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23 vistas40 páginasIntroduction To COBie Foundation Knowledge Parte 1
El documento presenta una introducción al conocimiento fundamental de COBie, destacando la importancia de la certificación y la capacitación en la gestión de información en la construcción. Se discuten los beneficios de COBie para diferentes partes interesadas, así como la necesidad de mejorar la calidad y la entrega de datos en proyectos de construcción. Además, se menciona la creación de un subcomité de certificación para establecer estándares y mejorar la comprensión de los requisitos de COBie.
Cargado por
Brian Herrera TravezañoDerechos de autor
© © All Rights Reserved
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Descarga como PDF o lee en línea desde Scribd
0% encontró este documento útil (0 votos)
23 vistas40 páginasIntroduction To COBie Foundation Knowledge Parte 1
El documento presenta una introducción al conocimiento fundamental de COBie, destacando la importancia de la certificación y la capacitación en la gestión de información en la construcción. Se discuten los beneficios de COBie para diferentes partes interesadas, así como la necesidad de mejorar la calidad y la entrega de datos en proyectos de construcción. Además, se menciona la creación de un subcomité de certificación para establecer estándares y mejorar la comprensión de los requisitos de COBie.
Cargado por
Brian Herrera TravezañoDerechos de autor
© © All Rights Reserved
Nos tomamos en serio los derechos de los contenidos. Si sospechas que se trata de tu contenido, reclámalo aquí.
Formatos disponibles
Descarga como PDF o lee en línea desde Scribd
/ 40
Introduction to COBie:
Foundation Knowledge
Facility Job
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by E. William East, Shawn O'Keeffe, and John Ford CoPyRIGHT, TERMS, STYLE GUIDE | i
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
No patt of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
including photocopying, recotding, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written
permission of buildingSMARTT international, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical
reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Printed in the United States of America
© 2021 Prairie Sky Consulting® LLC. All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-1-68474-370-4
For permission requests, weite to the publisher at the following address:
Prairie Sky Consulting® LLC
1104 Parkview Drive
Mahomet, IL 61853
www:prairieskyconsulting.com
Prairie Sky Consulting® is 2 registered trademark of Prairie Sky Consulting LLC. References to this company
throughout this book refers to this registered name.
TERMS OF USE
Use of this book constitutes your agreement to the terms of use listed below.
All content in this book, including referenced content, is provided for informational purposes only. The
authors make no representations as to the completeness of any information in this book or referenced
materials. The authors of this book shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for
the availabilty of referenced information. The authors of this book shall not be liable for any losses, injuries,
or damages from the display oF use of this information,
STYLE GUIDE
The information in this book is presented in a conversational tone to support practitioner's understanding of
topics often requiring information technology backgrounds. It is the authors’ hope that such a presentation
‘may help bridge the gap between having an interest in learning COBie fundamentals and attainment of
‘COBie Foundation Knowledge.
This book provides an explanation of each Foundation Leaming Objectives in buildingSMART.
Intemational’s COBie Educational Curriculum[1}. However, to provide a narrative continuity in this book,
the order of presentation may not exactly match that presented in the Curriculum,
‘To cross-reference this book’s content with COBie ——-
0. al
Foundation Leatning objective, a text box device, euch as | 0.0 This callout is used to
that shown to the right, identifies the first occurrence where
each objective is identified.
highlight learning objectives.
NOTE: Cover art of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives, Adapted from [6]. ii | PREFACE
PREFACE
In the dozen years since my first publication of the COBie specification [2], my colleagues and I continue to
see incorrect owner specifications and inefficient design and construction handover practices. This despite
related videos seen by over 50,000 people [21], university-centered educational courses [22], and “how-to”
books on creating and checking compliant deliverables 23}. As a result, I reached out to the buildingSMART
Intemational (bSI) in 2019 to establish a program to assist owners, designets, consultants, contractors, and.
subcontractors to recruit and develop team members able to implement “Lean Handover” [24] practices
From that communication, a new subcommittee of the bSI Professional Certification Committee was formed.
