1. Course: IT in the Building Process IFC, a forthcoming standard for the exchange of product model data in the AEC-industry Jan Karlshøj IT/CAD Manager Building and Transportation M.Sc,PhD Carl Bro

2. IFC, presentation Jan Karlshøj –Employed by Carl Bro since 1992 –... –Chairing the International Technical Management Committee in IAI Course –IT-history –ProjectWeb –Computer Graphics –Multimedia tools –Product Models –Databases

3. IFC, what is IAI about? Vision –To enable software interoperability in the AEC/FM industry. Mission –To provide a universal basis for process improvement and information sharing in the construction and facilities management industries. Deliverables –The key deliverable of the IAI is the IFC Object Model. The term ‘model’ in this case means that it provides a formal specification of requirements which can then be used by software authors to create the IFC compliant software applications.

4. IFC, what is IAI about ? From Details To Vision

5. IFC, how is IFC structured?

6. IFC, how is IFC developed?

9. IFC, what can IFC do? Shape (explicit) Shape (extrusions) beams, columns, pipes, ducts, conduit, walls, etc. Shape (topology) line representations for pipe, duct, structural, etc. Building Elements wall, door, window, roof, stairs, etc. Relations Between Elements holes, chases, voids, zones Jeff Wix, IFC2x Foundation for AEC/FM

10. IFC, what can IFC do? Space and Space Structure space, building storey, building part, building, site Compartmentation fire, workstation Grids Furniture inc. system furniture Equipment chillers, fans, pumps, loose equipment, etc. Jeff Wix, IFC2x Foundation for AEC/FM

11. IFC, what can IFC do? 30 Actors people, organizations, org. structure, addresses Costing objects, cost planning, estimates, budgets Abcd afrgf aahds jhiuhg reeiuh Hfije ewku ijijij jhdfhb Work Plans and Schedules inc. nested schedules, resource allocation O/Nr A1263 2xAbcd £ 26 3xafrgf £ 42 1xaahds £685 4xjhiu £421 Orders work orders, change orders, purchase orders Jeff Wix, IFC2x Foundation for AEC/FM

12. IFC, what can IFC do? O/Nr A1263 2xAbcd £ 26 3xafrgf £ 42 1xaahds £685 4xjhiu £421 Associated Documents Classification OCCS Uniclass External Data 2xAbcd £ 26 3xafrgf £ 42 1xaahds £685 4xjhiu £421 Move Management Asset Identification Asset Identification, Maintenance History, Inventories Jeff Wix, IFC2x Foundation for AEC/FM

13. IFC, who are participating? Global AEC/FM professionals Software companies Research Institutes Governmental supported development programs List: Graphisoft, Autodesk, Nemetschek, Microsoft, HOK, Kajima, London Underground, LBNL, Stanford... 600 members Vera, IT och Fastighed, Corenet, Construction Research Center,,,

14. IFC, how are they implemented? IFC Express definition from IAI Develop Toolkit Program Input Toolkit Map- ping Output Toolkit Map- ping Data i IFC format IFC Program Input Toolkit Output Toolkit IFC Program IFC Express definition

15. IFC, how are they implemented? Program Input Toolkit Map- ping Data i IFC format IFC Express definition Input Toolkit Early binding Late binding IFC schema Map- ping Program Map- ping IFC schema Output Toolkit IFC schema IFC Output Toolkit IFC schema

16. IFC, how are they implemented? Views IFC Schema View 1 View 2 View 3 IFC R1.5.1 CAD View IFC R2.0 Client briefing/space planning  Architectural design Architectural design  Quantities take off / cost estimation Architectural design  Thermal load calculations / HVAC system design HVAC design   Architectural design HVAC design  Quantities take off / cost estimating CAD View

17. IFC, how are they implemented? Or via XML

18. IFC based exchange IFC

20. Course: IT in the Building Process Product models in practice - based on the IFC pilot project in connection to DR's new headquarter in Ørestad Jan Karlshøj IT/CAD Manager Building and Transportation M.Sc,PhD Carl Bro

21. Status of an IFC Pilot Project Is it possible to achieve the vision of a total interoperable IT-environment in a construction project by using IFC? –No –But what can be achieved, and what are the alternatives?Background I have been active in IAI since 1996, and chaired the International Technical Management Committee between July 1999 and July 2001

22. What have been tested? Building –Part of segment 1 of the new headquarter for the Danish Broad- casting Cooperation 50,000 square meters –Total project 100,000 square meters 350 million US $ –Why this project Carl Bro participates in the project Scale matters Interesting project Too big ?

23. What have been tested? Software –IFC 2.0 ArchiCAD Visio Solibri Model Checker RIUSKA Excel ConViewer –IFC 1.5.1 Architectural Desktop –Tools IFC Tree Viewer IFC to VRML converter Process – –Used concurrently with the ordinary process Why? – –I don’t want to sign legal contracts or to use IFC in full scale, before we have tested the new process with real data Exchange – – Only by using IFC

24. What have been tested? Type of objects: –Wall –Column –Beam –Slab –Window –Door Hierarchy –Site –Building –Floor –Space Roles But not –HVAC, electrical, structural model, requirements, financial information, maintenance etc.

25. So, how did the tests go? Exchange –Many things worked Basic geometry Types Some attributes (Different concepts in different software product) –Basic limitations of the software Only handle bounding box geometry Only handle 2½D geometry Only handle spaces of the same storey

26. So, how did the tests go? Limitations in IFC implementations –Support only specific views –Support only IFC import/export for some components –Do not support features in IFC like openings in slab (has anybody ever heard about an elevator or a pipe?) IFC ERROR: Kun åbninger i vægge understøttes på nuværende tidspunkt! IFC ERROR: At the moment only openings in walls are supported! IFC ERROR: Kun åbninger i vægge understøttes på nuværende tidspunkt! IFC ERROR: At the moment only openings in walls are supported!

27. So, how did the tests go? One common building model? –Walls as one object per layer or one per wall –Some applications prefer ”tall” walls, whereas others only display walls on the storey they belong to –Again some applications support voids within a space, others do not One Building Model Domain specific Models ??

28. So, how did the tests go? Reaction from software companies –From very good feedback –To very low of feedback Looks like the business model is very important in this matter

29. So, how did the test go? Users –Find the people who understand the use of models, instead of traditional documents like: drawings and specifications –Willing to try a new approach –Be ready to be a beta tester

30. Participants Active participants –Engineering College of Copenhagen –School of Architecture in Aarhus –Byggeinformatik –Carl Bro Advisory Group –Danish Broadcasting Cooperation –Cowi –Vilhelm Lauritzen, Architects –PLH, Architect Ministry of Education financed the work carried out by the College and Architectural school (50,000 US $) Short report will be available in English

31. Compared to the “real” project Status 2D CAD-drawings –in production: demand to use 2D-files Few CAD-models –3D geometry for parts of the model Simulations –CFD –Bsim –Radiance –GTStrudl But at lot of –Documents (Word and Excel) Few databases Start to use a common Document management system for approved documents Visualization –Cave at the construction site?

32. Conclusion IFC goes beyond what is supported by most applications IFC can be used, but for a broader acceptance improvements have to be made –Implementation –Guidelines –Training material –(Model Extensions) One unified model can not fulfil all the requirements at the moment Data Management and legal aspects have to be investigated further

33. Industry Foundation Classes Students are hereby invited to use the IFC specifications in their work, and take part in the development, testing and implemen- tation of IFC. Thanks for listening ! www.iai-forum.dk www.iai-international.org