such as pre-fabrication [1, 2] or non load-bearing structures
[3]. However, the focus of this paper is on automated in-situ building
construction using additive manufacturing techniques.
Contour Crafting (CC) is the first additive fabrication technology
developed for in-situ construction of custom-designed structures [4]. It
can radically reduce the construction cost by reducing the workforce
required for the construction process. Various advantages such as better
surface quality, higher fabrication speed and broader choice of mate-
rials are offered by the CC technology compared to other layered fab-
rication systems [5, 6]. CC is also considered as one of the most pro-
mising approaches for construction of human settlements on other
planets such as the Moon and Mars [7, 8, 9] (Fig. 1).
A review of past and ongoing projects reveals that so far most of the
efforts in this area are focused on robot development and hardware
new software platforms are also highly essential for realizing a fully
automated and reliable building construction system.
Many conventional construction projects are currently designed and
carried out using Building Information Modeling (BIM) software plat-
forms. There are a lot of advancements in BIM technology and nu-
merous research studies have evaluated the benefits of using BIM
throughout project life cycle from design to operation [13, 14]. Recent
endeavors in this area have demonstrated benefits of adopting BIM
technology. Some examples include automated compliance checking
with various building codes based on the specific project location [15],
automated cost estimation [16], scheduling [17], clash detection be-
tween different disciplines [18], and energy analysis and simulations
[19]. Sensing automation technology which is capable of being in-
tegrated with BIM systems is also utilized in buildings to improve en-
ergy efficiency and increase occupants' satisfaction [20, 21, 22]. Also,
several recent studies focused on construction automation systems
using BIM. Some of these studies investigated development of new al-
gorithms for converting as-built structures automatically into BIM
models more efficiently. As an instance, Laefer et al. [23] proposed a
new method to detect automatic structural steel components from laser
scan point cloud automatically. Another study focused on automated
monitoring system for construction projects using BIM data [24]. In this

⁎
Corresponding author at: Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
E-mail address: davtalab@usc.edu (O. Davtalab).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.01.006
Received 1 September 2017; Received in revised form 2 December 2017; Accepted 11 January 2018
0926-5805/ © 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.
O. Davtalab et al.
paper Golparvar et al. explored current systems developed for using big
visual data along with BIM information for automated monitoring and
analyzing conventional construction performance. In another recent
study, BIM data was utilized for robotic prefabrication process. Li et al.
[25] proposed a method for providing detailed information related to
automated manufacturing and prefabrication of wood panels to im-
prove the accuracy and efficiency of this process. Using Internet-of-
Things (IoT) for automating construction monitoring system is also
explored in several recent studies such as the work done by Teizer et al.
[26] in which real-time performance data related to environmental and
localization data are integrated into a cloud-based BIM platform.
It should be mentioned that the general idea of using BIM and its
potential advantages for automated construction has been mentioned
before [27, 28, 29]. However, the involvement of BIM in various stages
of automated construction, and the implementation details were not
extensively discussed. There are major challenges in this field to over-
come, including lack of data interoperability between BIM platforms
and automated construction systems. Also, BIM platform needs to be
customized and extended to fully exploit new opportunities offered by
an automated construction system. In this paper, a framework is pro-
posed to integrate BIM technology into automated construction through
concrete 3D printing. The proposed framework presents details of in-
teroperation between different components of an automated construc-
tion system and BIM platform such that maximum benefit is realized
through synergy of the two technologies.
2. Automated construction: Essential system components
A well-developed automated construction system is a complex ar-
rangement of various coordinated sub-systems. In this section, only
essential components of such system are described and required fea-
tures are briefly discussed from authors' point of view. These major
components and units, as well as interoperation details will be further
elaborated within the proposed BIM-integrated framework presented in
Section 3.
Construction robots are commonly equipped with a nozzle which is
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Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23
Fig. 1. (a) Contour Crafting machine (b) 3D printed
concrete element (c) Contour Crafting using sulfur
concrete for planetary applications [10, 11].
capable of extruding cementitious materials as layers of specific di-
mensions [4]. A material preparation and delivery system is also re-
quired to continuously feed concrete to the nozzle, while a software
controls both the robot and the material preparation unit. A software
system is proposed herein for the construction operations control pur-
poses. The software is named Planning and Operations Control Software
for Automated Construction (POCSAC).
Similar to other additive manufacturing techniques, concrete 3D
printing begins with 3D modeling of the structure to be built [30, 1].
