1. IFC-Based BIM: The Technology and Impacts
Francois Grobler
The Workplace Network
2005 Workshop
Washington, DC
12 May 2005

2. Overview Fuel for your discussion on technology/human assets
IFC-interoperable BIM
Why BIM? Is there a problem?
What is BIM?
What is IFC?
Thoughts on how BIM will affect the way you do business
News at IAI around the world
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

3. What is the problem?
Concept
Design
Detail
Design
Manufacture
Construction
O&M, FM
Disconnected Processes > Profit driven sub-optimization
Data, opportunity and creativity loss
Time delay & errors in re-entering data
Higher costs, lower quality, higher risk
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI
Adapted from IFC-mBomb Project

4. “Think Value, not first cost”
Facility owners can no longer afford to pay for optimization of individual processes …
for the profit-driven benefit of the individual process participant) in the facility life-cycle.
Owners demand optimization over the facility lifecycle, and should be willing to pay up-front to achieve the greater benefits/value
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

5. Open Standard BIM Facility Life-cycle Value Flow Customer’s 250+
Fac. O&M
Construction
Design/Eng
Development
Business
250+
200 5
Rational decisions
across life cycle:
IFC-based
BIM
Open
Standard
BIM 1
0.1 ?
From presentation by Nick Terry,
Chairman of Building Design Partners
(Large design firm in the U.K.) ?
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

6. Why BIM? Why open standard?
Owners are beginning to:
Rebel against being held captive by software vendors
Understand the value of their data
Realize that they are paying for the sub-optimization in industry stove pipes
Understand the value of customer/occupant satisfaction
Looking for more certainty (less risk & errors) in the construction lifecycle
CURT wants to build virtually, test and perfect before physically building
BIM is a repository for shared information
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

7. Information sharing Point-to-point doesn’t work
Civil Engineer
Point-to-point doesn’t work
Architect
HVAC
Life cycle Interoperability: Building Information Model
“Official project/facility data” in one virtual place on internet, over life-cycle
Building Owner
Structural Engineer
Facilities Manager
Lighting Designer
Construction Manager
Energy, Env.,
Sustainability
Commissioning
Construction
Contract
Project Feasi-
bility & Funding
Portfolio & Asset
Management
Master planning
Project
Program
Design & Constr.
Documents
Building Information
Model (BIM)
Repair &
Refurbish
Operations &
Maintenance
FM & Space
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

8. Shared Information Life cycle Interoperability Building Information Model
Energy, Env.,
Sustainability
Commissioning
Construction
Contract
Project Feasi-
bility & Funding
Portfolio & Asset
Management
Master planning
Project
Program
Design & Constr.
Documents
Building Information
Model (BIM)
Repair &
Refurbish
Operations &
Maintenance
FM & Space
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

9. Promises of IFC-BIM
Facility owner owns and controls their valuable data; up-to-date, accurate, accessible
Software is interchangeable; users in charge!
Opportunities for process improvement for all participants
Ability to gauge decisions in a life-cycle context
Ability to do it virtually before you do it in reality
Opportunity to integrate sensing and control with condition, operational information
Evolving building brain -> “smart”, self-aware facilities
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

10. Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) - “Virtual Building Pieces”
Scale sensitive plan symbols
Parametric 3D information
Sectional information
Also non-tangible
information
Manufacturers Specifications, Finish, Price
Parametric Elevation information
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

11. Object-oriented Modeling
Building_part
Spaces 4 2 6
frame
Window_frame
Door
Window 7
glass S[1:?]
Glass
door
windows S[0:?]
relating 9 8
Room_id 3
identification
Room_connection
Room
related
International Open Standard = IFC model
12 May 2005
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12. Generating information views from IFC-BIM
Cost view
Schedule
3-D CAD
2-D CAD
Generate views
Building_part
Door 2
Window 6
Room 8
Room_connection 9
door
relating
related
IFC BIM
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

13. IFC Model Server provides Versioning capability
As-Required
As-Designed
As-Planned
As-Built
Courtesy John Mitchell
As-Maintained
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

14. What is the impact of BIM? One trial project conclusions:
Building owner may take ownership of decisions and all information in building life cycle.
Neutral standard provides low friction information logistics.
Higher information quality, lower risk
Increase of reuse of information
Increase in competitive edge - locally & internationally
Better decisions through changes
Courtesy John Mitchell
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

15. How will this technology Impact Real Estate & FM?
Enable rational life-cycle value optimization of facilities – help improve standard of living
Support seamless exchange between IFC-BIM and GIS (geospatial, GPS, RFID)
Land use planning, master planning, environmental, security, etc.
Better planning, reporting, management
Empower workforce, increase span of control
Enable improved business processes
Spawn innovation
Will lower cost and increase quality of facilities
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

16. What should facility owners do?
Owners must demand IFC-BIM – it will not happen by itself – not quickly
Chicken and Egg problem with software must be addressed
Take leadership in changing the way industry does business – owners have most to benefit
Create environment for less litigation, better teams
Innovate in contracting/business procedures
Help create training networks to ensure competent employee/consultant/contractor pool
Support “smartBuilding” and branding of quality, IFC-BIM based facilities
Facilitate creation/development of needed data and information infrastructure
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

17. News at IAI around the world
Recent
CHAPTERS:
IBERIAN
ITALIAN
Forming
CHAPTER
No. 12
CHINA
12 May 2005
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18. Thank you
Questions?

19. What is BIM? -- BIM Defined
“A computable representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility and its related project/life-cycle information using open industry standards to inform business decision-making for realizing better value.
BIM can integrate all the relevant aspects into a coherent organization of data that computer applications can access, modify and/or add to, if authorized to do so.”
Working definition by Facilities Information Council, 19 Nov 2004
and shared
information
12 May 2005
Copyright IAI

20. IFC model – completeness (May 2005) (relative to capabilities used in current software)
Architecture
Building Services
Electrical Eng.
Structural Eng.
Code Checking
Construction Mgmt
Facilities Mgmt
Libraries
Drafting
GIS
100%
80%
60%
40%
20% 0%
12 May 2005
IFC1.5
Copyright IAI
IFC2.0
IFC2x
IFC2x2
IFC2x3