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By Lauren Browne, ConnectPress Editor
Collaboration in the office and interoperability between different software programs is one of those known challenges in the CAD industry that seems practically unsolvable. However, there are continuous improvements particular to the AEC industry as practices like building information modeling (BIM) and integrated project delivery (IPD) are adopted and more software becomes compatible with each other. Ultimately, it’s about improving communication, which is something that can always be improved.
Collaboration
Practices like BIM and IPD are bringing collaboration to a whole new level. BIM is the design process in which a building’s data is generated, managed, and then hopefully coordinated and communicated with everyone so that those involved with the project are on the same page about the building throughout its life cycle. In its definition, BIM is directly related to improving collaboration. IPD is where the architect, the contractor and the owner sign one agreed contract with everyone, sharing the same risk and reward. This contract serves as a catalyst to collaboration because everyone is more inclined to stick to the same schedule and work together if everyone shares the same reward.
 Autodesk Building Information Modeling is an integrated process built on coordinated, reliable information about a project from design through construction and operation.
Regarding BIM, “it has been around for a while but it’s becoming more in vogue now,” said Deke Smith, executive director of the buildingSMART Alliance, which is responsible for the National BIM Standard. Although it is becoming more popular, Smith also said that he’s unsure if people are using it for the right reasons. “There are all levels of adoption seen, but some people are doing it for marketing purposes. Owners (of projects) are starting to ask for it, but do they really know what it means?” said Smith. Regardless of the reason, BIM is undoubtedly increasing collaboration throughout the design and construction process and its popularity is growing.
A newer phrase, IPD, is not as common as BIM yet. While projects may have been arranged similarly between the owner, the architect and the contractor, the official term of IPD has not been around for very long. Because of this, owners of projects are just starting to adopt this type of agreement. “It’s popular as a topic of conversation because professionals want to know if that’s the way the industry is headed. Also, people are looking at it, especially in a time when the quantity of projects is shrinking, and are thinking ‘maybe if I take this approach I could be more competitive.’ If you look at projects done formally with an IPD agreement it’s not a big number,” said Erin Rae Hoffer, industry programs manager at Autodesk.
While IPD is not as popular as BIM, it is an extremely important advance in collaboration. “The Integrated part of IPD is the most important. There is integrating of all parts of the project--in terms of the business, risk and reward, the process, the teams and the people involved,” said Joe Croser, Bentley’s global marketing director, Platform. He continued, “There’s no question in my mind and from what I’m seeing in the market collaboration, interoperability, BIM, and IPD all go together. The best examples of ways to deliver a project are projects that use IPD structure, a BIM methodology and technologies for their design, and the collaboration environment for management and exchange of that information.”
There are many examples of collaboration environments for AEC users. Autodesk’s Buzzsaw and Bentley’s ProjectWise are two examples. Buzzsaw is a project management, web-based on-demand software used by project owners, contractors, architects and engineers working as a central focal point for project management. “Some of the core capabilities are team communication and collaboration, with a focus on process management. An auditing trail is maintained on how and when the site was used. It creates an integrated team approach, which goes right along with BIM,” said Tim Douglas, industry solutions manager, Construction, Autodesk. Bentley’s ProjectWise is a web-based collaboration system for engineering content management. It also consists of content publishing, design review and asset lifecycle management. Specifically for project review and analysis, the ProjectWise Navigator product allows users to “look at the model, comment on it and see how it relates to other models. Users can also integrate models and drawing information from a huge number of applications. It’s another great collaboration tool,” said Croser.
Autodesk’s Navisworks also aggregates models from different applications, aiding in collaboration and in the challenge of making software files from different systems interoperable. It also provides users with clash detection abilities to solve problems digitally instead of in the construction phase on site. While Buzzsaw is more design and document centric, Constructware is a web-based project construction tool that is more data centric, and is used to manage the construction and cost-based process. It encourages collaboration among contractors in the construction phase and can be used in coordination with Navisworks.
Interoperability
While interoperability is a well-known challenge it is difficult to solve because as Huw Roberts, Bentley’s global marketing director, Building, said, “it’s like trying to build a bridge between two boats that are constantly moving at different rates in the same direction.” In other words, it is really difficult to try and make software interoperable when the software is constantly changing all at different rates in different ways. However, Bentley and Autodesk attempted to conquer this difficulty in an interoperability agreement made in July 2008. They agreed to exchange application program interfaces and software libraries to allow the software to talk directly to each other. “Instead of having to rely on neutral file formats, we decided to make the Bentley/Autodesk agreement,” commented Croser. He continued, “When dealing with sophisticated activities like analyzing stresses in steel, temperature movement, or airflow, an awful lot of the information you want to exchange about that is actually in the program and not a static element in the file. That’s why the programmatic connection is in many ways equally important as neutral files.” Neither Autodesk nor Bentley were available for comment on the progress of the agreement.
Neutral File Formats and Interoperability
Part of the interoperability challenge deals with a neutral file format system, and regardless if the file doesn’t contain all the information of the original, neutral file formats are an important piece of the puzzle to helping with interoperability. The question on which file format is best to use depends of course on how you would like to use the file. There are many formats out there for AEC users to save their files as, but the some of the most popularly used are gbXML, IFC, DFW, CIS/2 and PDF.
The IFC format was developed by buildingSMART Alliance International, formerly the International Alliance for Interoperability. The goal was to make a file format that helped with interoperability and could be used in the AEC industry globally. Both MicroStation and Revit read IFC files and have the ability to convert files into the IFC format. The positives are that it is “being worked on in an international coalition, there is a free flow of information throughout the industry and there is an international framework dictionary to translate between different words for how different people in different parts of the country,” said Smith. He followed with, “this standard is here around to stay. It solves the interoperability problem.”
PDF is another widely used neutral file format in the AEC industry because of its ability to protect the original form of the file. The PDF format allows for collaboration because AEC users can communicate their files safely regardless of their CAD software. There are several types of Adobe viewers, but the simplest is the free Adobe Reader. Adobe’s most advanced viewer, Acrobat Pro Extended, has a reviewer application for explodable views and users can measure exact geometry, combine multiple formats into one assembly, compare earlier design iterations with revised versions and make markups easily. “PDF is particularly good from a publishing stand point. PDFs can be imported into the live design format. You can reference it in MicroStation but you’re still protecting its published state and you can retain your parameters,” said Croser. Adobe now even supports the IFC format, meaning the model could be saved in IFC format and also used as an Acrobat file. Also, media, including video, can be embedded into an Acrobat file. “There are AEC firms using video because it’s so easy to show people things from the job site,” said Chris French, AEC product manager, Adobe Acrobat.
Collaboration and interoperability will be two ideas that will always be improving. For collaboration, it’s adopting new ways and practices like BIM and IPD that act as catalysts to collaboration with teams. And for interoperability, as long as software continues to make new innovations and the “boats” continue to move, it will always be a challenge for files from different systems to all work together. On a positive note, “There is an increase in attention to the issue and the demand for interoperability. It’s a reflection that the industry wants to share information across specialties and activities, which is exactly from a BIM’s point of view, what IPD is about. The major vendors are committed to it and want to be able to exchange their information,” said Croser. Just as quickly as software changes, so will new methods of collaboration and interoperability.
Lauren Browne is a writer and editor for ConnectPress Ltd. in Santa Fe, NM. She received her BA in English and a minor in journalism from Northern Arizona University.
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