Integrating the Brick Schema and Control Description Language for automation and controls in BIM

In order to address the information gaps related to building automation and control systems (BACS) in the design and operational phases of a building, researchers have developed information models for documenting BACS design. These models cover aspects such as point metadata, control relationships, and control logics. However, few models comprehensively integrate all aspects, from control logics to metadata, while establishing connections to components and equipment in building information models (BIM). This paper explores combination of BIM with the Brick Schema and the Control Description Language, each targeting specific aspects of BACS. The objective is to represent control sequences and their associations with physical equipment. A workflow is presented that links control sequences to equipment sourced from a BIM. A demonstration case illustrates the workflow by populating a ventilation system model with controls and shows how the model can be queried to retrieve information relevant to design and operation tasks.