Delivering international and multi-format data and objects for all

Lessons learnt from manufacturer’s BIM coalface

Alex SmallBIM & Digital Platforms Manager

Well… because things had to change

Why bother with BIM?

The outcomes were not ideal…

Well… because things had to change

Why bother with BIM?

Well… because things had to change

Why bother with BIM?

Errors lead to:

• Delays on site• “Bodged” jobs/”quick” fixes• Unplanned work• Panic-driven quick decisions• Cover-ups• Large snagging lists• Unhappy clients• Inefficient building performance• “The Blame Game”

• “I did what the drawings showed”• And so on and so on….

COST

TIME

H&S

IN-USE

Information lost throughout the process

Why bother with BIM?

Design phase Construction & In-Use

Level of information

Information lost at handover

Reliant on 2D drawings and specifications

Why bother with BIM?

End of a project Facilities Manager headache:

Don’t be like Dave!

Why bother with BIM?

Sensible, Modern, Digital Construction BIMX

7

Hard copy of output (photographs) - archived

Stand-alone – no integration

No information passed in photo

Errors only noticed too late

Costly and time consuming to amend/redo

Usable only by person who is sent them

Limited Functionality

Digital output (images) – stored/accessible

Can integrate in multiple formats

Information can be passed with the image

Errors noticed immediately

Minimal to no cost to amend/redo

Usable by anyone who can access them

Enormous functionality

What is the key part of BIM?

Building INFORMATION Modelling

3D CAD + Data + Collaboration

(AKA Better Information Management)

“STRUCTURED” data

“STRUCTURED” data

So… what does this mean for manufacturers?

What do we need to do?

• What data do we provide?• How do we structure our data?• What standards do we follow?• Who do we talk to?And critically…• Who do we believe??!?

Lesson 1: It’s complicated!!

Varies by countryNo published CEN or ISO standards yetOther manufacturers who have been burned is a good start!

So… what does this mean for manufacturers?

BIM from manufacturer’s perspective:

3D CAD + Data + Collaboration

3D object (optional)

Structured data

Make it available

Manufacturers can provide 3D objects – has some benefits and some challenges

Product data should be

provided. At least the DOP and info

to manage the asset

Make your information

available to the market in the

format / platforms they want

Lesson 2

So… what does this mean for manufacturers?

BIM from manufacturer’s perspective:

Lesson 2: Everybody wants something different!

Everybody wants something different!

Manufacturers do not know exactly what information a client wants for their project, let alone

the format they want it in

3D objects? PDFs? IFCs?

COBie?

How much of what data?

What format?

15

So… what does this mean for manufacturers?

BIM from manufacturer’s perspective:

The result of this has been:1. Manufacturers turned to BIM hosting companies to

solve their problems

2. 3D data rich objects have been generated and made available to users through these platforms

3. 3D objects are in many different formats

4. Manufacturers have to ensure they keep their objects updated (a manual task)

5. …many don’t

So… what does this mean for manufacturers?

Lesson 3

BIM hosting company 1

BIM hosting company 2

BIM hosting company 3

Revit Object

v1

ArchiCADObject

v1

IFC v1Revit

Object v2

ArchiCADObject

v2

IFC v2Revit

Object v3

ArchiCADObject

v3

IFC v3

Manufacturer’s PDSs v1

Manufacturer’s PDSs v2

Manufacturer’s PDSs v3

Users

The importance of Version Control

The “Single source of the Truth”

Lesson 3: Version control (Single source of the truth)

Key learnings:

1. Manufacturers MUST be able to easily update their product data no matter where it is stored

2. Data held inside an object cannot be updated, the object needs to be updated (this cannot be automated)

3. Data therefore needs to be split from objects

4. Manufacturers need product databases

5. Those databases should be linked (by API) to all companies that

host data at parameter level

18

The importance of Version Control

The “Single source of the Truth”

The importance of Version Control

BIM hosting company 1

Revit Object

v1

ArchiCADObject v1

IFC v1

Manufacturer’s Database

Users

3D object creation tool

Data

onl

y

BIM hosting company 2

Revit Object

v2

ArchiCADObject v2

IFC v2

3D object creation tool

Data

onl

y

BIM hosting company 3

Revit Object

v3

ArchiCADObject v3

IFC v3

3D object creation tool

Data

onl

y

BIM – DNA Profiler (Web tool for product data & 3D objects)

Product Database

hEN Standards Properties

National Standards

Properties

Market Requirement

Properties

Manufacturer’s Properties

Environmental (EPD)

Properties

Other (future) Properties

hE N S tandards P roperties

N ational S tandards

P roperties

M arket R equirem ent

P roperties

M anufacturer’s P roperties

Product data

3D Object creator

Selected Data Sets Selected 3D Object Selected Data + 3D Object

hE N S tandards P roperties

N ational S tandards

P roperties

M arket R equirem ent

P roperties

M anufacturer’s P roperties

DOWNLOAD

Multiple formats Multiple formats Multiple formats

Excel.xmlPDF

COBie

2D/3D AutoCADSketchUP

JPegSolid Works

RevitArchiCAD

TeklaAllPlan

White

labelled

Plug-in

available

Don’t stop at “BIM”

Develop wider systems/tools

Lesson 4: Don’t stop at BIMDevelop a process and/or tools that

benefit your business

Tata Steel’s Data Mind Map

23

Product Database

(PIM)

BIM Data

EPD Data

BES 6001 DataPricing DataCustomer

Database

Production Data

“BIG” Performance

Data

Project-specific

Database

Smart Buildings

Functional Building

Efficiency

Operational Building

Efficiency

Client Portal

E-Commerce

CRM Tools

Materials Passports

C ircular Econom y /

BAM B

Autom ated BR EEAM /

LEED

C hain of

custody schem e

E-Specification

Customer

EDIs

Embedded

Supplier

Sustainability / Circular Economy focussed

4D / 5D BIM and Digital Reach and Interlock

IoT, Sensors, BIG data, Smart Cities

Step 1: Build a product databaseStep 2: Make data available to downloadStep 3: Link database to design platformsStep 4: Everything else…

Don’t stop at “BIM”

EnablerOur data available to

specifiers/users directly in their platforms

Permanent mark (eg. QR code) on finished products

Linked databasesinternally and externally

Incorporation of sensor technology in/on our

products

How?DNA Profiler plug-in to design tools/platforms

Business units & downstream customers

applying marks

Link production, commercial databases to product database + API links externally (single

source of truth)

Work with sensor companies to develop

“smart” products

Why?

Enables all our data to be used in models (Building LCAs, assemblies, spec.

confirmation, etc)

Key enabler for circular economy (re-use), product

provenance & asset tracking

Enables a “single source of the truth” and for any

data to be utilised in models or for asset

management

Monitor in-use performance of our products & the built

environment

Data accessibility Physical to digital

Database Integration Monitoring

In development In developmentNew concept New concept

Collaboration

Let’s all work together!

Lesson 5: CollaborationManufacturers should work together

to build value for their customers

1. Produce joint configuration tools

2. Form groups to produce generative design tools (making design

of buildings using our products easier)

3. Get involved: Drive standards and influence the data journey that

affects you

4. Manufacturers need to acknowledge the drive towards

“Manufacturer-led construction” and embrace it. But they cannot

do that alone!

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Collaboration

Let’s all work together!

Think BIG

How can you influence digital construction?

Lesson 6: Think BIGHow can you help to shape digital construction?

Think BIG

Artificial Intelligence

Robotics / AutomationConnected “things”

Trust, decentralisation

Thank you

Alex SmallBIM & Digital Platforms ManagerAlex.small@tatasteeleurope.com