Study on Piping Layout Optimization for Chiller-Plant Rooms Using an Improved A* Algorithm and Building Information Modeling: A Case Study of a Shopping Mall in Qingdao

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems account for 40–60% of the energy consumed in commercial buildings, and much of this load originates from sub-optimal piping layouts in chiller-plant rooms. This study presents an automated routing framework that couples Building Information Modeling (BIM) with an enhanced A* search to produce collision-free, low-resistance pipelines while simultaneously guiding component selection. The algorithm embeds protective buffer zones around equipment, reserves maintenance corridors through an attention-based cost term, and prioritizes 135° elbows to cut local losses. Generated paths are exported as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) objects for validation in a BIM digital twin, where hydraulic feedback drives iterative reselection of high-efficiency devices—including magnetic-bearing chillers, cartridge filters and tilted-disc valves—until global pressure drop and life-cycle cost are minimized. In a full-scale shopping-mall retrofit, the method significantly reduces pipeline resistance and operating costs, confirming its effectiveness and replicability for sustainable chiller-plant design.