Based on architectural design and structural analysis, the intended
structure is designed using a CAD software. The 3D model is then sent
to POCSAC software for further processing and finally being 3D printed.
POCSAC software receives and processes an architectural/en-
gineering digital CAD model and extracts required data and sends them
to different units. In brief, the 3D model of the structure is sliced into
2D layers of desired thickness [31]. Next, toolpath optimization is
carried out by POCSAC for layers of the sliced model. Then, numerical
control commands (G-code file) and data regarding mixture proportions
are generated and sent to the robot and the material preparation unit,
respectively. Another important function of POCSAC is detailed doc-
umentation of the construction process. Various environmental and
process data (location, ambient temperature and humidity, concrete
temperature, timing of deposition of various layers, etc.) which are
acquired by the sensory system of robot are sent to POCSAC during the
construction process. After the construction process is complete, these
data are used by POCSAC to generate reports for future reference. For
instance, any unexpected delay between depositions of successive
layers, which could lead to formation of structurally-undesirable cold
joints, could be detected even years after construction by studying
POCSAC reports. These documents could be reliable references for fu-
ture studies and forensic investigations in case of building failure.
A reliable automated material preparation unit is an inevitable
component of a well-developed automated building construction
system. If needed, such material preparation unit would be able to
produce materials with different properties during a project. Fig. 2
presents a schematic illustration of automated material preparation unit
O. Davtalab et al.
and its interoperation with other units. One or more silos of appropriate
capacity (depending on concrete mixture design and project size) are
needed for storage and feeding cementitious powders and aggregates to
the continuous mixer. Considering the commonly low addition dosages
of chemical admixtures (0.1%–0.5% of cementitious materials mass),
these liquids can be stored in smaller containers and added to the
mixture at a specified volumetric rate.
In the following section, a comprehensive framework is proposed to
implement building information modeling for an automated construc-
tion system. Details of interoperation between aforementioned sub-
systems, namely, construction robot, POCSAC software, and material
preparation unit are elaborated within this framework.
3. Proposed BIM-integrated framework
The main goal of this study is to propose a customized interoperable
BIM-integrated system capable of interacting, analyzing and controlling
the components of a robotic construction system. The proposed fra-
mework is designed to enable seamless connection and control of es-
sential components of an automated building construction system.
Developing such a framework requires exploring and analyzing the key
information in BIM models related to the construction process. Some
new parameters and information needed from BIM models for the au-
tomated construction process are defined. The issues of interoperability
requirements between design platforms (BIM models) and POCSAC
software are resolved using a specific data exchange schema.
According to the proposed framework, the workflow starts with BIM
model preparation for automated construction purposes. Next, data
extraction task is discussed to retrieve required information for material
preparation unit and construction robot. Once model 3D geometry is
analyzed, optimized toolpath and proper commands (based on robot
properties) are generated. The data from this part along with the spe-
cified material properties such as required mechanical strength is then
used for design and laboratory testing of printing materials. Material
design is finalized through laboratory testing and then the overall op-
eration planning is conducted using POCSAC software. The final step is
to generate the construction report in a standard format and to insert it
back to the model by POCSAC software for future use. All these steps
and components are discussed in details over the next sections. The
proposed framework is illustrated in Fig. 3.
3.1. BIM model preparation
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been evaluated by many
researchers in the recent years and it is known as a technology that is
able to enhance the productivity throughout the building life cycle from
design to operation and maintenance [13, 32]. Current construction
projects are mostly designed using BIM platforms such as Autodesk
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Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23
Fig. 2. Schematic representation of automated mate-
rial preparation unit as a part of automated construc-
tion system.
Revit and Bentley Systems MicroStations which are widely adopted in
Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. AEC in-
dustry has reached numerous technological advancements in BIM such
as generating construction schedules through automatic data extraction
from BIM models [33], adopting BIM for operational activities [13],
and many other cases that are presenting the advantage of using BIM
for different stages of a construction project. Developing automated
construction systems is certainly dependent upon the related advanced
construction technologies such as BIM. As such, the proposed frame-
work is designed to integrate BIM into an automated construction
system such as Contour Crafting. Autodesk Revit is considered as the
reference 3D modeling software herein.
