Projects

Here are examples of projects using BIM and open IFC data sharing. These examples will demonstrate to you just how much progress has been made.

• ‘Starting to embrace IFCs in Norway’
• GSA - a mega property agency
• A pharmaceutical company uses IFCs in its Helsinki regional HQ
• Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany
• US Coast Guard commits to data sharing through IFCs
• Hospital project in Norway realises value through an IFC approach
• KOSDIC in Korea
• HUT600 case study
• A new opera house for Copenhagen
  

Consider for example one IFC milestone: the new auditorium for the Alvar Alto designed Helsinki University of Technology. This project was completed in 2003! The client, Senaati Properties, used this project to set benchmarks for IFC based collaboration. Benefits they recorded were

• shorter design iteration,
• a truly reliable budget,
• visualisation fostered early communication amongst the project team and,
• substantially improved interdisciplinary collaboration.

To get a detailed appraisal of this project, CIFE, Stanford were commissioned to carry out an independent analysis of the project. The PM4D Final Report, CIFE Technical Report 143 (see http://www.stanford.edu/group/4D/download/c1.html) documents both the benefits and shortcomings of this BIM/IFC based project. Problems were identified, but they could be solved and importantly the authors confirmed the strategic benefits of this approach for the industry.

There has been continuing and significant development since that project’s completion; one example is the work being carried out by the Australian CRC for Construction Innovation, where several IFC based tools are under development. Already in use in pilot projects, the new products for <sustainability>, <accessability>, <cost planning> and <construction management> are providing innovative solutions for new problems as well as more effective solutions for traditional tasks.

The sustainability tool, LCA Design, being developed by the CSIRO, demonstrates the benefits of object technology. By using a building model, integrated performance can be calculated, that is otherwise impossible to do by traditional CAD drawing systems or independent application tools.

You can exploit these new benefits and opportunities today.

Governments are increasingly taking up the advantage of BIM; using it to support automated code checking, ensuring buildings meet environmental and energy performance requirements, ensuring asset and management information is available at all tiers of government for operational, maintenance, fiscal and strategic planning.

Below we provide more project examples and case studies.

We urge you to undertake a pilot project; some simple tips for successful pilots are:

• BIM is about interdisciplinary sharing of data - you need at least one partner willing to collaborate with you.
• choose a relatively simple project building - so that if you are new to model building (in whatever discipline) you minimise the learning tasks. A building say at least 2 stories, in the order of A$5m, involving some services, will provide a solid foundation for understanding these new processes.
• agree a limited specific set of objectives for the model sharing.
• determine the IFC capabilities of your respective applications
• assess the new processes and document the data each partner needs for sharing
  

Several academic institutions in Australai and New Zealand are teaching object model CAD and IFC based collaboration. The University of NSW, Faculty of Built Environment runs a special elective on <Multi-Disciplinary Design Collaboration> directed at teaching the industry’s young professionals the skills necessary for this new way of working.
Please contact your local universities for information on courses for Industry.
If you would like any assistance, please contact the <IAI-A&NZ Chapter> for advice and support.

Get started today!