BIM-driven software and algorithm for optimal floor tile layout minimizing material waste

Abstract

State-of-the-art BIM software cannot provide effective solutions for tile placement across spaces due to inaccurate quantity take-off (QTO), internal obstacle recognition, and 3D visualization. This prevents minimizing the waste material of floor covering. In this paper, BIM-based software is developed to establish semantic relationships between the covered surface and the room's structural and architectural elements to compute exact QTO. A tile layout algorithm is embedded to the software which considers the geometry of the room, the obstacles inside the room, and tile size to determine the most efficient layout that minimizes material cut and waste. The algorithm reduced material waste up to 73 % in case studies conducted to validate the proposed approach. The BIM-based software is beneficial for designers and construction firms, reducing material waste and promoting sustainability. The solution inspires future work on more efficient algorithms for tile layout design and BIM-based waste assessment of construction activities.