The future and the d4SU Platform
d4SU Platform Overview
The future, driven by the so much needed Digital Transformation will call for a Platform that provide a consistent access to and management of reference technical data for Buildings and Infrastructure.
This is what the d4SU Platform is aiming at.
The diagram below provides a view of the d4SU Plaform in its broad context. And makes it clear that the d4SU Platform is focused on being an enabler and not a replacement for dedicated business solutions.
On the next diagram 'links' are better rendered without darkmode
block-beta
columns 4
block:actors:4
columns 4
aeco_a(("AECO roles<br /> <br />Architects, Engineers, Builders<br /> <br />Facily Managers"))
advisor_a(("Constituent<br />and/or Advisory & Technical <br />Expert roles"))
admin_a(("Public Service roles<br /> <br />Agents, Inspectors, Domain<br />Experts"))
end
block:systems:4
columns 4
aeco_sys["Architecture<br />Engineering<br />Construction<br />Facily Management"]
tep_sys["Technical encoding & processing <br />for permits, autorizations and <br />certificates<br />with API to d4SU"]
case_sys["Constituent Portal<br />Case Management<br />Licensing & Permitting"]
admin_sys["Licenses, Permits, Certificates<br />Land Administration (LADM)<br />Digital Building Logbook (DBL)"]
end
block:db:4
columns 4
aeco_db[("<br />AECO<br />Architecture, Engineering,<br /> Construction & Operation<br />Data")]
pointcloud_db[("<br />Point Cloud")]
case_db[("<br />Public Service<br />CRM<br />Case Management DB")]
admin_db[("<br />Cadaster, Environment,<br />Housing, Infrastructure,<br /> City Urban Administraion DB")]
end
block:int:4
columns 4
aeco_int(["<br /> <br />AECO Integration Platform<br />e.g. Speckle<br /> "])
ifc_int[/"IFC<br /> as exchange<br />format"/]
d4su_int(["<br /> <br />d4SU Server<br />Data for Spatial Units<br /> <br /> "])
ai4su_ml(["<br />ai4SU<br />AI Learning<br /> for Spatial Units<br /> "])
space:1
other_int[/"<br /> Other (bespoke)<br />formats<br /> "/]
d4su_db[("<br />D4SU DB & File Storage")]
end
aeco_a --> advisor_a
advisor_a --> aeco_a
admin_a --> advisor_a
advisor_a --> admin_a
aeco_a --> aeco_sys
advisor_a --> tep_sys
advisor_a --> case_sys
admin_a --> admin_sys
aeco_sys --> aeco_db
case_sys --> case_db
admin_sys --> admin_db
tep_sys --> d4su_int
aeco_db --> aeco_int
pointcloud_db --> aeco_db
aeco_db --> ifc_int
case_db --> admin_db
aeco_int --> ifc_int
ifc_int --> d4su_int
other_int --> d4su_int
d4su_int --> case_db
d4su_int --> admin_db
d4su_int --> d4su_db
d4su_int --> ai4su_ml
d4su_db --> ai4su_ml
admin_db --> ai4su_ml
style actors fill:#fff
style systems fill:#fff
style db fill:#fff
style int fill:#fff
style aeco_a color:black,fill:#f5f4e4
style advisor_a color:black,fill:#f5f4e4
style admin_a color:black,fill:#f5f4e4
style aeco_sys color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style case_sys color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style tep_sys color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style admin_sys color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style aeco_db color:black,fill:#8fe3aa
style case_db color:black,fill:#8fe3aa
style admin_db color:black,fill:#8fe3aa
style pointcloud_db color:black,fill:#8fe3aa
style aeco_int color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style ifc_int color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style other_int color:black,fill:#bad9f5
style d4su_int color:white, fill:#148F77
style ai4su_ml color:white,fill:#7ec2b5
style d4su_db color:white,fill:#148F77
Participant Systems
AECO Software
There are many outstanding BIM products. Hereunder some of them:
- Autodesk Revit; extended with Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro cloud collaboration
- Bentley OpenBuildings; extended with Bentley Infrastructure Cloud
- Dalux
- Graphisoft Archicad (Nemetschek); extended with Graphisoft BIMcloud collaboration
- Kubus BIMCollab
- Plannerly
- Solibri Model Checker (Nemetschek)
- Trimble Connect
- Trimble SketchUp; often use to complement non-BIM projects with a 3D Model; the 3D Model can thenafter be exported as an IFC Model
- Vectorworks (Nemetschek); extended with Vectorworks Cloud Services
New products emerge also from the Open Source community such as:
Most products enable AECO professionals to work on the design and construction phase and thenafter on the operation (Facility Management). Key product can exchange important information using the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format. Some products, such as Blender with the Bonsai add-on can natively edit the IFC.
