IfcDoc buildingSMART Website
http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/specifications/specification-tools/ifcdoc-tool
Modularized Validation Logic and
Framework of BIM Data
Diverse domain experts iteratively exchange building design and product data during the design, construction, and facility management phases.
To ensure the interoperability of building information models, domain experts must evaluate whether building design data fulfill the data exchange specifications of their domain and the objectives of a proposed project. Furthermore, to identify unreliable and inconsistent IFC mapping procedures of BIM authoring tools, software developers must implement a debugging process in their IFC interfaces according to the specifications of a targeted model view.
This research includes an examination of model view rules categorized from the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI) model views and a generalization of the rule logic and structures of each rule set. Moreover, rule logic is coded and implemented on modularized validation platforms of a validation tool referred to as the IfcDoc tool, an automated model view documentation and validation application.
Coordination View V2.0
COBie for Facility Management
Automated
Checking
Automated Rule-Based Checking Visibility
and Accessibility Validation
The automated rule-based checking for assurance of a spatial program such as accessibility and visibility. This rule-checking process uses the extended rule language of building environment rule and anlaysis implemented on the Solibri Model Checker.
These efforts of rule-based checking will reduce design errors, minimize the risk of professional liability, and improve performance in the design phase. In addition, using rule-checking features, building professionals can ensure the document submission for final approval through iterative confirming potential conflicts with predefined regulatory requirements. The testing rule sets and algorithms can be also re-used as a library throughout a project because a fundamental test-bed setup is kept and edited.
A green line refers to the relation directly accessed and a blue line represents the relation that requires one more turns between two spaces.
Accessible paths calculated from SMC are visualized with green and blue lines from a start space to a destination spaces. Users can define commands for executing the validation in the BERA editor.
(a) Direct Accessibility: Green line (b) Indirect Accessibility: Blue line
Visualization of accessibility relationship among Storage, Special Clinic Room, and X-ray Room
Visualization of visibility relationship between a nurse station and patient rooms
The Interoperability of Data Exchange of
a Building Information Model
Domain experts and software vendors define the requirements for data exchanges in the format of the IDM. Such specifications in the IDM are translated by MVD developers into the IFC format in order to generate IFC sub-schema for particular domain knowledge. This IFC MVD, which encompasses data exchange specifications and requirements for end-users and IFC implementation, helps ensure interoperability and accuracy of IFC data exchange implementation pertaining to predefined domain specifications.
2013 - 2015
http://dcom.arch.gatech.edu/pcibim/
http://dcom.arch.gatech.edu/aisc/
http://dcom.arch.gatech.edu/aci/
Domain experts and software vendors define the requirements for data exchanges in the format of the IDM. Such specifications in the IDM are translated by MVD developers into the IFC format in order to generate IFC sub-schema for particular domain knowledge. This IFC MVD, which encompasses data exchange specifications and requirements for end-users and IFC implementation, helps ensure interoperability and accuracy of IFC data exchange implementation pertaining to predefined domain specifications.
http://dcom.arch.gatech.edu/pcibim/
IFC MVD for PCI: 12 EMs are major classes of exchanges. These cover all project stages from concept design to erection. Modularization eliminates repetitions in MVD implementation. Exchanges have been grouped into modules called concepts. PCI MVD has 93 reusable concepts
Yong-Cheol Lee, Charles M. Eastman, and Jin-Kook Lee. "Validations for ensuring the interoperability of data exchange of a building information model.“ Automation in Construction 58 (2015): 176-195.
The diagram below represents the attributes and the relationships of the IfcSlab entity defined in the precast concrete MVD. The diagram illustrates how entities and attributes are connected and what values and types are required for them. The IfcSlab entity has two types of attributes: explicit and inverse attributes. The explicit attributes such as GlobalId, OwnerHistory, and Name are black-colored and the inverse ones such as HasAssignments, IsDecomposedBy, and Decomposes are gray-colored in the diagram. The black line represents the semantic link: for example, GlobalId must have type of IfcGloballyUniqueId and ObjectPlacement must refer IfcObjectPlacement.