‘The COBie Certified Professional™ exam was released less than a year later. ‘Today, the international
Foundation - COBie exam can also be adopted by individual bSI Chapters
One of the fist activities required under the bSI Professional Certification program was the completion of a
job-task analysis [1]. For those seeking to understand the scope of activities needed to capture construction
handover data when itis created, the job-task analysis is an essential resource. This analysis provides lists each
job needed, over the course of a project, to ensure that handover data is no longer delivered years after
‘occupancy by someone who has never visited the building, The basic individual qualifications identified in
bSI’s COBie Educational Curriculum [1] provide the foundation upon which such an effective professional
skill set can be developed.
‘This book provides information needed to master “foundational” knowledge learning, but history has shown
reading alone is insufficient. As a result, prior to registering for a bSI-Chapter’s Foundation - COBie exam,
candidates must complete an approved short-course from a bSI Registered raining Provider. This book
provides a cttical textbook for instructors and students of such courses, The authors would also like to thank
‘members of the bSI COBie Certification Subcommittee who have contributed to this effort: Daniel Schwarz,
Sue Chan, and Stephen Orlade.
Every book is a snapshot of in time. This book is no different. The original requirement to deliver building
handover information [2] was approved by bSI in 2009 as the Basic Facility Management Handover Model
‘View Definition (MVD) {3]. In the years that followed, stand-alone US/UK specifications created derivations
of the original MVD. These requicements were published in the US as a “National BIM Standard” and
referenced in British Standards. While conformance with these national specifications was tested in over 30
softwate systems, bSI reports [25]{4] demonstrate how scoping, technical, and implementation problems
limited the usefulness of those national derivations of the original bSI standard. This book does directly not
address these problems, covered in published bSI working documents, but covers those only aspects of the
‘original 2009 bSI MVD (3] that were correctly implemented in national specifications.
[As bSI publishes an updated international standard based on the original 2009 MVD [3], the foundational
learning objectives described in this book will remain. Those who are successful in demonstrating their
individual qualifications today, will have little trouble transitioning to the updated international standard.
‘SI leadership shows that the original international project to decrease the cost and increase quality and
timeliness of construction handover information is now at “the end of the beginning” of international
adoption. ‘The knowledge identified in this book will assist those to integrate back-office building information
with enterprise management systems used by facility managers atound the globe.
- Bill East
February 2020 ‘TABLE OF CONTENTS | 1
Table of Contents
Copyright Notice.
Terms of Use
Style Guide.
Preface...
Introduction...
Audience.
Background...
Foundation Learning Objectives.
F-l_ Describe the basis for COBie requirement
Communication Standards
Industry Foundation Class Model
Model View Definitions...
Allowed File Formats.
COBie History.
Innovation 1 - Peocess-Based Requirements 0
Innovation 2 - Technology Footprint...
Innovation 3 - Objectively Testable.
F.2 Describe why COBiecis needed...
Portfolio Owner's Benefit
Facility Manager's BeneGts
Contractor's Benefits.
Subcontractor’s Benefits .
Designer's Benefits.
F-3 Explain what is included in COBie....
Exclusion Lis
Classification
F-4. Explain how COBie is organized.
Delivering Building Spaces...
Delivering Building Equipment...
Design and Build Dat
Common Dat.
Data Definitions. 2 | TABLE OF CONTENTS
‘TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT,)
Data Types
Data Type Issues
Unique Information.
Primary Keys...
Relational Keys
Compound Keys...
External Fields
COBie Data Tables nnn
COBie Instruction
IFC Mapping to COBie Contact
IFC Mapping to COBie Facility.
IFC Mapping to COBie-Floo:
IFC Mapping to COBieSpac
IFC Mapping to COBie-Zone.
IEC Mapping to COBic.Type...
IEC Mapping to COBie.Component..
IFC Mapping to COBieSystem
IEC Mapping to COBie Spare..
IFC Mapping to COBie Resource...
IFC Mapping to COBie Job...
IFC Mapping to COBie Document
TEC Mapping to COBie.Attribute
F-5. Explain the COBie process...
‘Adapting the COBie specification.
COBie Deliverable Requirements
Delivering COBie During Design.
Delivering COBie During Construction... Table of Figures| 3
Table of Figures
Figure 1 COBie Training Requirements.
Figure 2 ISO 16739-1:2018 Abstract [5]
Figure 3 Relationship Between IFC and MVD‘
Figure 4 Overall COBie Workflow (J)...
