Single Shared Model Approach for Building Information Modelling

EasyChair Preprint 4085

Abstract

The current practice for information sharing with building information modelling (BIM) is a distributed data sharing based on conversions. Conversions are problematic due to data loss, redundancy, and conflicting information. The usage of a single data schema by all applications is a requisite for a conversion-free data collaboration. In the study, a software development kit (SDK) was developed. The SDK implements required features and guarantees compatibility between BIM programs. Three independent applications 3DTrussme, Leonardo, and Viewer were developed using SDK. An interface for handling the shared model was implemented as a cloud service. In the experiments, Leonardo was used for modelling walls, 3DTrussme for truss design, and Viewer for viewing the model. All three applications were using the same shared model on the cloud. In the experiments, the information exchange occurred without conversions and all data was saved only once on the cloud database. Without conversions and duplicates less conflicts and redundancies occurred, which lead to better data integrity and integration. Using SDK, there was no technical barrier for applications to join the single shared model ecosystem, but a drawback was that existing BIM programs are not compatible without remarkable changes. The performance was acceptable on the test run, but in real use, the size of the model and the number of applications and users, will be much larger. However, a conversion-free single shared model approach can be a possible trend to the development of the next generation BIM as well as a potential alternative for current data sharing methods using distributed files, conversions, and linked data.

Keyphrases: Building Information Modelling, Partial Model, Software Development Kit, conversion free data exchange, data model schema, shared model system

@booklet{EasyChair:4085,
  author    = {Simo Ruokamo and Rauno Heikkilä},
  title     = {Single Shared Model Approach for Building Information Modelling},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 4085},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2020}}