Digital twin tech used for Building Information Modeling

Siemens Smart Infrastructure has recently signed an agreement to acquire digital twin software for buildings from U.S. firm EcoDomus.

The move helps Siemens Smart Infrastructure expand its digital building portfolio, including its cloud-based building operations twin software and its flagship building management platform Desigo CC.

The EcoDomus software creates, maintains and visualizes Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based digital building twins, making design and construction data available for building operations and maintenance. Customers can generate digital replicas of their real buildings and assets, creating a common data environment that integrates BIM, Building Management Systems (BMS), Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems. The solution enables BIM-driven workflows and digital twin-based lifecycle management, complemented by 3D visualization.

?The way we operate buildings is fundamentally changing, thanks to the power of digitalization and digital twins,? said Henning Sandfort, CEO of Building Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. ?By enhancing our existing offering for digitalized buildings with EcoDomus? software, we are strengthening our leading industry position in that dynamic market, offering our customers the full-spectrum benefits of BIM-based operations.?

In the past, BIM data usage has mostly focused on a building?s construction phase. Today, its benefits can also be leveraged in the operations and maintenance phase, according to the German company.

Siemens said that its digital building software portfolio will bring substantial benefits to customers with enhanced insights into the performance of their building, real-time issue identification and resolution and better space and energy utilization.

Siemens said that the closing of the deal is expected in the next few months and subject to the conditions agreed by both parties.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure has recently completed the acquisition of French startup Wattsense, a hardware and software company which offers a plug-and-play IoT management system for small and mid-size buildings.

Siemens said that the acquisition will expand the firm?s building products portfolio. Wattsense was started in 2017 and is headquartered in Dardilly, near Lyon, France.

Wattsense optimizes the technical management of small and mid-size buildings with an IoT solution that enables the adoption of energy management practices in facilities with little or no building management system technology.

Siemens also noted that Wattsense allows customers to connect a wide range of devices and make them IoT-enabled. Multi-protocol devices can be onboarded easily before being connected to the cloud and operated in a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, the company said.