In order to realize full potential of building information modeling in
automated construction, BIM models should be expanded by inserting
new data and parameters into models. Existing parameters in BIM
platforms such as Revit are designed for conventional construction
practice, and do not utilize many features of automated construction. In
specific, a customized BIM system for automated building construction
could be realized by feeding new information related to different stages
of construction process to the BIM model. In the design (pre-construc-
tion) stage, the following relevant parameters and components are
considered for addition to BIM models:
1- Robot Revit Family: A Revit family provides a set of parameters for
available types of an element. In other words, different element
types in a family may have identical or different parameter values.
The robot Revit family is created and added to the user Revit library
for two main reasons:
a) Helping the designers to visually check the possible boundary of a
building that different gantry robot systems can support and build.
The family has several robot types and each type has a specific work
envelope component showing the maximum dimensions that the
selected system can support.
b) Robots properties such as maximum linear speed, required voltage,
dimensions, acceleration ratios and rotation speed are inserted to
the Revit robot family for each specific type and they can be auto-
matically extracted by POCSAC to be used for tasks such as toolpath
optimization (related to robot properties) and robot control com-
mands generation.
2- Material Specification: The structural and architectural require-
ments for printing concrete must be specified by designers and in-
cluded in the BIM model. Some instances of these structural and
non-structural properties include compressive strength, Young
modulus, density, and color. Autodesk Revit provides the user with
the option to create a new concrete sub-type and to adjust para-
meters of the sub-type using “structural material properties dialog”
O. Davtalab et al.
Fig. 3. Methodology and framework flow.
[34]. As mentioned before, an interesting possibility with an auto-
mated construction system is to use materials with different prop-
erties for different elements of a building. This is commonly known
as “functionally graded materials” in materials science [35]. For
instance, in concrete 3D printing the type of concrete used for roof
construction could be different in density and compressive strength
from the material used for walls.
After finishing model design in Revit, the next step is data extraction
from the prepared BIM model. A standard data extraction system is used
to resolve data interoperability issues between automated construction
system and BIM. Various components of an automated construction
system must be compatible with the customized BIM system. Different
methods are presented by several researchers and by software compa-
nies to read the data from BIM models. One of the most convenient and
successful approaches to read BIM model data is to use Industry
Foundation Classes (IFC) format [36]. A model can be converted into
IFC data schema which is a text based structure representing all the
data nested in a model such as geometry, material type, existing family
parameters (e.g. robots) and hierarchy of elements along with project
metadata such as project location. The next section presents the data
extraction system from BIM models using IFC data schema.
3.2. Model transfer and data extraction by POCSAC software
BIM models such as Revit projects can be exported to Industry
Foundation Classes (IFC) data structure. IFC is a data model developed
by building-SMART, an international organization formerly known as
International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) [36]. It aims to facilitate
the data exchange interoperability between various software platforms
in the construction industry such as Revit, Navisworks, MicroStations
and AutoCAD. IFC data schema is developed to overcome the issues of
data interoperability between different software applications that are
utilized in design, construction, procurement, maintenance and opera-
tion phases of a construction project. This data schema similarly han-
dles data exchanges for other software such as 3DMax, SketchUp, So-
lidWorks that are frequently used in 3D Printing industry. All these
software applications are able to export the designed models to IFC
format properly, such that it could be used by other software systems.
IFC schema has object oriented data structure, and is used in AEC in-
dustry for collaboration between different BIM applications. Data in-
teroperability ensures that all disciplines will work efficiently together
with the same information (exchanged using IFC data schema) re-
presenting the designed model. Using this approach to communicate
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Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23
between different software applications significantly reduces the risk of
budget and schedule issues, as well as other possible errors resulting
from lack of data interoperability. The data dictionary in IFC files
makes the data exchange conceivable between different software ap-
plications.
In any automated construction process, including Contour Crafting,
a data schema is required from which required information related to
the geometry and materials of the designed structures are extracted.
BIM Models are exported to IFC data format and various model char-
acteristics such as component parameters, and material and geometry
data are then retrieved in POCSAC software. Following the information
extraction from model, 3D model geometry is sliced and then trans-
formed to a set of graphs provided in appropriate format for a toolpath
optimization system (as part of POCSAC software) to generate the op-
timum toolpath for the robot. This can be turned into a graph for a
single-machine or a hybrid robotic system in which several machines
work together to construct the building, possibly with all structural,
mechanical, electrical and plumbing components included.
There are several available IFC formats. In data extraction system of
the proposed POCSAC software the default IFC format (.ifc) is used
since it has smaller size than ifcXML files and also has a distinct
structure to be parsed. It is not within the scope of this paper to go
through details of data extraction steps and IFC data structures.
