BIM CONSULTANCY

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a set of technologies, processes, and policies that enable multiple stakeholders to collaboratively design, construct, and operate built environment structures in virtual space, e.g. buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, waterways, telecom sites, wind farms, etc.

BIM is not new. BIM like ideas began with Buckminster Fuller and Henry Ford in the building and the automotive industries in the early 1900’s; Empire State building in the 1930’s; Toyota’s Just-in -Time lean systems in 1940’s; US Air Force and NASA in 1950’s-1970’s; iCAM, STEP, etc. modelling in the 1970’s-1990’s; then ISO standards based OpenBIM for the built environment from 1990’s-Present.

openBIM extends the benefits of BIM (Building Information Modeling) by improving the accessibility, usability, management and sustainability of digital data in the built asset industry.

At its core, openBIM is a collaborative process that is vendor neutral. openBIM processes can be defined as sharable project information that supports seamless collaboration for all project participants.

openBIM facilitates interoperability to benefit projects and assets throughout their lifecycle.

Here at MMA, we work according to ISO standrads, both at company operations level, and ubiquitously throughout our design and delivery practices.

• IFC – At the core of openBIM is the the ISO 16730 Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model schema, which enables the entire built asset industry to improve the sharing of information throughout the lifecycle of project or asset.
• BCF – The BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) enables people to communicate with each other by about model and site related  issues. Each IFC model object can have a BCF messages about issue. Use BCF to avoid miscommunication about model and site issues! MMA are innovators in the use of BCF for new application.
• IDM – Business cases and processes to satisfy them are analyzed and mapped to the IFC data schema using  ISO 29481-1 Information Delivery Manual. An (IDM) is a  methodology to capture and specify processes and information flow during the lifecycle of a facility.
• MVD – A Model View Definitions (MVD) is a defined subset of the IFC scheme that is utilised to satisfy one or many exchange requirements, and are used to share and exchange IFC based data. No one actually uses the full IFC data model at any given time. An MVD is  defined using IDM.
• bSDD – The buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) facilitates ISO 12006-3, ISO 23386/7, and Linked Data. If you are using a classification system within your IFC compliant BIM application, then you have already begun the first step is using bSDD. However, there is much more to benefit from.

The greatest thing about standards is that there are so many of them!

For more info on using the above standards, or others like gbXML, E57, IfcOWL, IfcXML, RDF, JSON, etc, simply contact us.

Information management, when implementing BIM, is a combination of all the topic above. ISO 19650 is meant to help in this regard, but it alone is of no use. We use ISO 16739 IFC and 19650 together!

Below are standardised MVDs for particular “contractable” information exchanges. MMA specialises in the use of these exchanges. Using standard information exchanges allows you to validate your information before you share it with others, and enables you to share only the information contracted to be exchanged by a give stakeholder.

There are many MVDs, and one can make their own too!

• COBie (Lean Handover, and CMMS/CAFM integration)
• BPie (Architectural Programming)
• WSie (Water Systems)
• HVACie (HVAC Systems and Building Controls)
• ELie (Electrical and Security Systems)
• SPie (Specifiers Product Data)
• BAMie (Building Automation)
• TLie (Telecom Sites)
• WFie (Wind Farms)

If you currently get your COBie answers from the person in your office who has seen a few on-line videos or a consultant who is not a COBie Certified Professional™, you may not be getting the correct information!

• What is the COBie standard?
• How are COBie deliverables tested?
• Who provides COBie data?
• What do you need to know to specify and deliver accurate COBie deliverables?
• What do you need to know to hire someone to deliver accurate COBie deliverables?

• What is the COBie standard?
• How are COBie deliverables tested?
• Who provides COBie data?
• What do you need to know to specify and deliver accurate COBie deliverables?
• What do you need to know to hire someone to deliver accurate COBie deliverables?

For advice on anything BIM related contact Dr. Shawn O’Keeffe Phone: (01) 6905040 Email: shawn.okeeffe@mma.ie

Dr. O’Keeffe is Irelands only bSI COBie certified professional and he leads a team of openBIM experts.

Dr. O’Keeffe is also the Technical Co-Chair for COBie 2.5 bSI International Standard.

Currently we are developing openBIM solutions for the Telecom and Wind-farms industries. Contact us at support@bimandscan.com if you want to bring your industry in to the open standards world where all stakeholders speak a common language and all data is structured using a data model for seamless enterprise.

• BIM & Scan Ltd., an OpenBIM product development subsidiary of MMA, are at your disposal for any software solutions you have in mind.
• We have even been nominated as a buildingSMART International (bSI) 2020 Awards Finalist!
• The nomination is for our novel use of open standards IFC, BCF, E57, etc. in our patent pending software AutoCorr and AutoGen. These software have revolutionised how professionals utilise building information modelling and laser scan survey point cloud data. AutoGen can automatically create IFC semantic data rich models directly from point cloud data, and AutoCorr is a one of a kind validation software for assuring what was designed is actually what is built on site. For more use cases and other information regarding our products, please visit https://bimandscan.com.
• bSI and the openBIM global community have recognised our implementation and novel use of the bSI supported open standards, and those open standards not supported by bSI too!

Currently we test all major vendor software systems and their ability to comply with the open standard information exchanges mentioned above, e.g. Autodesk, Graphisoft, etc. (Then we write publication on them!)

Of course we also test these vendor products for their compliance with our BIM & Scan software product workflows too!

MMA/BIM&Scan wrote the book on Delivering COBie Using Autodesk Revit

Currently we writing the second version of the COBie book above and hope to have it available in early 2021.

We are also writing a book on IFC-based information exchanges to help the world in implementing the information exchanged mention above on this page.

For more info on software testing, publications,  and R&D, check out our BIM & Scan LAB.

Learn to use the power of IDM and Venn Diagrams to extend existing standard MVD workflows.

• BIM & openBIM
• IDM/MVD Development
• COBie for Design, Construction, and Handover
• COBie & CMMS/CAFM integration
• Data exchange quality control