scholarly journals Development of a rule-based system to enhance the data consistency and usability of COBie datasheets☆

Author(s):  
Vishal Kumar ◽  
Ai Lin Evelyn Teo

Abstract Building information modeling (BIM) for facilities management (FM) has been gaining considerable attention. Construction operations building information exchange (COBie) datasheets are conceptualized as an electronic format of data for FM handover extracted from the BIM model and supplemented with information from other sources. To build an efficient COBie datasheet, it is advocated to build and verify data at all stages of design and construction, commonly known as data drops. Nevertheless, data consistency verification is a difficult task pertaining to COBie's complex structure and data representation. This study aims to understand the challenges associated with the COBie datasheet verification and consistency checking process, especially during data drop stages, and develop a solution to mitigate these challenges. The study uses a combined methodology of design thinking and waterfall model from the software development process. The outcome of the research study manifests in a prototype application. The prototype application can help in verifying COBie datasheet consistency during data drop stages. Additionally, this study proposes a new dimension to utilize the COBie datasheet to track various asset-related changes in a project by comparing COBie datasheets and visualizing this data in a visually interactive manner using a property graph model.

Facilities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 502-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Yalcinkaya ◽  
Vishal Singh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the technical features, underlying concepts and implementation details of a novel Building Information Modeling (BIM)-integrated, graph-based platform developed to support BIM for facilities management through a usability driven visual representation of the construction operations building information exchange (COBie) spreadsheet data. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the iterative steps of design thinking and agile software development methodology. The conceptual development of the VisualCOBie platform is based on Gestalt’s principles of visual perception to facilitate usability and comprehension of the COBie data. Findings The paper demonstrates that Gestalt’s principles of visual perception provide a suitable conceptual as well as implementable basis for improving the usability and comprehension of COBie spreadsheets. The implemented BIM-integrated, graph-based VisualCOBie platform supports visual navigation and dynamic search, reducing the cognitive load of large spreadsheets that are common in facilities management software. Research limitations/implications The usability, visual search and dependencies-based search of VisualCOBie can potentially transform how we implement and use facilities and information management systems in construction, where large spreadsheets are frequently used in conjunction with BIM and other tools. VisualCOBie also provides usability-based step towards BIM for facilities management. Originality/value The VisualCOBie approach provides a novel user interface and information management platform. This paper may also foster a potential paradigm shift in our approach to the representation and use of information exchange standards such as COBie, which are required to facilitate the research and practice on BIM for facilities management.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Kumar ◽  
Evelyn Ai Lin Evelyn Teo

Purpose The usability aspect of the construction operations building information exchange (COBie) datasheet has been largely overlooked. Users find it difficult to find relevant data inside COBie and understand the dependencies of information. This research study is a part of a more comprehensive research study to identify the usability issues associated with COBie and propose solutions to deal with them. This paper aims to discuss the challenges associated with the visualization aspect of COBie and proposes a solution to mitigate them. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on design thinking and waterfall methodology. While the design thinking methodology is used to explore the issues associated with the visualization aspect of COBie, the waterfall methodology is used to develop a working prototype of the visualizer for the COBie datasheet using a spreadsheet format. Findings The paper demonstrates that the property graph model based on a node-link diagram can be effectively used to represent the COBie datasheet. This will help in storing data in a visually connected manner and looking at links more dynamically. Moreover, converting and storing data into an appropriate database will help reach data directly rather than navigate multiple workbooks. This database can also help get the history of data inside the COBie datasheet as it develops throughout the project. Originality/value This research proposes a novel approach to visualize the COBie datasheet interactively using the property graph model, a type of node-link diagram. Using the property graph model will help users see data in a connected way, which is currently missing in the spreadsheet representation of COBie data. Moreover, this research also highlights that storing historical changes in COBie data can help understand how data has evolved throughout the construction. Additionally, structured storage of data in relationship format can help users to access the end of connected data directly through the efficient search.


Author(s):  
Patrick C. Suermann ◽  
Raja R.A. Issa

The publication of the National BIM Standard (NBIMS) at the end of 2007 after two years of work by the most highly diverse team ever assembled by the National Institute of Building Sciences brought a symbolic shift in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility ownership (AECO) community. However, what impact did it have on the industry? This chapter looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and impact of the NBIMS into 2009 and beyond. Specifically, this chapter will delve into some of the strengths of the NBIMS, such as promulgating a standardized approach for documenting information exchanges between stakeholders, and applying the NBIMS Interactive Capability Maturity Model (I-CMM) to evaluate a project or portfolio for BIM maturity. Opportunities exist in the areas of sustainability, modularity, and fabrication, as demonstrated in several industry projects to date. Weaknesses of the NBIMS are that it is not directly applicable yet at the technical level such as the National CAD Standard (NCS). Along with the NCS, the NBIMS and their umbrella parent organization, the Facility Information Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences are gradually being absorbed into the buildingSMART™ Alliance. Lastly, the primary impact of the NBIMS will be felt in terms of current and future projects promoting interoperable information exchange for specific stakeholders. These include multiple applications of interoperable-IFC-based approaches.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Iapige De Gaetani ◽  
Mertkan Mert ◽  
Federica Migliaccio