However, a general description of IFC data schema is discussed in the
next paragraphs.
IFC files can store all kinds of information related to a project such
as project location, units and measurements used in project design,
facility zones, software version, and geometric and parametric in-
formation of all different components that are nested in a BIM model.
The first part of IFC files, referred as metadata part, will represent
general information such as project location. Project location is ex-
tracted by POCSAC to know environmental parameters of the con-
struction site which, in turn, are used for material design purposes. The
next parts in an IFC file describe geometric and parametric information
of every single element existing in the model as well as their de-
pendencies. IFC files include geometric and parametric data related to
the physical components existing in the model. Moreover, measurement
units, defined axes directions, project origin coordinates and other
parameters are also represented in IFC files. This information can be
detected by the specific IFC tag used in the beginning of each line.
In general, IFC files represent an entity-relationship based model in
which a hierarchy of all model objects is represented. After parsing the
IFC files, the required information including geometry, material types
and component parameters are extracted and used for robot toolpath
O. Davtalab et al.
optimization and material preparation units that are connected to and
controlled by POCSAC software.
3.3. Toolpath optimization
After converting the 3D BIM model into IFC format and sending it to
POCSAC software for data extraction, the 3D model is sliced into 2D
layers. In this section, the toolpath generation for construction robot is
discussed. When parsing an IFC file, POCSAC data extraction system is
able to detect architectural and structural components from other dis-
ciplines such as mechanical or electrical systems. Parts of the model
related to exterior and interior walls are converted to 2D graphs re-
presenting the geometry and material type of the layers to be analyzed
for robotic construction.
In the following paragraphs, the toolpath optimization approach
adopted from a former study on Contour Crafting toolpath optimization
[31] is initially discussed. Next, a systematic method for modification of
the preliminary graphs is described to satisfy existing constraints of
Contour Crafting System. Finally, a summarized description of step-by-
step toolpath optimization is provided.
3.3.1. Toolpath optimization algorithm
The toolpath optimization problem is generally considered as a NP-
hard combinatorial optimization problem. The toolpath optimization
system is an important element in a 3D printing system process since it
can considerably reduce the total nozzle travel time by generating op-
timum path. This system should be able to satisfy all different re-
quirements in the process while minimizing the construction time of
each structure.
One of the most successful algorithms proposed for solving tool path
optimization systems is Travel Salesman Problem algorithm, also
known as TSP. The main objective in this algorithm is to visit all the
cities given in the problem with the distances between each pair of the
cities, using the minimum cost path that traverse over all the cities.
Using the results from literature [31], Lin-Kernighan (LK) TSP algo-
rithm is considered for solving toolpath optimization problem in this
study due to its better performance compared to other heuristic-based
approaches such as Chinese Postman Problem (CPP) [37] used to solve
toolpath optimization problems in a 3D printing process. Consequently,
LK algorithm using Helsgaun implementation (known as LKH algo-
rithm) [38] is selected as toolpath optimization algorithm in this re-
search.
In toolpath optimization system, 3D model geometry is sliced into
2D layers. These layers are represented as 2D graphs in which all
components (walls, door and window openings) required for generating
the final toolpath of the robot are considered. Each wall is represented
with two nodes and hence the openings (either free spaces or doors and
windows) are also identified. Those edges that will be printed are
considered as deposition edges and they definitely exist in the toolpath
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Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23
Fig. 4. Conversion of prelimineary graph for con-
sidering rotation costs (R) – (a) prelimineary graph –
(b) new graph with artificial nodes and assigned ro-
tation costs.
of the robot since they must be printed. Other edges related to door and
window openings or nozzle traverse while not printing are considered
as idle edges. The final toolpath includes all deposition edges plus the
minimum number of idle edges to provide a feasible path for the robot.
3.3.2. Systematic conversion of preliminary graphs
The preliminary graphs should be modified to satisfy all different
requirements existing in the 3D printing system. Several aspects for
converting preliminary graphs into new graphs are considered and
discussed in this part. The 3D model is sliced into several graphs
(layers) through dividing the maximum structure height by the thick-
ness of the layers based on the 3D printing system. In these graphs,
intersections are vertices while walls are edges. Toolpath optimization
is applied to each layer separately if they are different. Systematic
conversion of preliminary graphs into new graphs is summarized in
three parts as follow:
a) Full graph Generation: The preliminary graphs from the parsed IFC
file only include deposition edges, derived from physical objects
such as walls in the model that should be printed. However, in the
final graph that is being generated in this step, there should be three
types of edges; deposition, idle and rotation edges. Idle and rotation
edges are those ones that the nozzle will travel or rotate without
printing any material. In the first step, using the existing vertices
from preliminary graph, a full graph is generated where all the
nodes are connected.
