Construction News Awards 2013 - Fingers Crossed

Two days to go until the Construction News Awards 2013 are announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel at Park Lane, London.

After receiving runners-up/shortlist positions at the recent Construction Computing and Building Awards we all have our fingers crossed for this one.

NBS have been shortlisted in two categories. National BIM Library is in the "BIM Initiative of the Year" category and NBS Create is in the HM Government/CIC sponsored Digital Built Britain Award. What makes this award competition special is the fact that it is not just about submitting a proposal, those short-listed also have to make "Dragon's-Den-style" live pitches to members of an esteemed panel of construction experts. This panel includes names such as Simon Kirby (Network Rail), Tony Jacob (John Lewis Partnership), John Mead (Crossrail), Tony Giddings (Argent), James Pellatt (Great Portland Estates) and David Philp (Cabinet Office).

So fingers crossed we can sneak a victory in one of the categories - but just to be shortlisted is fantastic - especially looking at some of the fantastic other entries in both categories...

All of the hyperlinks below go to more information about these fantastic projects. It really is worth clicking on each one...

1. BIM Initiative of the Year
sponsored by Asta

NBS National BIM Library

• 4Projects
• Balfour Beatty, Heathrow T2B - Effective use of BIM in support of construction delivery
• Crossrail 
• Great Portland Estates and Mace, 240 Blackfriars
• Laing O'Rourke, Ryder Architecture, Manchester City Council, NG Bailey, Davis Langdon, The Manchester Town Hall Complex Transformation Programme
• NBS, NBS National BIM Library
• Skanska UK, Woodlands School, Essex
• Thomas Vale Construction, InFormed Education

...and it's great to see the nominations heavily influenced by fellow #BIMGeordies (4projects, BIM Technologies (240 Blackfriars), Ryder Architecture and BIM Academy - I'm sure the banter will be good on the night :))

2. Digital Built Britain Award
sponsored by HM Government and CIC

NBS Create

• Amtech Group, Amtech XG
• GoReport 
• Mott MacDonald, BIM/STEPS Interface 
• NBS, NBS Create 
• SAP, Virtual Design and Construction 
• The Commercial Applications Company, TIM (Tunnel Information Management)
• The PODFather eTicketing for Earthworks, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

To find out the winners first - tune in to Twitter on Thursday evening and search for #CNAwards.

To find out more about the NBS entries please see:

• NBS National BIM Library
  Industry free-to-use library of generic and manufacturer BIM objects
  
• NBS Create
  Our groundbreaking new specification tool

The "I am an Architect" song

Start the week with a smile.

This went viral last week on social media - very funny and very well done...

I am an Architect from architector.ua on Vimeo.

Newcastle at its finest

Thanks for James (@virtuarch) from Twitter for this fantastic video find below.

This is a video of what the "BIM capital of the UK" :), Newcastle upon Tyne, looks like...

Newcastle Time + Motion from Adam Lawrenson on Vimeo.

Note 1: NBS HQ is about 100 m to the right of the third bridge along for those that have never visited.

View Larger Map
Note 2: It definitely isn't anything like this. :)

Singapore 48 Hour BIM Challenge - update 4

The software development Big Push

The fourth and final update from me from the Singapore 48 hour BIM challenge.

The time is after midnight and into the last couple of hours and the NBS work is coming to a close.

The NBS contribution centred on the authoring of specification content and live software development.

However, before looking at this in a little more detail, the video below is probably my favourite thing of the 48 hours. What started off as one software developer from NBS at the start of 48 hours turned into seven mid-way through the second day (pictured to the right). The video below shows the xBIM IFC viewer embedded in NBS Create. The IFC model and the NBS Create specification are working side-by-side linking geometry and specification in one application.

...and a fuller report below...

1. Creating content
The NBS Create specification system was used to author a number of the BIM objects. The example shown in Figure 1 shows the specification of the Green Roof. Bespoke software was then written to convert this to an IFC type before being imported in the design model. Figure 2 shows this Green Roof with system properties and material build-up ready to be added to the main roof structure. All generated BIM content was to National BIM Library authoring standards (classification, naming convention, defined property-sets).
(click on images below for larger images)

Figure 1 – Authoring BIM objects using NBS Create

Figure 2 – The generated BIM object in the design model via IFC

As a low environmental impact was required, the project specification took this into consideration including:
Plants specified that are drought, salt and shade tolerant are locally native species;

• The lowest NOx emissions chosen for the boilers; and
• The procurement of wood managed in accordance with international agreements such as the Convention on International, Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), with Chain of Custody/ Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

2. Specification into the model
The NBS Create system already links to the design model at a database and an object level. Additional software development took place over the 48 hours to take this link further down to a property level. Figure 3 shows the specification of doorset performance in NBS Create. Figure 4 then shows the import of these properties into the design model. Differences are highlighted to the user and these modified properties can then be imported and displayed in schedules.

Figure 3 – Specifying performance in NBS Create

Figure 4 – Importing the specification into the design model for scheduling

3. Model into the specification
One final big software development initiative was to embed the IFC exported from the design model into the specification software. This allowed the design to be used as a navigator for the specification. Figure 5 shows that the NBS Create specification system has the IFC model embedded to the left of the application. By double clicking on the objects – the corresponding specification opens in the editor.

Figure 5 – Embedded IFC model driving the specification system

All IFC work used the xBIM software component developed by Professor Steve Lockley from BIM Academy.

