Bim Infrastructure

Building Information Model is created with some authorizing tools like Autodesk’s ADT, Autodesk’s Revit, Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD, Bentley’s Architecture, and Onuma Architecture & Master Planning. These were the initial tools that passed this certification (US-GSA, 2008) and the continual development of modelling requirements proceed further.

Autodesk Architectural Desktop (abbreviated as ADT) is a version of Autodesk's flagship product, AutoCAD, with tools and functions specially suited to architectural work. The product line has was renamed to AutoCAD Architecture in 2008.It is an object-based architecture-specific design and documentation solution built on the AutoCAD platform. It can be used with some effort to get started on building information modeling and achieve some of its benefits ADT creates its building model as a loosely-coupled collection of drawings, each representing a portion of the complete BIM. These drawings are aggregated through various mechanisms to generate additional views of the building, reports, and schedules as though there was a single BIM at the center. One overhead of this approach is complexity in managing this loosely-coupled collection of drawings and the opportunity for errors if the user manipulates the individual files outside the drawing management capabilities provided in ADT. The most important feature of ADT is its Details Module which accelerated the speed with which construction details could be assembled.

Autodesk Revit is Building Information Modeling software for Microsoft Windows, currently developed by Autodesk, which allows the user to design with parametric modeling and drafting elements. It is perhaps the most literal interpretation of a single BIM as central project database. The strength of this approach is the ability to coordinate every building element in one database, thus providing users the ability to immediately see the results of any design revisions made in the model, have them reflected in the associated views (drawings), as well as to detect any coordination issues. Make a change and it’s automatically coordinated throughout your project, so your designs and documentation stay consistent and complete Schedules are just another view of the Revit Architecture model. A change to a schedule view is automatically reflected in every other view and vice versa REVIT is a proprietary data model which does not currently support IFC import/export, although future IFC support has been promised. For software developers, ODBC links provide limited access to the building model information and a limited application programming interface has been provided in the most recent release.

Bentley Systems is Comprehensive software solutions for the infrastructure lifecycle: from buildings to bridges, transit to utilities, clean energy to clean water, Bentley is Sustaining Infrastructure. The software provides powerful automated and integrated tools that enhance productivity, allowing to be more profitable and to more quickly produce structural fabrication data. It interprets BIM differently as an integrated project model which comprises a family of application modules that include Bentley Architecture, Bentley Structures, Bentley HVAC, etc. Bentley describes this approach as an evolutionary path that allows its Microstation users to migrate work practices that still have their origins based on using CAD. Access to project data is provided with DWG and IFC file formats both being supported. However, the highest levels of interoperability are only achieved when the entire family of Bentley products are deployed on a project.

Graphisoft’s approach to BIM is to create a virtual building model, meaning their ArchiCAD application is viewed as one of many satellite applications orbiting a virtual building model rather than being seen as the central repository for the entire model. In addition to ArchiCAD being conceived as a BIM system from its inception over 20 years ago, Graphisoft is now working with a consortia of application partners to deploy EPM Technology’s IFC-based model server as a virtual building repository, possibly the most innovative technical approach to the future of BIM.

Nemetschek provides a fourth alternative with its BIM platform approach. The AllPlan database is “wrapped” by the Nemetschek Object Interface (NOI) layer to allow thirdparty design and analysis applications to interface with the building objects in the model. This NOI layer is a published API which also supports IFC objects. Primarily available in the German speaking countries of Europe, this solution provides an evolutionary approach from the traditional approach of Allplan.