b) Adding artificial Nodes: The full graph resulted from the first step
does not include rotation edges. During the operation of Contour
Crafting machine, nozzle should rotate until it is aligned with the
edge it is printing. For this reason, at each intersection, based on the
number of walls intersecting, several artificial nodes are added to
the graph to cover rotations. The coordinates of these artificial
nodes are exactly the same. Since both clockwise and counter
clockwise rotations are allowed, the rotation costs are calculated in
the range of 0 to 180 degrees while considering the rotation speed
extracted from BIM robot family properties. Fig. 4 illustrates how
artificial nodes are added to the preliminary graph to consider ro-
tation costs for a T shape intersection.
c) Changing the cost of edges: As mentioned before, there are three
types of edges known as deposition, idle and rotation. To ensure the
existence of deposition edges in final TSP algorithm solution, high
negative costs are assigned to these edges. The cost of rotation edges
is dependent to the orientation of the current edge that the nozzle is
traversing and the angle it should rotate to align the nozzle head
with the next edge to be printed. Finally, Euclidean distance is used
for idle edges. If the speeds in X and Y directions of the gantry
system are different, the cost is scaled based on the speed ratios
extracted from BIM robot family properties.
O. Davtalab et al.
Fig. 5-. Procedure for laboratory testing of printing concrete [39].
3.4. Laboratory testing of printing concrete
In this stage, a customized printing mixture needs to be designed
and tested in the laboratory prior to construction operation. Three main
groups of data are reported by POCSAC for mixture design stage.
Required structural properties of concrete specified by structural en-
gineers, environmental conditions of project site for mock-up tests and
also durability design purposes, and interlayer time gap upper/lower
bounds resulted from toolpath optimization. The first two data groups
are already included in the initial BIM model and will only be extracted
by POCSAC, while interlayer time gap is calculated during toolpath
optimization stage and then reported by POCSAC.
Required properties of printing concrete in fresh state is sig-
nificantly different than conventional concrete. In other words, these
are mainly fresh properties of printing concrete that define it as a
special concrete. A detailed systematic approach for mixture design of
printing concrete is presented in reference [39]. This performance-
based approach is based on only fresh concrete properties, and de-
scribes three main aspects of workability, namely, print quality, shape
stability, and printability window (Fig. 5). Some test methods are also
developed and suggested to quantitatively evaluate each workability
aspect of printing mixture.
In the proposed procedure in [39], a full-size mock-up test is re-
commended as the last step in mixture development. This is accom-
plished by producing and running the developed printing mixture
through material preparation unit and construction robot which will be
used for actual project. In the case of extreme conditions of project site
(humidity and temperature), it is strongly suggested that the mock-up
test is carried out in similar conditions.
With respect to hardened concrete properties, required mechanical
properties of material need to be satisfied in order to guarantee the
desirable structural performance of 3D printed concrete structure. In
specific, there are concerns with respect to interlayer bonding of suc-
cessive concrete layers in construction-scale 3D printing [40]. It should
be noted that mechanical properties are not the only major considera-
tion for hardened printing concrete. Based on project location, dur-
ability design of concrete could be another critical challenge in mixture
design stage. Several deteriorating processes such as freezing and
thawing and chemical attack are known to cause severe problems to
concrete structures [41]. Considerable advances in concrete technology
in recent decades has made it possible to control such deteriorating
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Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23
processes through durability design of concrete, which could result in
prolonged service life of concrete exposed to aggressive environments.
For instance, inclusion of appropriate dosage of supplementary ce-
mentitious materials such as natural zeolite and ground granulated
blast furnace slag in concrete is proven to enhance long term perfor-
mance of concrete structures against chloride or sulfate attack [42, 43,
44].
Finally, upon confirmation of mixture qualification from different
aforementioned aspects, the designed proportions are inputted into
POCSAC for the construction process.
