A Review of IFC Standardization – Interoperability Through Complementary Development Approaches

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model has been in development by an industry consortium since 1994; during this time the industry context, standardization organization, resource availability, and technology development have exposed the standardization process to a dynamic environment. While the overarching mission of IFC standardization has always been to provide interoperability between AEC/FM software applications and actors, both the goals and the views on how to best achieve those goals have changed throghout the years. Despite the fact that IFC has enjoyed sustained professional and scholarly interest throughout its development, reflective socio-technical studies on the subject are largely non-existent. This study reviews the major shifts in the development process of the IFC standard from its origins in the early 1990s up to 2011, splitting the timeline into four distinct phases. A finding of the review is that the IFC standardization process has utilized complementary minimalist and structuralist approaches for different phases of the standardization process - balancing exhaustive structuralism and implementable minimalism. The concepts behind Model View Definitions (MVD), Information Delivery Manuals (IDM), and the International Framework for Dictionaries (IFD) were not documented from the start and only became relevant as standardization progressed, with each of the components contributing minimalism to a structurally constructed data model

Challenges of Integrating BIM in Architectural Education

This paper provides a critical overview of some of the fundamental issues regarding the adoption and integration of BIM – both as a method and as a technology – in Architectural education. It aims to establish a common ground for the rationale behind such integration and reflects on the past and present state of the cultural, intellectual, professional and technological context of Architecture. The paper will introduce the core issues to be considered in order to succeed in this challenging and transformational process. It will also introduce a framework for a gradual and progressive adoption of BIM and integrated design in the architectural curriculum

Minimising Material Waste by Utilising BIM and Set-based Design in the Structural Design of Reinforced Concrete Slabs

Considering the significant amount of material wasted in the construction industry it should be a business case for companies to pay more attention to reducing waste, which would have also a major impact in the environmental issues of the projects. Although structural engineers and architectures have different roles in the design process in selecting construction systems and materials, they provide building information together. Building Information Modelling (BIM) could provide an opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to share their knowledge and experiences in the early stages of design and a platform for structural engineers to utilise Set-based Design to considering different alternatives for optimal design of systems. This research suggests enhancing an intelligent decision support model in parallel with stakeholder’s participation to achieve the optimal final solution in terms of material waste by narrowing down the structural alternatives. The example used in the paper is reinforced concrete slab, but the same principles are applicable to all structures. This research will focus on describing the BIM features, which could help the structural engineers to rank their criteria and select optimised design solutions. In addition, this paper will be a part of the first author’s PhD dissertation and analysis the pertinent literature

Toward Adoption of BIM in the Nigerian AEC Industry; Context Framing, Data Collecting and Paradigm for Interpretation

In an effort toward aligning the Nigerian Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector to the international benchmark of practice in adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM), this research aimed to understand the Nigerian AEC context assessing the current state of art in the Architectural firms. The research consisted of: creating a survey to collect data on distance mode; adapting different researches and methods in this field to the local context using European and North American protocols as the basis; helping to inform the discussion on future directions and serve as a basis for developments, based on an assessment model specifically defined for a developing Country and the interpretation of the collected data. Part of the research was a review of literature and case studies to appreciate BIM and its potential to the Nigeria AEC sector. It has been realized that BIM among other means has potential to minimize curb corruption in the construction industry which is a worrisome ongoing issue and a slackening factor for the economic growth. As one of the objectives, a conceptual framework was developed based on the Succar's (2009) BIM maturity matrix: this was considered as the basis for the development of the online questionnaire. It involved assessment of technology, processes, policy and functional targets. The assessment conducted through the survey was explanatory and descriptive by itself. It involved 101 architectural firm registered in Nigeria distributed across selected four cities of Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano where more than 60% of the firms in the country are located. An online questionnaire survey - based on FluidSurveys™ tool – was used to administer the survey. The study opted for a three steps analysis: (i) to classify the firms into a 3 level scale based on staff employed; (ii) to assess data by analysing the responses in each category against the BIM maturity models using cross tabulation; (iii) to define the level of each category in its prospect to the BIM adoption using a descriptive analysis. It was found that most of the medium and larger scale firms are significantly catching up toward the BIM practice, but the small scale firms are having setbacks especially in the aspect of process and policy adherence. However, among all the groups, the level of technological workforce toward BIM and digital technology at large was found appreciable

Exploiting BIM in Energy Efficient Domestic Retrofit: Evaluation of Benefits and Barriers

Energy efficient retrofit of the building stock is an important and contemporary issue in the built environment. Building Information Modelling (BIM) can offer a comprehensive and integrating platform for construction projects, as has been demonstrated for many large-scale schemes, mostly in new buildings but sometime also in retrofit projects. This research focuses on the potential of adopting BIM through a smaller scale activity of residential retrofit to achieve energy efficient housing. Although many strategies and technologies have been developed during the last decades, retrofit processes are still confronted by technical, economic and social challenges. This paper investigates how BIM may be integrated all the way through the residential retrofit process and how new digital technology can be engaged. The potential strengths and weaknesses of BIM implementation in retrofitting are identified. This paper is part of an on-going research study and the outcomes from this research will be used to develop a framework which enables informed decisions to be made in retrofitting schemes, and which actively engages BIM into the retrofit process to support automation at retrofitting stages