Point Cloud
In many cases, the BIM data may originally be missing. In that case, scanning with lidar or other technlogy can produce a Point Cloud from which an IFC model can be inferred, often with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Most AECO software vendors offer also Point Cloud solutions. Point Cloud also helps in the comparison between 'as-designed' and 'as-built'.
AECO Integration Plaform
New platforms emerge that enable a better collaboration between AECO actors. Examples include:
Technical encoding & processing for permits, autorizations and certificates
Building Permits increasingly rely on BIM data, although often reduced to 2D plans. But very often, information that is readily available in the BIM source is retyped in various forms.
It must also be noted that in numerous cases, architects do not produce and use a BIM model. For simple projects, they can dispense with BIM and the effort to produce the model would not bring tangible benefits for the Building Permit and for other administrative processes (Energy Performance of Building, Life Cycle Analysis, ...) given that these processes too often do not leverage BIM. It's a little bit the egg-and-chicken problem.
The problem is that without the BIM, experts need to work with bespoke software to re-encode lots of BIM data, in a variety of non standard formats, for walls, slabs, door, windows, ...
There are also new efforts to encompass BIM in the administrative workflows, which is encouraging. These new initiatives might stumble on the fact that BIM data assembled for the needs of the AECO industry do not lend themselves in a natural way into the requirements of the admnistrative processes.
Indeed, often, what is needed is a capability to filter BIM data to the elements that are essential for the use case(s) at hand and thenafter be able to enrich / complement BIM data for the use case(s). This precisely where d4SU aims to bring its added value.
Case Management & Portal
Case Management has much evolved as exemplified by Salesforce Public Sector Solutions (PSS) which includes management for locations, assets, permits, licenses, inspections. Typically, workflows for core business processes, inquiries and claims will benefit from adopting a semantically consistent model based on BIM for technical data for buildings and infrastructure.
While we cite Salesforce, other providers will also benefit from a more seamless and consistent integration.
d4SU - Data for Spatial Units
In the context outlined above, the d4SU server platform will act as an enabler. This documentation site provides information on the architecture, the data model and initial features of d4SU.
As usual, all aspects are subjects to change, with the notable exception of its adherence to the KISS principle: simplicity comes first!
Initiatives that rely on BIM/IFC or promote BIM/IFC in administrative processes
There is much to say on that. The following document provides in a single place a lot of information:
The future of IFC with IFC5
IFC is a mature standard, managed by buildingSMART. The first version appeared in 1996 (IFC1.5.1). IFC2X3 was submitted to ISO and published in 2008. IFC 4.0 was released in 2013. The current version is IFC 4.3.2 (aka IFC4X3 ADD2) (2024) which is also an ISO Standard.
Full documentation of IFC 4.3.2 is available on the web.
IFC5 aims to be a better version of IFC, without the limitations of the STEP format.
- IFC5 uses concepts from USD (Universal Scene Description): Def, Class, Over, Inherits, and some others.
- Def (https://openusd.org/release/glossary.html#def): is a way to place / instantiate something.
- Class (https://openusd.org/release/glossary.html#class): is something that is abstract but can be instantiated. Similar to the 'Type' objects IFC 2x3 and 4.x have.
- Over (https://openusd.org/release/glossary.html#usdglossary-over): is a way to 'overlay' data over other data. This is a way to extend/add data to objects of yourself and others.
- Inherits (https://openusd.org/release/glossary.html#usdglossary-inherits): A way to add data to your object.
- IFC5 foster composability. Different teams can work independently on different parts of the building or infrastruction definition. In USD, this is embodied in layers. In IFC5 layers are materialized as files; this means that a buidling or infrastructure can be represented by an ordered sequence of file that each contain a number of components and characteristics.
- Core representation is based on the MESH geometry, which is simple and efficient
- The format is JSON
- IFC5 borrows concepts and capabilities from USD, but is not USD and has its proper grammar.
IFC5 is not yet a standard and is still evolving. More information is available on the IFC5 developmnt site. However, composability is most probably there to stay. This will enable to decompose an IFC in an orderly sequence of files depending on the need. For instance, a decomposition might possibly be:
- A first file contains the base structure
- A second file contains all the HVAC systems
- A third file contains the common spatial parts
- A series of files provide the details of each of the private spatial parts.
But there is no guarantee that this will happen: IFC5 is in development, meaning that most things are subjected to change. Clearly, d4SU will follow on IFC5, from now on and as it reaches maturity.
Books
Rajabifard, A., et al. BIM and Urban Land Administration. 1st ed., CRC Press, 2019