Figure 5 Type and Component Exclusion List [20]
Figure 6 Recommended Object Inclusion List [16]
Figure 7 COBie Schematic Diagram.
Figure 8 Product Type Schedule Example
Figure 9 Hybrid Schedule Example
Figure 10 Component Schedule Example.
Figure 11 Fan Schedule
Figure 12 COBie.Attribute Example.
Figure 13 HVAC Commissioning Data .n.
Figure 14 COBie. Document Example
Figure 15 IFC Mapping to COBie.Contact
Figure 16 IFC Mapping to COBie Facility
Figure 17 IFC Mapping to COBie Floor:
Figure 18 IFC Mapping to COBie Space.
Figure 19 IFC Mapping to COBie Zone...
Figure 20 IFC Mapping to COBie-Type
Figure 21 IFC Mapping to COBie Component
Figure 22 IFC Mapping to COBie System.
Figure 23 IFC Mapping to COBie Spat.
Figure 24 IFC Mapping to COBie Resource
Figure 25 IFC Mapping to COBie Job...
Figure 26 IFC Mapping to COBie Document.
Figure 27 IFC Mapping to COBie.Attibute
Figure 28 Fan Schedule Exampl
Figure 29 COBie Design Requirements.
Figure 30 COBie Construction Requirements...
Figure 31 Traditional Construction Handover Deliverable. 4 | DNTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Since the advent of the computer age in the 1980’s the pace of technological innovation has advanced far
faster than the ability of the building industry to adapt. Today, fast computer renderings create life-like
‘movies of buildings to be. Accurate laser measurements enable us to match design plans to the built reality.
{As in each prior wave of technology since the 1980's innovators assume out industry will restructure to
increase efficiency. For all but the lowest-hanging technology innovation, this assumption is far from
accurate. The most widespread use of current technology is to reduce the cost of producing drawings and
coordination prior to the prefubtication of pipe spools.
Well-meaning top-down technological change to go beyond this low-hanging fruit, by government,
‘management, or standards bodies has been demonstrated not to achieve transformational aspirations. Those
‘with hands-on responsibility for technology implementation and mandated tech-compliances, readily admit
that they ate unable to implement the new technology as directed. Therefore, the resulting mandates are
simply ignored. As most owners ate less prepared to implement technological change, innovation today is
‘most often based on forcing owner's proprietary requirements, thus ignoring the long-term benefits of open
standards
In our view, a focus on never-ending technology improvement and associated mandates are an attempt to
‘address only the symptoms of a problem resulting in a constant chase from one new technology (0 the next.
‘The resulting cycle of hope and despair is realized as the success of each effort depends more on the people
doing what is requited to adapt business to technology instead of having technology designed to fit the
business.
“Those who look at the products on display in a retail store today should look “behind” the product to
consider the entire set of supply chain data needed to manufacture, purchase, deliver, and provide those
products
Consider the need to capture a simple piece of data such as the manufacturer and model number of a pump
installed in a building. Today, most project teams continue to wait until the end-of-project site survey to,
identify installed equipment even though the information is known months prior to the installation of that
pump. No amount of BIM technology or laser scanning will capture as-built information about the pump.
"This information is identified in document-based contracting and supply chain processes that have only
recently transitioned from fax machines.
‘The real problem is not technology. The real problem is how to document, test, deliver, and use building
equipment information consistently across the landscape of projects, teams, and multiple technologies. The
needed information technology transformations have occurred in every industrial sector except construction
due to the relatively small sizes of companies who design, build, manufacture, and operate our buildings.
‘Non-construction transformations were based on integration of backend administrative and supply chain
information exchanges, and not by the users facing the actual technology.
While the original COBie specification[2] directly mirrored construction administration processes to
automatically capture supply chain information, software implementors required a normalized data model(3]
based on the Industry Foundation Class Standard[5]. The need to remove process-based instructions from
the original specification is, in the view of this book’s lead author, the decision that has led to the most
confusion surrounding current United States and United Kingdom (US/UK) derivatives of the original 2009
bSI standard.
While this book pertains US/UK derivatives found in most contracts, the 2021 BSI project to update Basic
FM Handover MVD [4] will re-emphasize construction administration supply chain support sequirements. AUDIENCE, BACKGROUND | 5
For many, the information in this book represents the Grst step toward Better Information Management in
the building industry. To receive the value from this fundamental change, owners and hiring departments
‘must hire those who have demonstrated their knowledge and capabilities through bSI COBie Certification at
the Foundation level and Practitioner levels.