It is incontrovertible that an exchange of files is essentially required at several stages of the workflow in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Therefore, investigating and detecting the capabilities/inabilities of building information modeling (BIM) software packages with respect to interoperability can be informative to stakeholders who exchange data between various BIM packages. The work presented in this paper includes a discussion on the interoperability of different software platforms commonly used in the AEC industry. Although, in theory, flawless interoperability of some types of files between different BIM platforms is ensured, in practical applications, this is not always the case. Hence, this research aims to identify faults in data exchange by assessing different possible scenarios where a sample Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) four-dimensions (4D) BIM model and related Gantt charts are exchanged. Throughout the interoperability analysis of both IFC file and Gantt charts, the following checks were carried out: geometrical and nongeometrical information exchange through IFC files, 4D information correct readability, and presence of missing schedule information in Gantt charts after their import/export procedure. The results show that interoperability between the analyzed platforms is not always ensured, providing useful insight into realistic scenarios.


Author(s):  
M. J. Sani ◽  
I. A. Musliman ◽  
A. Abdul Rahman

Abstract. The integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) and the Building Information Modeling (BIM) referred to as the merging of the two systems for the purpose of data interoperability. The need to share information between the two systems is what motivated the integration process purposely for geospatial analysis. This can be achieved through their data exchange formats such as; City Markup Language (CityGML) and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The formats are the two most prominent key schemas of GIS and BIM systems respectively. The integration is a step towards information exchange or sharing (data interoperability) between the two systems. The selection of the two most prominent data exchange formats is as a result of their widespread applications in the GIS and BIM domains. However, the differences in geometric and the semantics information hinders data interoperability (information sharing) between GIS and BIM. Also, coupled with the difference in schema structure and the level of information richness between IFC and CityGML. This paper, propose a geometry transformation process that can be used to extract and transform IFC building objects to that of CityGML building objects to enable 3D model design and constructed using BIM tool to be easily reused in 3D GIS applications which will be able to support the CityGML model format. Where the geometric information will be extracted using the IFC tree-structure (hierarchy) and transformed to destination CityGML.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 1-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Tsui Chang ◽  
Shang-Hsien Hsieh

The strength of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in achieving sustainable buildings is well recognized by the global construction industry. However, current understanding of the state-of-the-art green BIM research is still limited. In particular, a focus study on how BIM contribute to green building design through building performance analysis (BPA) is not available. This paper aims to provide systematic and comprehensive insights on current trends and future potentials of green BIM research by analyzing the existing literature with their research features (i.e. research backgrounds, goals, methods and outputs). In total, 80 publications have been collected, analyzed and discussed. The results show that among ten main BPA types, energy & thermal analysis, green building rating analysis, and cost and benefit analysis are the most studied. However, wind & ventilation analysis, acoustic analysis, and water efficiency analysis receive little attention. Moreover, more research focusing on integrated design analysis should be carried out for optimal design outcome. In addition, most of the collected literature research on the capability of data integration and analysis of green BIM tools, while their capability of visualization and documentation has limited examination. Furthermore, most researchers utilized one main software package while utilization of information exchange formats (IEF) is limited. To increase interoperability of green BIM tools, how different BIM authoring tools and IEFs can be utilized for BPA requires further investigation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Kinnane ◽  
Roger West

Disruptive technologies have found traction in the construction industry, affecting long established processes and rendering old methods of design communication and construction management increasingly obsolete. Pressure is on traditional Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) schools in academic institutions to respond to this paradigm shift in industry. Common among engineering schools is the necessity to maintain fundamental subjects as approved by accreditation boards. Hence it is difficult to create space for Building Information Modeling (BIM) given a curriculum already packed with established modules. This is a primary reason for the slow uptake of BIM in engineering. For engineering schools the question remains, how best to integrate BIM into the curriculum? This educational case study outlines the introduction of BIM into the curriculum of Civil and Structural Engineering students through an unobtrusive method that does not require curriculum restructuring and does not require module refocus. Two project-based modules, with inherent ‘design thinking' objectives, are adapted to enable BIM tools to be used as design, analysis and communication tools.


2013 ◽  
Vol 860-863 ◽  
pp. 2834-2837
Author(s):  
Jing Ling Yuan ◽  
Rui Tu ◽  
Yan Yuan ◽  
Jing Xie

With the constant development of global information technology in building industry, different vendors utilize their own format to store building information modeling; however the incompatibility among these formats obstructs the use and share of the modeling information. Targeting the information exchange and share in each phase of the whole building lifecycle and promoting the energy saving and emission reducing buildings, this paper introduces the information on IFC standards, then discusses the mainstream share formats (.ifc and .ifcXML) in building industry, and compares and analyzes the differences between them, in order to provide leading support for the management platform of data information on building energy efficiency.


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