Infrastructure Maintenance, Real-Time Monitoring , and Mobile-Based Asset Management
Data of infrastructure that include building models, road, bridges, city furniture, and other useful information, must be integrated and managed efficiently so that field managers can facilitate the execution of their maintenance and management. To improve this situation, this research illustrates the implementable scenarios of utilization of geographical data linked to other invaluable data sets such as street lights management, energy consumption sensor-captured data, street bump monitoring and an interactive dashboard. These prototypes developed at the city level can allows field engineers to monitor, explore, and predict an infrastructure system and ultimately leverage capability of asset management.
2015 - Present
Moreover, this study would help end-users utilize integrated model data for real-time monitoring and on-demand management using multi-platforms including a desktop, a tablet, and a cell phone. To achieve these objectives, InfraWorks 360 and Field Asset, preliminary engineering and design software solutions, which can improve infrastructure project outcomes, was employed as an implementation platform.
Management of street lights
Each city has a tremendous number of street lights. It is not easy for field managers to handle them: for example, light on/off, inspection and replacement dates. The main aim of this scenario is to manage a street lighting system and present the findings of a systematic analysis of street lighting systems on crime and traffic/pedestrian safety. Thus, this scenario suggests to integrate street light specifications with InfraWorks 360 Field Asset.
Specifications of street lights
The main aim of this scenario is to show real-time condition of pavement and manage and fix them efficiently. Potholes are dangerous to drivers and pedestrians. People swerve their vehicles in an attempt to avoid potholes that might cause accidents with other cars and pedestrians. Vehicles are also able to get damages such as suspensions and tires. Thus, identified potholes must be reported to corresponding department and fixed immediately. The street bump application using an accelerometer helps to figure out the possible locations of potholes. The accelerometer sensor data signifies the possibility of potholes by the analyzed gap between an original signature and a sensor captured one.
Real-time monitoring of street bump
Dangers of potholes
Street bump application
Sensing data graph
The primary objective of this scenario is to visualize energy use intensity (EUI) data on Dashboard and IW model using real-time sensing data. EUI is a valuable indicator, which represent energy performance of each building. Thus, this feature helps users analyze and estimate building energy consumption using BIM solutions. Understanding energy consumption of buildings is incredibly important. Energy benchmarking is a critical approach to managing energy so that users identify and track how their buildings are performing buildings.
Thus, EUI can say whether your building is performing well or not, comparing to similar buildings. This benchmark energy performance is an invaluable key to enable users to identify building performance and the effectiveness of the improvements.
Real-time energy monitoring and energy use intensity benchmarking
Sensor-captured energy
Cloud-based database
InfraWorks 360 Model
Rest API for tablet model
Dashboards visualizing asset information of InfraWorks 360 models, deliver huge benefits of comprehensive management of asset and real-time sensing data. In addition, dashboards are an efficient way to communicate by concisely representing trends, visualizing conclusions more striking, and analyzing scattered data in the model. Several types of graphs can be used for visualizing asset data of InfraWorks 360 models such as graphs, bar graphs, line graphs, area graphs, pie graphs, scatter graphs, and combination graphs.
Disaster Recovery Planning and Reconstruction
Data optimization framework for rapid post-flood disaster recovery
Building Information Modeling-based Optimization Frameworks for Rapid and Sustainable Post-Flood Recovery and Reconstruction
steelXML Standard Specification for
Electric Structural Steel Procurement Data Exchange
Developing computer-to-computer XML transmission for efficient data exchange between a producer, a distributor, and an end user.
Providing the comprehensive XML schema, named the steelXML schema, which will be employed as an interoperable platform to develop electronic data interchange (EDI) for specific transactions of each party for these procurement communications. ASIC collaborated with Digital Building Laboratory of Georgia
Tech to develop the steelXML schema. AISC and DBL worked with representatives from major mills, service centers, and fabricators who are experts in each domain. Through the participation and dedication of these industry subject matter experts (SMEs), the development of exchange requirements and workflows reflecting the practical specifications of diverse transactions has been accomplished.