...and finally, magnificent work by @Clare_Watson and Ellie for all the blogging and videos and pictures and tweets over on the team's official blog -
- http://www.thenbs.com/blogs/bim/

Singapore 48 Hour BIM Challenge - update 3

In my last post I showed screenshots of the software development progress. A couple of videos (taken on an iPhone) demonstrating this below.

1. Creating IFC type objects from NBS Create...


2. Sucking properties out of NBS Create into the design model...
(jump to 2'29 to see the magic)

Singapore 48 Hour BIM Challenge - update 2

As part of the Singapore 48 hour BIM challenge we're giving a big focus to software development. After around 17 hours of non-stop coding progress has been pretty good in terms of writing the code and testing it with prototype models.

A few screenshots below demonstrating progress:

1. Generation of IFC directly from NBS Create
The first big development has been around the generation of IFC directly from the objects and property sets in NBS Create.

This is shown in the screenshots below. An external wall is specified using NBS, this includes the key products (blocks, insulation and bricks) and the key property values (recycled content, thickness, U-values. And then this is translated into an IFC type object. Within the design-tool the designer may then substitute a generic wall for the specific wall. We do have technology similar that helps create National BIM Library objects - but doing this from NBS Create would be really nice.

Specify in NBS Create

Generate IFC type objects

2. Import of property sets from NBS Create
The second development allows linked objects in the design model to have their property sets updated live from their corresponding object in the NBS Create specification. The screenshots below show this in action...

I can see the geometry - but where is the information?

The information can be populated in NBS Create with the help of expert technical guidance

Select which objects you want to update

Hey presto - the "i" in BIM appears

I'll probably do a video demo of both of these developments in action tomorrow once we have tidied things up a bit. We'll also be using both parts of the technology in the actual BIM for the competition tomorrow as it develops from a concept model with spaces into a model with a little more detail in.

Oh, and good to get a nice round number of followers on Twitter :)

Singapore 48 Hour BIM Challenge - update 1

BIM Programming

We are currently taking part in the Singapore 48 hour BIM challenge. As part of "Team BIM Academy", NBS are working alongside VINCI Construction UK, Ryder, kykloud, Cundall, Turner and Townsend.
are now around eight hours into our

Progress can be followed at our official team blog:
- http://www.thenbs.com/blogs/BIM/

In terms of the NBS role on the project, we are providing specification support in addition to a big push on software development. This software development is focusing on interoperability and IFC.

The sketched out plan is below...

The software development plan

There are four areas we are looking into...

1. IFC object creation 
This is the journey...

1.1 Specify your wall's material layers in NBS Create

1.2 Specify the material properties with the assistance of expert guidance and drop down values

1.3 A small external configuration file allows the user to define what materials and properties are mapped

1.4 Generate any wall configurations and property sets starting with NBS Create

If we can get this technology working then it allows an infinite amount of BIM layered objects to be created that align to NBS Create and the NBS National BIM Library naming convention, classifications and parameters.

2. Combined IFC export
This is already in beta format in the NBS toolbar for Revit that is live. However, it currently only works for objects with IFC 2x3 definitions. We're changing the configuration and mapping files around now so that it works for any object. Through the mapping file any user will be able to map any object to its equivalent object in NBS Create.
For more information see:
- http://constructioncode.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/bim-specifications-and-ifc.html

3. IFC stamping
As above, the output will be the same. But the journey the user takes will be different. Instead of starting in the design tool with mapped NBS Create specification, the user will be able to "punch out" property sets from NBS Create into the IFC file.

Combined IFC from design model and NBS Create

4. Filling IFC property sets at design time
Taking one step back from a full IFC file, all National BIM Library objects contain the IFC 2x3 property sets. For example for a door:
- http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC2x3/TC1/html/
We will be working on sucking these properties from NBS Create and pushing them into the object at design time.

IFC property sets in the design tool coming through from NBS

The team
We have myself, Calum and Chris from NBS working on this. We are also receiving support from Prof Steve Locklley whose xBIM toolkit we are working with.

Lockley

BIM Task Group - Weekly Newsletter

Recently, the HM Government BIM Task Group Weekly Newsletter got a revamp - it's also expanded from a 2 or 3 page round-up to almost a mini-magazine. Big thumbs-up to those involved in producing this each week!

Follow BIMgcs on Twitter

Those that follow @BIMgcs on Twitter will receive notifications each week when the newsletter is ready to download:
- https://twitter.com/BIMgcs

It's also nice to be able to contribute a little bit to the newsletter. In the latest edition (issue 23) there is a few pages from me looking and reviewing the BIM Task Group Labs area.

I give an overview of the beta work looking at part of the "level-3-vision" around the digital plan of work, the information requirements to answer the client questions, Uniclass 2 and the sample data and tools provided in the labs area.

BIM in Beta

The newsletter also has a bit of light hearted/fun slant in places with interviews with some of the BIM influencers in the UK and around the world.

It was also nice to see the #BIMBingo "cut out and keep" bingo board featured in the newsletter 20. This bingo board was designed by Russell in the NBS R+D team. I'm sure he'll be delighted to know that it's now in an official Government publication :)

BIMBingo - how many people will play this at the upcoming Government Construction Summit?

Find out more about BIM Bingo at:
- http://constructioncode.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/seven-key-slides-to-include-in-every.html