BIM as a Mitigation Tool for COVID-19 Management on a University Campus

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many academic institutions have been facing the challenge of how to maintain face-to-face instruction while also reducing the chance of an outbreak within the student population. One potential solution that has proven to be efficient is wastewater surveillance of student residence halls. In a case study, BIM models of 18 residence halls on a university campus were developed, each of which included parametric components such as building envelopes and plumbing fixtures. These models also included the locations of COVID-19 wastewater autosamplers. A Dynamo visual programming script was developed to highlight a vertical riser once the connected autosampler showed the existence of the coronavirus. Supplementary 2D floor plans and 3D isometric views can also be generated to help the institute's pandemic management team make informed COVID-19 management decisions. In the absence of someone who is knowledgeable in plumbing, this novel application of the BIM technology can significantly improve visual comprehension of the extent of COVID-19 spread within a facility and assist the management team in decision-making processes under tight time constraints.