A BIM-integrated Thailand building energy code framework for building envelope thermal requirements in a conceptual design stage

Abstract

This work presents the development of a building energy code (BEC) of Thailand compliance framework during conceptual design stages (CDS) using building information modeling (BIM) through visual programming language (VPL). The proposed method included five steps: (i) establish a commercial building reference; (ii) develop a BIM base model; (iii) create a BIM overall thermal transfer value (OTTV) and roof thermal transfer value (RTTV) calculation model with VPL scripts; (iv) test the BIM framework with various scenarios; and (v) verify the results with Thailand BEC software. The findings revealed an insignificant difference between the results from the BIM calculation model and those estimated by the Thailand BEC software. This study demonstrated that using BIM with VPL for OTTV and RTTV calculations during the CDS may be implemented automatically, which could help designers make timely decisions to comply with Thailand’s BEC, considering building design, materials, and fenestration ratios.