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Using AR to Reveal Hidden Building Services: BIM, MEP and Maintenance in Augmented Reality
Relevant case studies
Author: Spark Team
Using AR to Reveal Hidden Building Services: BIM, MEP and Maintenance in Augmented Reality
Some of the most important infrastructure in a building is infrastructure that facilities teams cannot see.
Electrical containment, pipework, ductwork, valves, cable routes and other mechanical and electrical services are frequently located above ceilings, inside risers, behind walls or underneath floors. Drawings and BIM models may contain valuable information about these systems, but interpreting that information while standing in the building can still be difficult.
Augmented Reality (AR) creates the possibility of placing selected digital building information into the physical environment, helping engineers understand where services are expected to run before work begins.
The Problem with Hidden MEP Services
Facilities and maintenance engineers regularly need to answer questions such as:
Which pipe serves this room?
Where does this cable route continue?
Which valve isolates this branch?
What equipment is above this ceiling?
What services could be behind this wall?
Which duct connects to this terminal?
Traditionally, the engineer might move between drawings, labels and physical inspection to build up the answer.
When suitable BIM information is available, AR provides another way of communicating that spatial relationship.
Bringing BIM Information into the Physical Building
A bespoke application can use selected information derived from a BIM or digital building model and position relevant geometry relative to the physical space.
The engineer could then use a tablet or compatible headset to visualise a simplified representation of services that would otherwise be hidden.
Academic and industry research has investigated AR/BIM integration specifically for facilities maintenance, including the retrieval and visualisation of asset information in the context of the real building.
The intention is not to display every object in the BIM model simultaneously. That would rapidly become confusing. The useful approach is to filter information according to the task.
An engineer might choose to display only:
Heating pipework.
Domestic water services.
Electrical distribution.
Fire-alarm infrastructure.
Ventilation ductwork.
Specific valves or dampers.
A single system serving the selected asset.
Supporting Safer Maintenance Planning
Before opening a ceiling or accessing a service zone, an engineer could review the expected arrangement digitally.
This does not remove the need for appropriate surveys, safe systems of work, detection equipment or verification. AR should not be treated as proof that a hidden service is located exactly where a model says it is.
Instead, it can provide an additional layer of situational understanding that helps the engineer interpret approved building information in context.
AR for MEP Installation and Inspection
AR has also been studied in MEP installation workflows. Research examining augmented reality in mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation reported time-saving benefits in the case studied, illustrating why spatial overlays can be useful when people need to compare digital design information with physical installations.
The same principle can extend into building operations.
Facilities teams could potentially compare an existing installation with digital records, locate assets more efficiently and identify where further investigation is required.
Connecting the Hidden Service to Its Maintenance Information
Visualisation becomes significantly more useful when it is connected to operational information.
Imagine selecting a virtual valve visible through an AR interface. The application could then present:
Asset identifier.
System served.
Valve type.
Isolation procedure.
Associated equipment.
Inspection history.
Relevant drawing.
Approved maintenance SOP.
The building model effectively becomes a spatial index into facilities-management information.
Training Engineers in VR Before Using AR On Site
Facilities staff may also need training in how to interpret the digital information correctly.
A VR simulation can provide that training away from the live building.
For example, an engineer could be presented with a virtual ceiling void containing several services and asked to identify the correct pipe, trace its route and determine the appropriate isolation strategy from approved information.
Errors can be highlighted immediately, allowing the task to be repeated until the learner understands the relationship between physical systems and digital records.
Helping Preserve Site Knowledge
Experienced facilities engineers often know buildings in a way that drawings alone cannot communicate. They remember unusual access arrangements, difficult-to-find isolation points and relationships between systems.
A bespoke digital environment creates opportunities to capture some of that knowledge in a form that can be reused for onboarding and maintenance support.
A senior engineer might help define hotspots, warnings and procedure notes associated with particular assets. Those insights can then appear in VR training or AR field guidance for other members of the team.
The Importance of Accurate Data
AR is only as useful as the information underpinning it.
Facilities organisations therefore need to distinguish between design BIM, verified as-built information and assumptions.
A successful implementation may require surveying, model optimisation, asset-data cleansing or updates to existing records before operational AR is deployed.
Spark can develop the immersive interface and application around the customer's available digital information, but the resulting workflow should always communicate appropriate confidence and limitations to the user.
A Bespoke AR Solution Rather Than a Generic Viewer
Different estates require different levels of visualisation. A hospital, airport, university, office portfolio and manufacturing facility all have different operational priorities.
Spark develops bespoke solutions so the interface, building systems, user permissions, workflows and information sources can be designed around the intended maintenance use case.
Conclusion
AR offers facilities management and MEP teams a powerful new way to understand building services that are otherwise difficult to interpret in context. When reliable BIM or asset information is available, selected systems can be visualised in relation to the real environment and linked directly to maintenance information and SOPs.
VR can complement the system by allowing engineers to learn the building and rehearse procedures before attending a live task.
To explore how your BIM, MEP or building data could become a bespoke VR and AR operational tool, contact Spark Emerging Technologies.
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