3.5. Operation planning and construction project documentation
After the data regarding material preparation and optimized tool-
path is available, POCSAC generates G-code for construction robot in-
terpreter. G-code is the most commonly used numerical control pro-
gramming language and is used herein to determine the position,
orientation, and traveling speed of nozzle at different times during
operation. For G-code generation, POCSAC uses a graph as input in-
cluding the sequence of all the nodes from optimal solution along with
the category of each edge determining what type of task the machine
should perform to execute this part of the graph. For instance, it is
determined if material needs to be deposited (deposition edge) and at
what rate, nozzle needs to move to another node without printing (idle
or rotation edge), or nozzle height should be increased such that next
layer could be printed. Table 1 provides some basic commands used to
do the main tasks in the 3D printing process.
Furthermore, the pseudocode used for generating the G-Code from
the optimum toolpath outputs is presented in Fig. 6. In this pseudocode,
the G-Code for the robot to print the complete structure is generated
using the optimum toolpath for all layers.
Table 1
G-Code sample commands for 3D printing process.
Command Parameters Functionality
G0 XYZ position Deposition edge
G1 XYZ position and feed Idle and rotation edge
G4 Time Waiting
G20 None Setting units to inch
G28 None Setting units to mm
O. Davtalab et al. Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23

Fig. 6. Pseudocode for G-code generation.

With respect to material preparation unit, based on designed pro-
portions and mock-up tests, POCSAC generates and sends appropriate
commands such that the specified proportion and dosage of each con-
crete ingredient (e.g. Portland cement, chemical admixtures, etc.) is
added to the mixer, and pumped to the nozzle afterwards. The details of
such commands could vary significantly based on implemented dosing
system for raw materials.
Construction documentation is an important aspect of project con-
trol. Many studies were carried out with respect to inclusion of con-
struction as-built documentation into BIM. For instance, Park and Cai
[45] designed a work breakdown structure-based database to enable
the creation of a dynamic BIM database to incorporate construction
records in a timely manner. While these past studies are useful and
informative, the findings often cannot be directly applied to an auto-
mated building construction system. In the current framework for au-
tomated construction process, environmental parameters including
humidity and temperature along with layers information such as actual
mixture proportions, concrete temperature, and timing of deposition
are constantly recorded. These records are combined with all other
information related to the construction process such as robot operator
personal comments and observations, and machine failures or any other
unpredicted system malfunctions, to generate the report. This com-
prehensive report of the construction process is inserted back by
POCSAC to the original model in IFC format. The report attached to the
model is readable by the design software platforms and it can be uti-
lized for further learning purposes. As an instance, if a problem occurs
with the built structure several years later, one can check its con-
struction report to find any probable cause during the construction
process recorded by POCSAC.
4.1. BIM model design
The 3D model of a one-bedroom apartment is prepared in Autodesk
Revit, as a commonly used design platform in AEC industry. The model
includes the building shell and interior walls along with the electrical
and mechanical systems to illustrate the integrated presentation of
different disciplines within the same model as one of the BIM tech-
nology benefits. POCSAC is then able to detect and classify model ob-
jects and components according to their discipline.
A specific robot family for layer by layer fabrication of the exterior
and interior walls is provided and added to the model. This family
consists of all parameters related to robot operations such as accelera-
tion figures, linear deposition rate, rotation and nozzle traversal speeds
between extrusion stop and start points. The robot family also provides
the maximum foot print that can be built in a single run by the robot.
There are several doors and windows used in the model which make the
2D layers of the walls non-identical to each other. The required con-
struction material properties for wall construction are also included.
The designed model is exported in IFC format and sent to POCSAC
software for further analysis. Fig. 7 shows the 3D model where ceiling

4. Case study

A case study is presented to further clarify some details of proposed

framework using POCSAC software for different phases from design to
robotic construction. A one-bedroom apartment is designed and pre-
sented in the case study to show how different parts in the presented
framework work together and finally provide the required commands
so that the intended structure can be constructed using the POCSAC
software in a robotic construction scenario. Fig. 7. 3D Model Designed in Revit (ceiling is hided)

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O. Davtalab et al.
Fig. 8. (a) Extracted Exterior and Interior Walls from the IFC Model (b) Sample Preliminary Graph Nodes (c) Graph Dimensions.
components are hidden to make all interior architectural, mechanical,
lighting fixtures and electrical components visible. The slab under the
building, the dimensions of which are dictated by the work envelope of
the construction machine, demonstrates the maximum dimensions
which could be printed in a single run by the robot.
4.2. Data extraction and analysis in POCSAC software
After parsing the IFC model, exterior and interior walls information
are extracted by POCSAC. The 3D model is sliced into 2D layers based
on the provided layer thickness. Fig. 8a represents the extracted part of
the model following one of the generated preliminary graphs from the
model shown in Fig. 8b. Walls, doors and windows dimensions are
presented in Fig. 8c.
