Understanding Data Set Management and BIM

Course details

This module provides students with a broad understanding of the different aspects of Data Set Management in AEC & FM. During early design phase and also followed by detailed design phase of a project, the information about a building and the project are developed and maintained in digital format. To support communication of this digital information among different stakeholders several approaches exist. The most popular are development of application interfaces, the use of standardised data formats and communication protocols and introduction of building information modelling (BIM). In later stages of the project, access to digital information is hindered due to specific properties of the environment and the nature of the activities to the extent that the users revert to communication habits and patterns available hundreds of years. Findings and issues identified by construction site participants so many times remain written on the paper and get lost in project folders. A lot of the construction site knowledge remains as a tacit knowledge of project participants. When approaching facility management huge amount of information is available in paper format. This module introduces the concepts and technologies of data set management and the BIM process to support data handover among project participants in a sustainable way that would ultimately deliver a data set which can be used for maintenance and computer aided facility management. With appropriate planning of data handover and computer mediated communication practices, required information can be captured at the most convenient time and with the use of existing IT tools. For this purpose standards for data sharing and handover (IFC, COBIe), information requirements and project delivery approaches are explained.

Learning Outcomes:

On Completion of this module, the learner will be able to:

• Explain information exchange needs of facility maintainers, operators, and asset managers and recognise the data sources which can satisfy these requirements in throughout the life cycle of the project.
• Construct a matrix of project responsibility to facilitate capture and exchange of life cycle information needed for a facility.
• Analyse project workflows and recognise roles and owners of the structured and unstructured information at different stages of the project.
• Discuss technologies for data set management, select and apply different technology solutions for data storage and handover from basic spreadsheets to cloud computing solutions and BIM servers.
• Understand industry standard methods for the capture and exchange of life cycle information needed for a facility including COBIe and buildingsSMART IFC standards.