The BIM handbook offered an excellent
introduction into the structural problems that can occur from
interoperability. The text contained computer language that can be
tough to follow for anyone without a programmers background, however,
the need for interoperability is clearly outlined in the text. The
chapter also helped shed a light on the collaborative efforts made by
the international AEC community to adapt a international standard for
BIM. Currently there are two BIM formats that allow for
interoperability between BIM applications; IFC, Industry Foundation
Classes, and XML, a language similar to the web based format commonly
known as HTML. The most prominent format in the AEC industry is the
IFC and is the “only public, non-proprietary and well-developed
data model for buildings and architecture existing today”,
according to the handbook. The one probem with the BIM handbook is
the ability for it to stay relevant in the present BIM world. The
text discusses BIM abilities from 2007. The issues associated with
interoperability from 5 years ago are not likely to exist in the same
form today.
This link is to the BuildingSMART
website. It has a vast amount of information regarding the current
international effort towards creating an open source BIM model. The BuildingSMART alliance is a
non-profit organization that promotes the use of IFC formats for all
current BIM applications and stresses the need for input from every
facet of in the AEC industry. The
website offers an up-to-date database of the current applications and
the software versions that support IFC formats. The creation of this database is a great step towards adoption of an international BIM
standard. The website includes newsletters that
outline the current industry practices. The current issue highlights
the push by UK, Norway and other countries to make use of open BIM
into the private sector. The success of the program has
translated into widespread adoption of BIM for large infrastructure
projects totaling over 2.5 million euros. This website is a great
source of information on BIM interoperability.
The second article I found highlighted
the benefits of using IFC for building model analysis. The authored
outlined the problems facing building construction today and how many
of them can be remediated by adopting cross-platform adaptability for
all BIM programs. The author develops a methodology called
ThermalOPT which enables automatic model simulations for thermal
design which rely on multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO).
This practice allowed aerospace engineers to increase efficiency and
performance of their products and the author believes this will allow
for innovation in thermal design. The automation process will allow
designers to spend the same amount as time as conventional simulation
techniques, while allowing for 3 order of magnitudes more design
alterations. In one case study, this produced an annual energy
savings of $10,000. The author makes note of the fact that his
methodology does add significant time to the individual simulations,
but this is common for all cutting edge technologies and should be
minimized with subsequent advancements. A good programming
background is needed to implement the ThermalOPT method for thermal
design simulations and it doesn't hurt to have some for reading the
article too, but the advantages of uing a common format for BIM will
allow advancement in other analysis tools.
Interoperability is an important topic
in the world we live in. With a growing number of BIM software
programs frequently introduced to the AEC industry, the need for
compatibility between systems will be ever more important. The
benefits from smooth data transfers can be seen by professionals from
all industries and at all levels. The owners will highlight the
gains from an increase in productivity and the savings from
minimizing time wasted on checking accuracy the model. The
manufacturers will have more confidence in the performance of there
products. Engineers will have more reliable tools to analyze
building designs. Lastly, the potential for green buildings is huge
since it allows for analysis tools to be developed which can increase
the overall life-cycle efficiency of a structure instead of spending
resources making the technology cross platforms.
One of the problems I found while researching my topic of integrating code compliance checks in BIM models was the ability of the program to recognize different designs and adapt the code checking to that specific design. Would this be similar for your thermal program with respect to aeronautics? Would the language of the program have to be changed for each model that is created, or would it be able to adapt based on changing plane dimensions, wing spans, etc?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Ben’s blog post, I have changed my opinion slightly on BIM interoperability. The international open source BIM model seems to be coming along and may actually eventually become a globally used application to standardize interoperability in our industry. This is something that would benefit every engineer in the industry, although it could hurt the business of private software companies attempting to stay on top of the market. If interoperability becomes a real possibility, then competing software companies will not be able to make money on new versions of their products that strictly work with their software data exchange and no one else’s. The last interesting fact mentioned in this post is how much green building will be affected by the interoperability of BIM. LEED buildings will be able to be designed incredibly efficiently and accurately, and therefore there will be more and more accredited buildings in existence after this data exchange issue is finally fixed.
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