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Bringing BIM to life with IFC

Editorial Type: Technology focus     Date: 03-2016    Views: 3283      






Sanjeev Shah, CEO at GroupBC, looks at alternative delivery solutions for BIM - advocating the benefits of full IFC delivery against the limitations of COBie

Without prior knowledge of Building Information Modelling (BIM) - other than knowing the BIM Level 2 mandate is smack-bang around the corner - understanding what BIM really is can be truly perplexing. A wealth of information exists, from software vendors, task groups and official organisations, that makes truly understanding what BIM actually is, its purpose and whether you're compliant, completely baffling.

Does the B in BIM refer to 'building' as a noun or a verb? Should the M mean Modelling or Management? What exactly is BIM Level 2 (or even Level 2 BIM?). What exactly does meeting the mandate involve? You could, of course, look towards the accreditations bodies (of which there are now at least four) to provide a definitive answer - and, so long as you get your certification, then you're doing it right, right?

Unfortunately, the accreditation bodies themselves can't agree exactly as to what BIM Level 2 is, so what chance has everyone else got?

IFC VERSUS COBIE
Compare two of the major BIM Level 2 Accreditation bodies; one states you must be able to output a data drop in the form of COBie and the other states this must be done in an Open Format, such as COBie or IFC. If you have a choice then, which should you use? The answer must be the one that gives you, your business, the supply chain and the Asset owner/operator the most benefit surely? To understand better, we'll explore the life of the model.

THE BIM IS BORN
At GroupBC, we understood the importance of IFC data files from day one. IFC files underpin everything we do as a BIM software vendor and, along with those who also put IFC at the forefront of BIM, we know that it supports design, build and operation through the International standard for interoperability (ISO 16739:2013).

FEDERATION AND CLASH AVOIDANCE
It's this interoperability that allows a building information model to begin life, using data that has been provided by many different specialist modelling tools as IFCs. These are combined (federated) inside a Common Data Environment (CDE). The CDE will subsequently analyse the model for clashes. Any detected are reported, workflows are issued to authors of the offending model and required fixes then applied.

SHOULD CHANGES BE MADE TO THE IFC DIRECTLY?
Changes should only be made in the originating specialist application, as such software will carry out specialist functions to ensure the integrity of the model, such as specialist structural calculations. Moreover, if, through coordination, conflicts are discovered or data is found to be invalid, changes should only be made to the original, else these conflicts will persist through all subsequent revisions and wasteful conflict resolution will be required every time - hardly giving us the benefits of BIM! When federated in a CDE, IFCs provide us with invaluable insight, such as what the combined model would look like, if built there and then, and ensure that the models are accessible to all project members without the need for users to purchase and install heavy-duty 3D visualisation and clash detection software.

Once the changes are made in the specialist application, the revised model should be resubmitted to the CDE (together with its corresponding IFC) and the process rerun until all key stakeholders are satisfied that the design is clash free and meeting the client's brief.

At GroupBC, we also place the embryonic model in a GeoBIM environment for optioneering purposes.

BUT WHAT ABOUT DATA DROPS?
A key aspect of BIM Level 2 is the periodic delivery of (gradually developing) information to the client as 'data drops'. Data drops demand a combination of native/original files, documents (PDF sections and elevations) and data. For the latter, our recommendation is to provide a snapshot of the IFC (which, after all, contains geometry, data and documents interlinked). A COBie could be cut from the embedded IFC data, if required.

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