There are 20 nodes and 18 edges in the preliminary graph. This
graph should be transferred into a new graph that can be used as input
for toolpath optimization using TSP approach. Following the conver-
sion steps, the preliminary graph shown above will be transferred to the
following new graph with new vertex indices added as artificial nodes.
After adding artificial nodes (shown in red), there would be 36 nodes in
total and previous node numbers are changed accordingly. The new
graph is presented in Fig. 9.
Idle edges are not shown here since from each node there is an edge
to all other nodes, except for nodes that form deposition edges. The cost
of all deposition edges (i.e. shown in the graph) are equal to CD which is
a large negative number and the cost of idle edges Cij are calculated
based on the Euclidean distance of the edge end nodes and the effect of
robot speed ratio in x and y directions.
Next, the graph is passed to the toolpath optimization module in the
POCSAC software to generate the optimum toolpath and also
minimum/maximum setting times of the layers to be used for labora-
tory testing and finalizing material mixture. The optimum toolpath
output is representing a cycle which is a sequence of all the nodes in the
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Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23
new graphs starting from node 1 (usually the bottom-left corner of the
building) and ending in node 1 with minimum cost while including all
deposition edges that are required to be traversed and printed. The
sequence of the optimum path for the test case, starting from node 1
and completing the cycle by going back to node 1 at the end, is shown
in Table 2.
Table 3 shows the total counts of each edge category (deposition,
idle and rotation) and total distance calculated for each category. Since
deposition edges are in common for all different solutions and do not
have any contribution for selecting the optimum toolpath, total sum-
mation of idle and rotation edges is then calculated.
4.3. Automated construction using contour crafting
The final G-Code for all the layers is generated using the pseudocode
shown in Fig. 6. The finalized material mixture data is inserted into
POCSAC for controlling the material dosing system. POCSAC controls
both the robot and the material preparation unit during the automated
construction process. Deposition, idle and rotation speed are also ex-
tracted from the BIM IFC model based on the provided robot family
which includes all these parameters. Finally, for the test case presented
in this section using POCSAC and Contour Crafting system, a scaled
model (1 ft to 1 in.) is printed using the prototype CC machine and is
shown in Fig. 10. The prototype CC machine has work envelope di-
mensions of 5 m × 8 m × 3 m, corresponding to a 120 m2 printing zone
[39].
A layer by layer comprehensive automated construction report is
also generated by POCSAC from all recorded parameters observed
during the construction process. This report is added to the IFC model
for future learning purposes. The test case studied in this paper briefly
demonstrates the application of the BIM-Integrated framework in-
cluding POCSAC software to connect the BIM technology with an au-
tomated robotic construction system such as Contour Crafting.
O. Davtalab et al. Automation in Construction 89 (2018) 13–23

Fig. 9. New graph generated in POCSAC with updated node

indices.

Table 2 such, lack of connection with inspection and quality control system
Sequence of the nodes in the optimal solution toolpath. remains as one of the current limitations of POCSAC software.
However, it seems that depending on the details of such quality control
N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8 N9
1 2 3 32 31 30 28 26 4
system and types of parameters and sensors used, quality aspects could
N10 N11 N12 N13 N14 N15 N16 N17 N18 be combined with proposed BIM-integrated framework. Such integra-
5 6 7 8 9 36 35 34 33 tion will make it possible to detect any unexpected problem occurring
N19 N20 N21 N22 N23 N24 N25 N26 N27 during the construction process and to include it in construction
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 17
documents. Some parameters which could possibly be monitored for
N28 N29 N30 N31 N32 N33 N34 N35 N36 N37
19 22 20 21 23 24 25 27 29 1 measuring quality of construction include rheological parameters of
fresh printing concrete and early age compressive strength of concrete.
Moreover, RGB depth cameras such as Kinect could be adopted to check
Table 3 the printed layers during the 3D printing process to make sure the
Total edge counts and distances analysis based on the sequence of optimal solution. structure is properly printed as the process continues.
With regard to construction materials, automated material pre-
Edge category Total counts Total distance
paration offers new possibilities to concrete construction. Based on
Deposition 18 169 project needs, the properties of material which is deposited by the robot
Idle 6 41.7 could be accurately controlled at any time and vary throughout the
Rotation 11 22 Radian
project. Some of the properties which could be engineered and variable
in different parts of a structure include concrete density, compressive
strength, thermal conductivity, and color. Also, considering the fact
that temperature and humidity affects fresh properties of concrete in-
cluding setting time, changes in mixture design could be automatically
applied based on real-time local temperature and humidity measure-
ments.
