Building information modelling

A report by ERABUILD, concluded in 2007 – A Review of the development and implementation of IFC compatible BIM - set out to benchmark internationally the development and implementation of building information modelling (BIM) compatible with the International Foundation Class (IFC).

An Integrated Building Information Model stores all of the building information that will be or is likely to be relevant during the total lifecycle of the building, and provides access to that information for the participating members.

The ERABUILD* project sponsors felt that the use of BIM and international open standards and neutral technology, which enable information flow and storage of all relevant building information data for the lifecycle of a building, could be an important contribution to the Strategic Research Agenda of the European Construction Industry.

The Report outlined the way to unleash the potential for digital BIM for the industry. Its authors saw this happening through the use of software technology and certification, high quality open international standards, as a drive for increased international collaboration, and examined contractual and process impacts.

The Report suggests policies for funding long-term research and educational programs, and suggests that further improvements should be user-driven, clearly dictated from business needs. However, to be able to effectively share information, three specifications must be in place.

An exchange format is needed, defining HOW to share the information. IFC (an ISO standard in development) is such a specification.
A reference library is next, to define WHAT information we are sharing. The developing IFD (International Framework for Dictionaries) Library, an implementation of ISO 12006-3, serves this purpose (see www.ifd-library.com for more details).
Information requirements are also required, defining WHICH information to share and WHEN. The IDM/MVD (Information Delivery Manual/Model View Definition), also an ISO standard in development, forms that specification.

The report makes a number of technical recommendations including continued incremental improvement of the IFC specification, implementation of IFD in real usage scenarios, preferably in the early phase of the building process, and the development of open technology to allow integrated BIM merging models from various sources.

Process recommendations include improving the software certification process for IFC, development of international BIM Guidelines, further investigation of the impact on BIM of contractual and process issues and *BuildingSMART technology in the AEC/FM Industry.

*ERABUILD is a strategic network for national Research & Development Programmes from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway, and started in 2004. The aim has been to influence the European Research Area (ERA) on sustainable development in the construction and operation of buildings by preparing frameworks for trans-national R&D co-operation and learning networks, identifying best practices in programme management. A successor programme, ERACOBUILD, has been approved by the European Commission and will commence in Summer 2008.

*Building Smart is an initiative by the International Alliance for Interoperability, which offers an industry-wide forum for the industry and government to work through due process to identify, test, review, recommend and implement smart ways to deliver quality buildings and services to the facility owner.

For further information the full BIM report is now available from the Erabuild website http://www.erabuild.net. See also the BuildingSmart website www.iai.org.uk and the IFD library http://www.ifd-library.com/.