BIM Presentation by Noel Susskind, PE page 4

7. Software and interoperability

Time is lost in re-entering the same data into different programs. We already use Excel and Word along with CAD. Sharing in tools like Revit MEP and AutoCAD ABS (AutoCAD Building Systems), give us the ability to directly move detailed building data into energy modeling and other tools. Check this out, a page summarizing some of the latest versions of "BIM" design software

From an organizational level; CAD is logically the framework of a building database. And in fact CAD software companies like Autodesk happen to be are the ones leading the way in BIM development. Some big architecture firms have also invested in the technology of design as desktop computers have become more capable and useful. An example is the firm Gehry Architects and Technology, who designed several concert halls and museums using complex 3d models.

CAD and new tools for Building Information Modeling There are quite a few CAD programs not designed for the construction industry, such as Pro-Engineer and Solid-Works, which serve scientists, R and D and manufacturing well. The success seen in these areas has been envied by technically savvy architects, engineers and contractors for many years. Data standards: CAD and Databases to be integrated In order for database to work well, if at all, rules are followed, and they must be applied consistently. (Ref: Database design manuals and texts) The U.S. National CAD Standards has been around for a decade or more but still the industry has not adopted them. I did an informal random survey of our clients drawings (in received folders) to see which followed the U.S. standards and I found that over half the architects CAD "drawings" have one or more layer names out of compliance with layer naming rules. The tools are out there and have been applied in other industries, so why don't architects and engineers do it? The Boeing 777 was designed using BIM type systems. BIM requires serious organization that challenges the best of us. The normal way of doing business in this competitive industry is to use the tried and proven. If we can move beyond the tried and true, we can become more influential and these will change the way we design and manage construction, and even change the operation and management of the building.

Data and documentation Databases are not exactly a hot topic among architects and MEP engineers. However, we invest a lot in data. A design is documented in the form of drawings and specs. We make plans, lists, schedules, "box" notes, external references, cross-references, details, and so on, using both graphical and written instructions. We use excel to count, look-up in tables, compute, and create externally references in our drawings. This is all software dependent, and we could do it all, if we had the time and ability to write our own software. (The software developers are behind the curve, in my opinion.) There are software packages that attempt to automate some of this. (Estimating packages, project management packages, some design packages, in the appendix) CAD has only rarely been wedded to a database in MEP design. Structural steel, ductwork and piping databases are beginning to make the concept real world now. In fact, Revit IS a database dependent software.

Complaint about the historical baggage: CAD Blocks and groups not all that they can be

CAD standards are supposed to provide an easy way to share and use the information. We still have not reaped the promised gains from it.
AutoCAD relies on blocks and layers. It is a great way to group design elements into a single entity or object. They have always been a rather simple though, and the data within them is not necessarily standardized. In fact, rarely is it ever. Media attention seems to focus more on visible aspects of the models, like 3D. An interesting pattern regarding the 3D aspects are described here in Architectural Record magazine:

Almost three quarters of U.S. architecture firms are using 3D or building information modeling (BIM) for at least one phase of their work. The statistic comes from a survey conducted by a joint committee of the American Institute of Architects and the Associated General Contractors of America…
Of the 74 percent of participants that reported using 3D or BIM, 98 percent use the tools for renderings and presentation graphics related to conceptual design. Of this group, many are using the technology for simple geometric massing and for adding material elements and details to drawings. Just over one third of respondents using 3D/BIM reported using it as a construction resource, for tasks like conflict identification. However, most firms using the technology for this phase still produce 2D drawings for permitting, shop drawings, record drawings and client reviews.

About 34 percent are using it for "intelligent modeling," or for generating information like cost or quantity data. Nearly all using the technology for this purpose included structural systems in the model. Twelve percent are using it for post-occupancy facility management. p>CAD software developers say the results are encouraging, even though most firms are using 3D/BIM primarily as a visualization tool, and are not yet taking full advantage of its capabilities. "Thirty-four percent of firms using BIM 'intelligently' is great, [even if it's] a self-selected respondent base. It's still early," says Phil Bernstein, FAIA, a member of the joint committee and vice president of Autodesk's Building Solutions Division. More widespread adoption of BIM depends on "creating a closer relationship between the activities of design, engineering, construction, and building operation."

Central Steam plant 3d Model

BIM Objects = A quantum leap ahead of blocks or groups

Theoretically, equipment (or objects) could be supplied by each equipment manufacturer which we could drag and drop their product into a BIM. Many manufacturers have created AutoCAD blocks. But they often contain non-standard layers, text, x-references and often seem to have been created strictly for in-house use. They never considered sharing it with outside users, such as us engineers, except as an afterthought.

CSI has been working in this area to help vendors develop their products information models to communicate to the designer.

Building owners, managers and some architects have also done this, providing their teams with highly customized drawings and blocks but relying on non-standard data.

Reed Construction Data has developed a business division called SmartBIM Library, geared toward the Revit user community. They are working with a myriad of vendors of construction components to create the data "objects". For some reason, they have have, until now anyway, focussed on generic objects, which are not all that useful for HVAC or plumbing design(except perhaps for regular-sized plumbing fixtures). Until recently, in fact, actual mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment was almost impossible to find. Since 2006 there has been a trickle of actual equipment "objects" coming from the manufacturers. In the end, actual objects, (or families of objects for the Revit user) must be created by the design engineers and architects to assure quality and accuracy. This is a matter of responsibility of hte profesion to conduct due diligence in all matters, including verifying the design is constructable .

Revit screenshot

About meaning of the word "Model"

The use of the term 'model' has confused many people, especially those who haven't been following developments closely. There is a lot to keep up with. Even well informed owners, architects engineers and contractors haven't necessarily learned what Building Information Modeling really is capable of. Here is an interesting take on how the 3d aspect of the data is confused with renderings! bimania.blogspot.com/2007/02/of-bim-and-renderings.html

Underlying standards
In case you wondered and didn't know how to ask, XML means Extended Mark-up Language, a standard open-source format developed to allow disparate software products to access and store the same data. XML stands for extended markup language. Mark-up languages have evolved and come into common use over the past 15 years, standardized by various international groups. There are specialized "extensions" of XML for practically every industry, from airline ticket reservation systems to genetic research to education.

In the AEC industry, GBxml was created by Green Building Studio while collaborating with the DOE and. (GB =green building )