AUDIENCE
‘This book is not a COBie technical specification, implementation guide, or software integration document.
Detailed knowledge of the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) model, Model View Definitions (MVDs), data
modeling, computer programming, or specific software products is not required. The book does provide non-
technical descriptions of the organization and content of required data and workflows at the Foundation
Knowledge level. It also simply describes the relationship of this Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) Model
‘View Definition (MVD) to that of other IFC MVD"s, There are three types of readers for whom this book
was created:
1. construction industry professionals interested in (1) obtaining basic knowledge of the current US/UK.
COBie specification, (2) identifying design and construction workflows where COBie data can be
extracted, and (3) understanding the basis for COBic quality control requirements.
2. training course developers who apply to become bSI COBie Foundation Registered Training Providers,
and
3, those taking a course offered by a BSI COBie Foundation Registered Training Provider.
This book is based upon the US national COBie specification and the UK standard that included the US
standard by reference. As bSI begins the process of updating the original 2009 international standatd [2] to a
new approved international standard(4], a new edition of this book will be published. Given the global
requirements for the delivery of a building's installed equipment lis, the authors of this book expect only
minor changes to the basic knowledge described in this book.
Finally, it should be noted that this book can also support those taking the bSI COBie Practitioner level
examination, called the COBie Certified Professional™ exam[8]. However, only the first two of Bloom's five
learning levels covered in the Practitioner exam are included in this book.
BACKGROUND
‘The national requirement to deliver data meeting the US Construction Operation Building information
exchange (COBie) specification (version 2.4) can be found in many countries’ design and construction
contracts. Feedback on those producing and consuming COBie data indicated that there is a wide discrepancy
in the administrative processes, content, quality, and timeliness of COBie deliverables. To respond to this gap,
DSI began a COBie certification project. The goals of this COBie Certification effort are to:
1. Improve COBie deliverables quality by pre-qualifying bidders.
2. Decrease the uncertainty in the production of COBie data.
3. Support human resoutce departments to classify and hire qualified staff.
4, Allow those with COBic expertise to demonstrate their qualifications.
‘A team of international COBie experts formed the COBie Certification Subcommittee in 2019 under the
direction of the bSI Certification Subcommittee. To accomplish this, the lst of jobs needed to correctly
specify, produce, and use COBie data during a project were identified and cross referenced with COBie
knowledge required at cach step. This standard educational design process, called a job-task analysis, was 6 | BACKGROUND
published by bSI in the publicly available COBie Educational Curriculum). The job-task analysis identified
four types of work that require COBie knowledge and the identification of the level of knowledge required
for each type of work, as those who perform the following types of jobs:
Produce COBie data files from native software systems.
Perform COBie Quality Control
Manage COBie deliverable production.
Integrate COBie-based processes into standard operating procedures.
“The knowledge required for each job was objectively defined using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning[7]. In
Bloom's taxonomy, the first two levels of learning achievement require students to demonstrate their ability
to remember basic facts and understand the relationships between those facts. Only after the basic facts are
known and understood, is it possible for a person to demonstrate their ability ro apply, analyze, and evaluate
the subject. Full mastery requires a student to demonstrate their ability to create new knowledge in this
domain.
"The job-task analysis can be summarized into four levels of COBie learning: Application Knowledge
Foundation Knowledge, Practitioner Knowledge, and Implementation Knowledge.
Each level of COBie learning is described below:
Application Knowledge is required to correctly capture and use COBie data within the context of
specific software products. bSI secommends that anyone producing, updating, and/ot consuming COBie
data must demonstrate their knowledge of COBie software fonctionality prior to starting work on a
project requising COBie deliverables.
Foundation Knowledge is required to understand how COBie data is organized and who is responsible
fot creating, updating, checking, and using COBie data. Many people on a project should have this level
‘of COBie knowledge. For the smooth production and use of COBie, bSI recommends all team members
producing, updating and/or consuming COBie data have a minimum common understanding of COBie
requirements.
Practitioner Knowledge is required to prepare COBie requirements and contracts, perform COBie
gualty control, and support team members with problems producing COBie data. bST recommends
every project should have access to at least one person who has demonstrated theit abilities at this level
of knowledge.
