1. Building Information Model

2. Goals
Give an introduction to the core concepts of parametric CA(A)D and Building Information Modeling (BIM)

3. After this session you should …
… have basic ideas about the fundamental concepts of Computer Aided Design and Building Information Modeling (BIM)
… be aware of benefits and problems of BIM

4. Introduction to CA(A)D and BIM:
Overview
Introduction to CA(A)D and BIM:
The history
why CAD?
The problems
What’s wrong with today’s CAD?
The promises
What can the application of the BIM paradigm do about it?
The real world
what does actually work today?

5. Building Information Model Information Exchange
Overview
Conventional CA(A)D
Parametric modeling
Adaptable geometry
Adaptable representation
Building Information Model
Information Exchange

6. Conventional CA(AD)

7. Goals
Pipe=pijp

8. This is not music - Semiotics

9. This is not a building

10. Ogden-Richards triangle of meaning

11. Ogden-Richards triangle in CAAD

12. Communication and Information Exchange
Shannons communication model

13. Means of communication in the AEC domain
Conceptual sketches
Scale models
Oral descriptions (telephone, meeting…)
Written descriptions
Plans, elevations, sections
Details …

14. Concept drawings/sketching

15. Invention of descriptive geometry
History:
325 BC–265 BC Euclid The Elements
Inventor of the coordinate system, ‘father’ of geometry

16. Invention of descriptive geometry
History:
1435 Leone Battista Alberti De pictura
First scientific work describing central and orthogonal perspective

17. Invention of projective geometry
History:
Gérard Desargues
Invention of projective geometry

18. Invention of the modern CAD concept
History:
1960 Ivan Sutherland SKETCHPAD
1982 AutoCAD 1.0 introduced on COMDEX
Sketchpad demo

19. Invention of parametric curves for the use in computer graphics
Pierre Bézier [ ]
Invention of parametric curves for the use in computer graphics
UNISURF CAD application devd. for Renault on Bézier- curves in the 1960's
“If your system were that good, the Americans would have invented it first!” (Management of Renault to B. in 1971)

20. CA(A)D packages The promises:
Let repetitive work be done by the machine
Draw more exactly
Draw quicker
Concentrate on the building instead of the drawing
Get rid of paper by electronic documents
Let ‘intelligent’ functionality take care of certain tasks (automation)

21. The real world: CA(A)D packages
CA(A)D in most cases used as 2D pen and paper replacement
Document exchange critical due to lack of standards
Applications are error-prone

22. Conventional design document creation

23. Design documents over lifecycle of a building

24. Nature of the Building and Construction Industry
Very fragmented industry
For example, in the EU (statistics 2000):
11 million jobs, 2 million companies
93% of companies less than 10 employees
Only 100 companies with more that employees
(source: Arto Kiviniemi)

25. Communication in the AEC/FM domain

26. Building Information Model
Chuck Eastman
Building Information Model
"Building information modeling integrates all of the geometric model information, the functional requirements and capabilities, and piece behavior information into a single interrelated description of a building project over its lifecycle. It also includes process information dealing with construction schedules and fabrication processes."

27. Building Lifecycle according to Gielinghs Stages

28. Communication and Knowledge Exchange
Then?

29. Building information model paradigm
Building is designed assembling parametric objects that are related to each other
Every object of the building has a set of properties that can be interpreted in different contexts
Geometrical representations (e.g. drawings) are only one of many aspects. Drawings can be generated dynamically from existing data.
Changes to the model are reflected in all depending documents
Different domains (structural engineering, building physics etc.) have different views on a building model

30. Parametric Modeling

31. Conventional drawing of a rectangle
P1 : x=1, y=1
P2 : x=6, y=1
P3 : x=6, y=4
P4 : x=1, y=4

32. Parametric drawing of a rectangle
Parameters: (input from modeler)
Object type : Rectangle
Width : 5
Height : 3
Center Point C : x = 3.5 , y = 2.5
Application calculates explicit geometry:
P1 = x = x-coordinate of point C – width / 2, y = y-coordinate of point C – height / 2
P2 = x = x-coordinate of point C + width / 2, y = y-coordinate of point C – height / 2
P3 = x = x-coordinate of point C + width / 2, y = y-coordinate of point C + height / 2
P4 = x = x-coordinate of point C - width / 2, y = y-coordinate of point C + height / 2

33. Non-parametric building elements
Window as non-parametric geometry:
When size of window is manipulated by scaling, the profiles of the window frame are scaled as well
Each part of the frame has to be adjusted
Many operations are necessary => time and errors
Hint: you can actually use “stretching” in a 2D-case to prevent this

34. Parametric Windows in BIM / CAAD packages: ADT

35. Parametric Windows in BIM / CAAD packages: Revit

36. Parametric Windows in BIM / CAAD packages: Archicad

37. Custom parametric objects
Circumference = number of chairs x 0 .60cm

38. Image source: ONL

39. Image source: ONL

40. Image source: ONL

41. Image source: ONL

42. Different representations of parametric objects
Low detail 1:100
Medium detail 1:50
High Detail 1:50

43. Different representations of parametric objects

44. Different representations of parametric objects

45. Different representations of parametric objects

46. Building Information Model

47. Building information model paradigm

48. Central Building Information Model

49. Facilities Management
BIM
Conversion
2D -> BIM
Model CAD 3D +
Facilities Management
Electrical
domain
Thermal
HVAC
Collision detection
Source: German IAI for building Services