Other limitations of the current POCSAC version are related to op-
timization algorithms for toolpath generation of robots. With respect to
toolpath optimization system adopted in POCSAC software, a more
comprehensive system could be developed. An automated construction
system such as Contour Crafting has the ultimate goal of constructing a
building including all different disciplines such as mechanical and
electrical components. For the toolpath optimization part related to
placing other components such as mechanical or electrical equipment
during the automated construction process, algorithms such as time
window TSP can be considered. This algorithm is used when visiting a
node should happen in a specific predetermined time interval. The time
of putting these components should take place in a precise time interval
which is related to the time required for printing the layers supporting
this component.
Fig. 10. Printed case study model using contour crafting machine.
POCSAC software is currently designed for specific robotic control
system used in Contour Crafting process. This fact brings some limita-
5. Discussion and future prospects tions for use of the software for other large-scale 3D printing systems
which have their own requirements and constraints. The commands
Construction-scale 3D printing is still in its infancy and there are that are generated from the software are programmed specifically for a
various related engineering challenges yet to be solved. For instance, certain type of robot. In the future, a tool for getting user inputs related
inspection and quality control during construction is a critical aspect of to understandable command for their specific robotic control system
automated construction which has not yet been investigated by re- can be developed to generate the final commands accordingly. This
searchers. Due to the absence of any published data on a comprehensive feature will eliminate the need to change hardcoded commands to be
quality control system for automated construction, the quality aspect able to use it for another robotic control system.
was not included and discussed within the proposed framework. As

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O. Davtalab et al.
Finally, in addition to robotic control, another limitation is related
to material procurement and site layout planning using required facil-
ities for an automated construction process that are not integrated with
current POCSAC software. To assure the feasibility of the automated
construction in a short time, POCSAC should be able to generate the
optimal construction process including site logistics and material pro-
curement strategy using the previous generated information.
Automated construction systems using Contour Crafting or other ro-
botic approaches promise rapid construction that could take as little as
one day to complete an average size single family residential building.
This means that the rate of flow of materials to the site is considerably
higher than a conventional construction process due to high material
consumption in a relatively short time. In automated construction
systems, inefficiency in material procurement and storage scarcity due
to inappropriate site logistics planning can result in major problems
such as longer total construction time, and formation of cold joint be-
tween successive deposited layers. POCSAC software has the potential
to cover site logistics and material procurement planning of automated
construction process as well as other parts using related BIM model
data.
It should be noted that although a small-scale case study is pre-
sented here, evaluation of such comprehensive framework requires its
implementation in full-scale automated building construction. This
would help the researchers to realize the feasibility of implementing
proposed elements in this platform and also to understand other chal-
lenges and issues to be addressed in future studies.
6. Conclusions
BIM has been advantageous for the AEC industry and has resulted in
improved efficiency of many conventional construction projects.
However, details of BIM implementation for automated construction
have not yet been investigated in any appreciable depth. Considering
the new capabilities and features to be provided by a well-developed
automated construction system, integration of these two technologies,
namely, BIM and automated construction, is beneficial. In this paper, a
framework is proposed to integrate the BIM technology into automated
building construction by Contour Crafting.
The proposed framework provides resolutions for interoperation
between different components of an automated construction system
and the BIM-integrated software platform such that the maximum
benefit is realized through synergy of the two technologies. Within the
proposed framework, related data are extracted from initial BIM model
and then are analyzed so that proper commands for operations and
robotic control are generated. The POCSAC software platform is the
major enabler for a seamless integration of BIM and Contour Crafting.
Furthermore, data analysis using IFC models are the key linking point to
resolve data interoperability issues between BIM and automated con-
struction systems. Inclusion of some important information in BIM
models related to automated construction, such as robot families and
new material parameters, are also proposed in this study. Such mod-
ifications will result in a BIM model which also serves as a centralized
database for automated construction project. Finally, the concept of
automated report generation during the automated construction pro-
cess is described. The report is later added to the model and would be
quite valuable and beneficial as a future reference. As an instance,
various reasons of system failures that are added to the report can be
used by engineers to modify the construction system accordingly to
prevent recurrence of such issues.
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