Implementation Knowledge is sequited to move beyond project based COBie implementation. Those
with this level of COBie knowledge can guide an organization to create standard operating procedures
and drafting guides and contracts supporting those procedures. Ideally this is accomplished by tying
‘quantifiable performance goals to the achievement of specific COBie implementation milestones. bSI
recommends that COBie implementation teams include a team leader with Implementation Knowledge
and a technical specialist having Practitioner Knowledge
bSI COBie Certification program supports education and certification at two of the four Bloom’s Taxonomy
learning levels. Within bSI, these learning levels are called “Foundation” and “Practitioner”. “Foundation”
covers the first two Bloom's Taxonomy, remembering and understanding, With a clear understanding of the
knowledge required for each COBie-related job, it was then possible to identify where such knowledge could
be obtained for each type of job, Figure 1. Those producing COBie data must know the basic infotmation
about the purpose and organization of COBie and how to correctly deliver COBie data when using the
software provided by their office. BACKGROUND | 7
Se
COBie Production Foundation Software Training |
‘COBie Management Foundation business fminstaton,
wen Gontiol & File/Date Practitioner Software Training
COBie Integration Practitioner Multiple-system Software
‘Training, Systems Analysis
Figure 1 COBie Training Requirements
Those working to merge and check COBie deliverables must be able to work at a higher level of knowledge,
called Practitioner Knowledge. While this staff may work with authoring software, they must also know how
to use tools for automated COBie Quality Control and interpret the results. Those who manage the
production and delivery of COBie, but do not perform production, merging or quality control activities, are
recommended to have the basic Foundation level of COBie knowledge.
Following the production ot receipt of COBie data on several projects, it is quite likely that forward-thinking
team members will realize the value of directly integrated real-time COBie data collection practices into
standard operating procedures. Such individuals must have a detailed Practitioner level knowledge of COBie
and understand how to evaluate the relationships among business processes and implemented software
systems.
In practice, the same person may be responsible for multiple jobs listed in Figure 1. If this is the case, the
highest level of learning is requited. For example, if someone is producing COBie data, conducting quality
control, and merging COBie data from multiple sources that individual would need Practitioner knowledge as
‘well as have Software Training.
‘To emphasize the subject matter covered in this book, the COBie Foundation Knowledge requirements,
related rows for “COBie Production” and “COBie Management” are highlighted in Figure 1.
DSI supports educational requirements at the Foundation and Practitioner levels of COBie learning, At the
Foundation level of knowledge local BSI Chapters may identify Registered Training Providers who have
demonstrated their ability to provide courses covering the Foundation level knowledge. Following the
successful completion of a Foundation Registered Training Provider course, a candidate may register for the
bSI COBie Foundation examination. The COBie Foundation examination is a 30-minute exam that evaluates
a candidate's knowledge against basic COBic knowledge
‘The COBie Certified Professional™ exam covers detailed technical knowledge of the frst five of Bloom's
‘Taxonomy learning levels. This exam requires the candidate to demonstrate precise technical knowledge and
have an ability to apply that knowledge according to internationally recognized best practices. The COBie
Professional Registered Training Provider program allows educators to demonstrate their qualifications and
coverage of all requited learning objectives at this level. At this time, completing a Registered Training
Provider training program is not required before taking the COBie Certified Professional™ exam,
‘Management of the COBie Certified Professional™ exam and the associated Registered Training Provider
program falls under the bSI COBie Certification Subcommittee.
While the COBie Certified Professional™ examination requires mastery of three additional levels in Bloom's
taxonomy of learning, this book introduces the Foundation Knowledge that is also tested in the COBie
Cextified Professional™ exam. 8 | LEARNING OsjECTIVE (F-5)
FOUNDATION LEARNING OBJECTIVES
‘The COBie Educational Curriculum identifies five international learning objectives for those seeking to
understand the basic facts about the COBie specification. In the five sections that follow, COBie Foundation
learning objectives are introduced. Following this introduction is a detailed set of information that must be
learned by candidates secking to demonstrate their mastery of the learning objective.
Beyond the five international learning objectives, bSI Chapters also may include one additional set of learning
objectives covering regional ot local requieements. At this time, English-speaking bSI chapters are not
expected to add an additional set of learning objectives. As a result, this book includes only the internationally
agzced upon leaming objectives.