Improving Productivity through Alliance Implementation between Contractors

The main purpose of this research was to analyze the adaptability of alliance model in unusual environments involving small project size, renovation instead of new construction, and implementing an alliance model between a main contractor and four subcontractors. The implementation was observed from the perspective of improving productivity. Both adaptability and implementation were based on three cornerstones: commercial framework, organization and production systems. The need to develop the alliance model in an unusual environment was discovered after identifying current contracting gaps and potential solutions in a previous literature study, as well as employing the results of a Master of Science thesis focusing on “the adaptability of alliance model in plumbing renovation projects”. The empirical research was based on two alliance projects managed by Fira Palvelut. Alliance was found to be well adapted for all three cornerstones, and it can be implemented in tested environment, although this research cannot present hard facts about the improvement of productivity. However, the conclusion of this research points out that the key factor in improving productivity is creating a team culture, which has been developing successfully in these projects compared to the current traditional subcontracting culture. A research of implementing the alliance model between contractors is very rare as most studies focus on alliance models which include stakeholders and engineers, or they suggest project partnership as a new relational way of contracting. Observing these unusual projects implementing a holistic relational contracting model improves understanding about the width of change needed in the field of contracting, and the effect team culture has on achieving improved productivity

A value-driven perspective to understand data-driven futures in architecture

This paper reports on an investigation of the potentials of data utilisation in Architecture from a value generation and business creation points of view, based on an ongoing PhD research by the first author. It is of crucial importance to, first, identify what data actually signifies for Architecture, and secondly to explore how the value obtained through data-driven approaches in other industries could potentially be transferred and applied in our professional context. These objectives have been achieved through a qualitative comparative analysis of various cases. Additionally, the paper discusses the multiplicity of factors which contribute to different interpretations and utilisation of data with reference to various value systems embedded into our profession (e.g. design as ideology, design as profession, design as service). A comparative analysis of the existing data utilisation methods in connection with various value systems provide crucial insights in order to answer the following questions: How can data assess values in architectural design/practice? How can data utilisation give way to the emergence of new values for the profession

BIM and Knowledge Based Risk Management System: A Conceptual Model

Risk management is becoming increasingly important in the Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Facility Management (AEC/FM) industry for minimising the possibility of occurrence of hazards, improving safety and quality, and achieving project goals within planned budget and cost. Though a strong set of techniques have been developed to assist this work, it is reported that currently risk management is still an experience based manual undertaking based on multidisciplinary knowledge, and capturing fragmented information from various participants correctly for solving risk problems in time is challenging. In this process, Knowledge Management (KM) could play an essential role to facilitate risk information stored in a proper structure, communicated and reused effectively. As an emerging tool within the AEC industry, Building Information Modelling (BIM) not only is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a building but can also establish a repository of shared knowledge forming a reliable basis for decision making. Therefore, there is a fundamental need to integrate KM and BIM to support risk management throughout the lifecycle of a project; however, very limited research has been found in this area. This paper will first review the state-of-the-art of both BIM and KM, and explore the potential of developing a BIM and Knowledge Based Risk Management System (BKRMS). It will then present a conceptual model of the BKRMS and discuss the related technical solutions. Finally, recommendations for future research directions in this area will be formulated

The Use of Modified PPC Measurement in Design Management

PPC (Plan Percent Complete) is a measurement tool in Last Planner which has been used mainly in production phase. However, there are some other studies in which PPC measurement has been used in design phase and we believe it has an important role there too. The aims of this study were to test 1) how modified PPC measurement fits to the design management, 2) how to develop and measure PPC for this project 3) what are the participants’ opinions on this modified PPC. A modified PPC (task list) was used in this study. A total of six measurements were done. Five project participants were included in the measurement and their opinions on the modified task list were recorded. Measured PPC values varied from 30 % to 100 % and the average was 73 %. According to the participants, a task list had a positive effect on their work. The conclusion was that the modified PPC measurement seems to be an appropriate tool for design management. It was accepted by designers and will be used in future projects. However, BIM needs to be connected to the task list more closely. More data is also needed to set a target value for PPC in design phase and to find out how PPC predicts project success

Use of collaborative platform to facilitate informal design communication: a case study

Construction projects are becoming increasingly complex and multidisciplinary; they involve a constant exchange and coordination of information between different specialists and stakeholders. There is a lack of tools to support the informal collaborative activity in situ and remotely [1]. This research aims to introduce a new remote synchronous e-platform to the architectural design team to bridge the gap of work between office and construction site. The paper presents two experimentations conducted in offices and on-site. Notwithstanding technical issues resulting from an unstable Internet connection during the experiments, results show the tool’s potential to improve communication between teams, especially for teams on construction sites. The implementation of the tool requires a clear work protocol and efforts to convince other stakeholders