50. Building information model paradigm
Advantages
‘intelligent’ applications can gather all sorts of information (room sizes, material lists etc.) from a well defined model
Dependent drawings such as sections do not have to be redrawn on changes but automatically adapt

51. Building information model paradigm
Problems
Additional (non-graphical) information has to be provided by architect
Coherency when changing objects
Object relations have to be designed
Complexity with all data required often cannot not be generated at design time

52. Information Exchange
Interoperability

53. Islands of Automation

54. CAAD applications in the architectural domain
Marketshare CAAD-packages (Germany 2003) according to online survey on

55. Software applications in Building and Construction
Commercial
Free alternative
Typical exchange format by extension
Sketching / Early planning / modeling
Rhinoceros 3D, Facility Composer
SketchUp
Wings 3D
Blender
*.skp, *.3ds, *.dxf, *col, *.wrl
Architectural Design
Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Autodesk Revit Arch.
Graphisoft Archicad
Bentley Triforma
Nemetscheck Allplan
Open Cascade - based
*.dxf, *.dwg, *.ifc, *.rvt, *.dgn, *.stp, *.iges
Structural
Tekla, Bentley structures,
Ansys, STRUDL,
Marc-Mentat
Dxf, CIS/2, IFC
Energy Performance Analysis
IES
VABI
Ecotect
Energy+
Esp-r
*dxf, *.ifc, others
Visualization / Animation
Autodesk 3DS Max / Viz
Autodesk Maya
Maxon Cinema 4D
*.max, *.3ds, *.blend, *.obj, *.c4d
Layout / Graphics
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Corel Photopaint
Inkscape
Gimp
Scribus
*ai, *.eps, *.svg, *. dxf, *.png, *.jpg, *.bmp, *.gif, *.emf

56. Software applications in Building and Construction
Commercial
Free alternative
Typical exchange format by extension
Sketching / Early planning / modeling
Rhinoceros 3D, Facility Composer
SketchUp
Wings 3D
Blender
*.skp, *.3ds, *.dxf, *col, *.wrl
Architectural Design
Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Autodesk Revit Arch.
Graphisoft Archicad
Bentley Triforma
Nemetscheck Allplan
Open Cascade - based
*.dxf, *.dwg, *.ifc, *.rvt, *.dgn, *.stp, *.iges
Structural
Tekla, Bentley structures,
Ansys, STRUDL,
Marc-Mentat
Dxf, CIS/2, IFC
Energy Performance Analysis
IES
VABI
Ecotect
Energy+
Esp-r
*dxf, *.ifc, others
Visualization / Animation
Autodesk 3DS Max / Viz
Autodesk Maya
Maxon Cinema 4D
*.max, *.3ds, *.blend, *.obj, *.c4d
Layout / Graphics
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Corel Photopaint
Inkscape
Gimp
Scribus
*ai, *.eps, *.svg, *. dxf, *.png, *.jpg, *.bmp, *.gif, *.emf

57. Software applications in Building and Construction

58. Layers Structuring drawings
Easy metaphor for architects (stacked transparent paper)
Currently most standardize method of data exchange structuring
ISO DIS 13567
AIA standard
Easy to handle
Unlimited granularity

59. Standard exchange formats
DXF
Most established, open standard for data exchange to date, interfaces build into many applications
Human readable ASCII format
Limited set of geometry and information
Only faces/polygons supported
No advanced geometry such as solids and NURBS

60. Standard exchange formats
DWG
Proprietary Autodesk format with frequent changes
Can be im-/exported by many applications
Features advanced geometry (Solids etc.)
Can be extended by 3rd party applications

61. Standard exchange formats
IFC
Developed to suit needs of building industry
Open
Extendable
Lots of advanced meta-data storable
Not widely supported (yet)
Under development / constant change
XML-version human readable and easy to integrate for collaboration with other applications

62. IFC overview

63. Some properties of an IFC Window
ENTITY IfcWindow;
OverallHeight : OPTIONAL IfcPositiveLengthMeasure;
OverallWidth : OPTIONAL IfcPositiveLengthMeasure;
Reference : IfcIdentifier
FireRating : IfcLabel
AcousticRating : IfcLabel
SecurityRating : IfcLabel
IsExternal : IfcBoolean
Infiltration : IfcVolumetricFlowRateMeasure
ThermalTransmittance : IfcThermalTransmittanceMeasure
GlazingAreaFraction : IfcPositiveRatioMeasure
SmokeStop : IfcBoolean

64. Architect as ‘building programmer’?
Future developments
Architect as ‘building programmer’?
Better compatibility through open standards (IFC etc.)
Finally: Paperless office at last?

65. Eastman “Building Product Models” 1999 CRC Press Ltd.
Literature
Eastman, Teichholz, Sacks, Liston: “BIM Handbook”, 2008, John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Eastman “Building Product Models” CRC Press Ltd.
Jernigan “Big BIM, little bim” 2007, 4Site Press
“ik bim, jij bim-t, wij bim-men” 2008,Center for Process Innovation in building & construction