F-1 DESCRIBE THE BASIS FOR COBIE REQUIREMENTS
COMMUNICATION STANDARDS
Like everything else in the engineered environment, current practice in the building industry is based upon
standards, rules, and norms that have existed for decades, or even centuries. For example, the rules for scaled
‘engineering drawings using scaled orthogonal projects were established around 1450 CE. In the 1970's, when
the first computer code was developed to support electronic drawing, the development of electronic
standards to exchange these drawings began. Acronyms from the recent past such as PDES, IGES, and IAI
hint at the hundreds of professional years spent by those in our industry to simplify building information
exchange. Building design, construction, and management today can be directly traced to these technological
precedents and the legal and professional frameworks governing their use.
‘The COBie specification is another step in this tradition of standards setting, Requirements forming the basis
of the COBie specification design decisions were documented per the bSI’s Information Delivery Manual
(IDM) process. In this book, we primarily focus on COBie’s technical specification documented as an
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) Model View Definition (MVD). To understand the organization and
function of the COBie specification, we must first understand the nature and application of the IFC model
‘upon which COBie is based.
‘As a starting point for the discussion of the IFC standard, consider the general use of standards and their
application. The foundational standards developed by every human culture developed were created for
‘written information exchange. For cultures with phonetic language representations, the “alphabet” identifies
the fundamental sounds. In English, the name of the set of symbols identifies the original names of ite first
characters, “alpha and beta”.
Similarly, the IFC model isa set of basic common representations for any of the possible objects we find in a
building and infrastructure domains. Simply put, IFC is the alphabet for building and infrastructuce design
and construction.
Consider the possible alternative uses of an alphabet in human communication, ie. information exchange. A
‘writer may produce poetry or prose; fiction or nonfiction. ‘The subject of a given piece of writing may be
technical or non-technical. The decision made by the writer is to select the words created from the exact same
base set of letters best suited to the necded communication.
‘With the IFC “alphabet” a similar pattern also appeats. The selection of objects and relationships needed
depends on the specific disciplines producing and receiving information. The information required for and
produced by a structural engineer is very different from the information produced by an interior designer.
Regardless of these differences, the professional contribution and integration of both disciplines is requited LEARNING OBJECTIVE (F-5) | 9
for a successful building, Like differences between prose and poetry, differences exist in the type of
information used and exchanged by different design and construction disciplines.
Those learning a new way to communicate, in any new language including the IFC model, must learn the
basic vocabulary needed to develop common shared understanding. Only after the basic vocabulary has been
learned by all, can each author begin to accomplish their own work and clearly communicate theit ideas to
others.
"Those working in the building industry today have learned to communicate primarily in the language of
design drawing convention. Like the books written in native languages, the knowledge in these
communications must be read and interpreted by people to be understood. The goal of exchanging design,
engineering, construction, and facility management information takes us a step beyond. OF course, every
author wants those “reading” the information provided on drawings, in models, or in data files to be
“understood” by those who receive it.
‘The building industry has come to rely on automated systems to increase productivity by reading and using
information from others on the team. Beyond human-to-human information exchange the “ABC's” of
buildings must be received and used in these information systems. Despite the curreat interest in statistical
analysis of large data sets, one branch in the large computer science field called “Artificial Intelligence”,
computers cannot “interpret” or “understand” building information. While software marketing information
‘may promote the idea of systems understanding the data they are provided, systems do not understand
anything, The goal for testable system-to-system information exchange must be based on reality not
hyperbole. The objective for such communication can only be that systems consistently use data in a way that
wwe as a group have pre-defined that data.
Unless people are to manually supervise system-to-system communications, there must be rules that allow
automated checking of the information being exchanged. Such rules must be clearly understood by the people
using the information, correctly implemented, and objectively tested in any system claiming to produce and
consume the specified information. Without such rules, there is no guarantee that any of the information
received can be correctly interpreted.
‘What is the implication of this discussion for our building industry? There are several conclusions that can be
drawn, First, for proper communication, there must be a shared alphabet. Second, there are rules about how
this alphabet is to be used to form words and sentences. Next, that not all words or rules are applicable to
every communication. And Finally, the shared meaning of such communication can only be seen by testing
the outcomes of those communications by those receiving the messages.
