Week 5 - BIM Interoperability

This week’s reading assignment, titled “Interoperability,” from chapter 3 of the BIM handbook, focused on BIM and its use between the “Project Team.” More specifically, this reading outlines the interoperability of BIM, which essentially describes BIM’s ability to pass, or exchange data between applications.
This reading assignment discusses an extremely important aspect of BIM programs. Since there is a wide variety of BIM products and programs, it should not be unexpected to have an architect who uses a different BIM program than an engineer. However, the ability for different BIM programs to communicate is crucial, especially since “each [project] activity and each type of specialty is supported and augmented by its own computer applications.”
The types of exchange formats identified by the handbook include:
· Direct
· Proprietary file exchange formats
· Public product data model exchange formats
· XML-based exchange formats

What I found interesting was that each interface makes portions of the applications building model accessible for creation, export, modification or deletion. The chapter continued on to discuss the various exchange formats between AEC applications, including image formats, 2D vectors, game formats, XML formats, among others.
The chapter also discussed the impact of BIM’s interoperability on the transfer of entire buildings system information. In order to facilitate the transfer of such information, IFC classes were created, which grouped data into domain layers, breaking the building model up into elements such as structural, architectural, electrical, HVAC and building controls.

Article 1:
The first article I read is titled “BIM Interoperability, The promise and the Reality.” This article discussed the process of design integration with BIM and all of the various trades and stakeholders involved in the project. The flow of such information was outlined in a chart at the beginning of the article. The article does not dispute the usefulness of BIM, rather, it points out a possible issue with data exchange, which is BIM models create masses of data which, during the construction and design process, creates “jumbles of data that must be classified and arranged for the information to be freely exchanged.” In other words, within the massive data file of a BIM model, an electrical should only need to access the electrical data, and likewise with the other trades. However, changes made to each trades respective file must be accounted for and updated automatically throughout the entire BIM data file.
The article closes with a excerpt on the future of BIM and interoperability. It states that interoperability issues my continue to limit users, but if sorted out, could lead to a more powerful and effective use of BIM.

Article 2:
The second article is titled “Strategic Plan to Develop BIM Interoperability in Structural Concrete.”

From its title, this article focuses on BIM interoperability as it relates to concrete work. Prior to discussing the ability of BIM programs to be interoperable, the article made an interesting point, that the project participants must first be able to operate BIM platforms. Without this, the interoperability capabilities of BIM are useless. Though, some reasons firms have not become fluent in BIM applications are because of the cost and time required to train staff, and update computer systems to handle the programs.

With respect to the concrete industry, a main interoperability goal is to have two BIM models that do not loose data between information transfers. Particularly, concrete work would rely on the proper transfer of design/detailing information, manufacturing/fabricating specifications, and construction specifications.