Integrating CARVER Matrix with BIM for Security by Design in Critical Infrastructure Projects

This paper presents the concept and implementation of the BIM–CARVER tool, which integrates the CARVER matrix (Criticality, Accessibility, Recuperability, Vulnerability, Effect, Recognizability) with an open BIM environment based on the IFC standard. Originally developed by the US military for target analysis, the CARVER matrix has evolved into a defensive tool for protecting critical infrastructure. Traditionally, physical security assessments of buildings are performed manually, separately from the digital model, contradicting the principles of Security by Design, which assume that security aspects should be taken into account at the early stages of design. As part of research conducted in accordance with the Design Science Research methodology, a plugin for the Bonsai platform (BlenderBIM) was developed, enabling the assignment of vulnerability assessments to individual elements of the IFC model according to six CARVER criteria on a scale of 1–10, the visualization of results directly in the modeling environment, and the generation of security reports in HTML format. The tool was validated on a set of ten building models of varying purpose and complexity. The results confirmed the effectiveness of the tool in systematically identifying and classifying building elements into four risk categories: critical, important, significant, and insignificant. The developed semi-automated solution supports designers and security specialists in the proactive identification of threats and enables the comparison of design variants in terms of the aggregated risk level, contributing to the implementation of Security by Design principles in design practice. By reducing the need for costly security retrofits and enabling resource-efficient design decisions, the proposed approach also contributes to the sustainability objectives in the built environment.