Lesson 1, Topic 1
In Progress

Information Standards and Processes

For BIM interoperability there is another just as important driver. In the construction industry where one-off projects teams are assembled across different organisations, disciplines and phases you want the different discipline tools to share information with each other and you want data generated in one phase to be usable without re-entry for the next phase.

This is the foundation for openBIM. You cannot have a true openBIM workflow without interoperable software. Interoperability is about the freedom to work with the best in any discipline and for them to use the tools they are most comfortable and productive with.
The right information standard is determined by who you need to exchange information with, the type of asset, and the information needed to be produced. These may include:

There are a few ways to ensure that graphical models can be spatially coordinated from the outset, including, but not limited to:

• Origin & Orientation – The origin of a graphical model is the real-world point that all information is referenced against, and its orientation reflects the rotation of the asset in accordance with the origin.

• Coordinates – In combination with the origin, a coordinate system is primarily used to enable graphical model elements to be placed in the correct location in the real world.

• Units – Units are primarily used within the construction industry as a method of measure; distance, volume, quantity, currency and performance.

• Construction Tolerances – A graphical model can be produced to an infinite accuracy, whilst its corresponding physical asset simply cannot. When expressing dimensional accuracy, it is important to understand the construction tolerances that the physical asset can achieve.
The production of information involves many different activities, and the team must work out what the most effective production methods will be for each.

Reviewing:

• Printed documents on a desk and captured comments by marking up the information with a red pen.

• Asset data on a screen and capturing comments in a text box; or

• Using Virtual Reality for design review and coordination.
Once the most effective production methods for each activity have been agreed upon, they must each then be documented by the team to establish the most efficient way of undertaking the method. This can be achieved by simply defining the roles or individuals that:

• Are responsible for undertaking the task.

• Are accountable for task completion.

• Must be consulted during the task; and

• Must be informed when the task is complete.

To facilitate collaboration between team members, the team must establish a shared repository, where information produced by the team can be stored, exchanged and managed effectively. Having a shared repository also ensures that:

• Information is produced once and re-used many times.

• Information can be shared and trusted.

• Information has clear provenance and ownership; and

• Access to information is controlled and secure.

Plug-ins to BIM tools are common ways of providing such a compatibility solution.

The design industry has a long history of dominating vendors trying to corner the market by controlling the de facto standard.