INDUSTRY FOUNDATION CLASSES MODEL
To see how the ideas of alphabet and information exchange messages apply to the building industry standard
TFG, simply have @ look at the cover page of the standard that contains IFC [5], Figure 2. The opening of the
IFC standard describes the alphabet of buildings as a definition of data “exchanged and shared” by software
throughout the building life cycle, This definition consists of two essential elements: a data schema and a file
format, The data schema is the objective specification, i. dictionary, of the information to be exchanged. The
file format is the physical format for the delivery of information conforming to that specification
While every person has a slightly different perception, | [$$ — >
and understanding of the world, a standard schema,
such as that in ISO 16739, is a set of objects and. F-1.3 Locate the ISO standard upon
relations that have been defined by a worldwide which COBie is based. 10 | LEARNING OBJECTIVE (F-5)
committee. Conformance to such a schema means that all persons and systems use the same set of precisely
defined object names and relationships.
The industry Foundation Classes, IFC, are an open Intemational standard for
Building information Model (BIM) data that are exchanged and shared among
software applications used by the various participants in the construction or facility
management industry sector. The standard includes definitions that cover data
required for buildings over their fe cycle. This release, and upcoming releases,
extend the scope to include data definitions for infrastructure assets over their life
cycle as well
The Industry Foundation Classes specify a data schema and an exchange file format
structure. The data schema ts defined in
EXPRESS data specification language, defined in ISO 10303-11,
XML Schema definition language (XSD), defined in XML Schema W3C
Recommendation,
whereas the EXPRESS schema definition is the source and the XML schema
definition Is generated from the EXPRESS schema according to the mapping rules,
defined in ISO 10303-28. The exchange file formats for exchanging and sharing
data according to the conceptual schema are
Clear text encoding of the exchange structure, defined in 1SO 10303-21,
- Extensible Markup Language (XML), defined in XML W3C Recommendation
Alternative exchange file formats may be used if they conform to the data schemas.
10 16739-1:2017 of IFC consists of the data schemas, represented as an EXPRESS
schema and an XML schema, and reference data, represented as definitions of
property and quantity names, and formal and informative descriptions.
Asubset of the data schema and referenced data Is referred to as a Model View
Definition (MVD). A particular MVD Is defined to support one or many recognized
workflows in the construction and facility management industry sector. Each
workflow Identifies data exchange requirements for software applications.
Conforming software applications need to Identity the model view definition they
conform to.
Figure 2 1SO 16739-1:2018 Absteact 5]
‘There are underlying standards to define how such a schema is defined. The IFC schema, originally created
using the EXPRESS data modeling language {9], may be updated to the modem data modeling language
Unified Modeling Language (UML) [10].
"The second essential element defined by the IFC standard isa fle format. Files conforming to this file format
structure must be formatted and delivered utilizing ISO 10303 Standard for the Exchange of Product model
data (STEP) [11]. STEP has many Parts, ISO 10303 Part 21 is the most common format for exchanging IFC
data during desiga. This format is called STEP Physical File Format (SPFF). Cutrently in the building.
industry other STEP parts are also used such as ISO 10303-28 which can be used for the exchange of IFC
‘data in XML format. In fact, IFC data can be exchanged in any format and is not at all limited to all the ISO LEARNING OBJECTIVE (F-5) | 1
10303 Parts. Any format can be used if the alternative file format conforms to the ISO 16739 IFC data
schema,
Most of the schema descriptions found in the IFC data model, and its file format structures, are highly
technical subjects whose requirements are documented by those with specialized training in data modeling
and file format schema compliance. Its only the last paragraph that makes the IFC Standard helpful to those
‘working on design and construction projects. That last paragraph explains the “Model View Definition”,
which is a subset of the IFC schema, ie. portions of the overall dictionary, that is used within specific
“Sworkflows in the construction and facility management sectors.” Like those in different disciplines, different
software systems support different sets of data. These data sets must be defined within an MVD to
implement specific IFC-based information exchanges among software systems. Next, each system needs t0
be certified for that specific MVD. Once both systems have been certified and tested, then the systems can
seamlessly exchange that MVD data
ven without knowledge of data modeling and computer systems, the introduction to the IFC standard