AISC steelXML Website:
http://dcom.arch.gatech.edu/aisc/?q=content/steelxml_guide_version_10
2013 - 2015
The steelXML Schema is a collection of XML schemas (XSDs) including baseline schema, intermediate schema for standards, standard schemas, grades, grade schemas, the country code schema, the currency code schema, and 17 exchange schema. Exchange schama should have a Header element and a Body element. The Header element primarily contains the general information of customers, suppliers, shipping, invoices, and transaction. The Body element contains the detailed specification of orders and items, such as sizes, materials, quantities, finishes, shapes, grades, and test results. The contents of the Header element and the Body elements are constrained in each exchange schema.
The steelXML schemas shall serve as an interoperable platform to develop electronic data interchange for specific transactions of each party for these procurement communications, and shall support the rapid response time, the reusable data library, and the electronic report system. Ultimately, the communication of EDI transactions between all of buyers and suppliers will be more effective throughout the entire procurement process.
Ontology-Based Model View Definitions
New approach of formalizing domain knowledge and defining accurate concept modules. Employing ontological principles for generating Information Delivery Manual (IDM) for the precast concrete domain and for linking attributes of concepts with formal information models.
Since no common definition for building semantics has been agreed upon, information embedded in domain-specific Model View Definitions (MVDs) are generated separately and vague in scope, which results in a lack of consistency. To address this issue this research employed ontological principles for generating IDM and MVD. The formalized the structure of domain knowledge will support defining explicit data modules and developing manageable relationships among entities.
2014 - Present
An ontology-based approach to developing IDM and MVD is imperative to collect required data and implement the dataset for guaranteeing consistent
data structure and integrating MVD development processes. This proposed ontology-based framework would help accurately recognize domain knowledge and appropriate requirements for developing concept modules.
An ontology model written in OWL/XML is parsed based on the predefined specifications for establishing a modularized concept. Since IDM written by ontological principles includes correlations among entities, attributes, and properties, a modularized set can be extracted consistently and explicitly from an ontology model.
Basically, a module, a concept description, is designed as a format of a template, which can be reused for various concept descriptions. The parsed OWL/XML model is translated to mvdXML so that the defined IDM can be imported into the IfcDoc tool.
Sound Recognition for Civil Infrastructure Construction
In a dynamic construction site, sound information involving onsite human communications and working/equipment sounds conveys crucial insights into construction progress, work performance, and safety. The reflection of these interactive dependencies implies that a construction project entails the logical interrelationships of a series of construction activities, onsite communications, and work/operation sounds. This research study will investigate a speech and sound recognition framework that can capture and monitor onsite two-way radio communications and work/equipment sounds.
Preliminary Results of Ongoing Studies
Examples in the Figure below demonstrate the preliminary results for classifying the construction work/equipment sounds. The comparative study can be found as listed in Table 1. Dr. Yong-Cheol Lee, has been involved in research projects regarding construction work sound data recognition. His one study about sound recognition of multi-layered construction activities was selected for the 1st Place Best Paper Award at the 2017 International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering (IWCCE) (Cho and Lee 2017). In addition, one conference paper regarding a supervised machine learning-based sound identification was accepted for 2018 CRC conference (Zhang et al. 2018) and one journal paper about sound classifiers analyses is under-review.
1st Place Best Paper Award, Sound Recognition Techniques for Multi-layered Construction Activities and Events, International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering (IWCCE) 2017
K-12 STEM Education and Outreach Activities
The goal of this research study has aligned with K-12 STEM education that can allow K-12 students to be motivated and inspired in STEM areas. As shown in the pictures below, the researchers have already conducted the sound recognition study with one 7th grade African-American woman student named Jnea Steiner attending Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School. She collected diverse construction sounds at the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center at Baton Rouge and learned the automated sound identification method for competing in the regional science fair.
Validation Logic and Frameworks of BIM Data
Automated Rule-based Checking
Interoperability of BIM Data
Infrastructure Maintenance and Monitoring in Real-time
Rapid Post-Flood Disaster Recovery/Reconstruction
steelXML Standard for Steel Procurement Data Exchange
Ontology-Based Model View Definitions
Sound Recognition for Unmanned Field Monitoring