Exchanging data from BIM model for Facility Management

Background
Use of BIM during design-only or construction-only with little consideration for future uses of the data embedded in the model, are examples of “little bim”

“BIG BIM” is characterized by data that, once created or captured is then reused over and over throughout the life-cycle of an asset, making the entire process more efficient, less costly and more sustainable.

3D + Information = BIM Modeling
3D + Time = 4D Construction Sequencing
3D + Cost = 5D Estimation
3D + F M = 6D Life cycle management

At the financial completion of construction projects the construction manager typically delivers a truck-full of boxes of paper (or CD's containing e-paper) to the facility manager. It is assumed that this information can assist the facility manager to maintain, operate, and track assets within the building. More often
than not, however, this information is delivered months or years after the building has been occupied and placed in a storage room where it is never used…

Today, most contracts require the handover of paper documents containing equipment lists, product data sheets, warranties, spare part lists, preventive maintenance schedules, and other information. This information is essential to support the operations, maintenance, and the management of the facilities assets by the owner and/or property manager.

Gathering this information at the end of the job, today's standard practice, is expensive, since most of the information has to be recreated from information created earlier. COBie simplifies the work required to capture and record project handover data.


What is COBie?
Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) is a conventional Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet format which allows the exchange of facility management data.

Objective—
Objective is to transform existing, wasteful paper or e-paper deliverables, into a deliverables that contains the same information, but in a new reusable format.


Value creation for the owner…
- Better handover deliverable @ lower costs (labor, printing, +)
- A “usable” handover deliverable (aka, no more “piles of paper or CDs”) = “we can find what we want” – during and after construction
- Data transfer to facility management systems immediately, not months or years
- Lower operations costs
- Improved field efficiency: Finding documents needed to do maintenance adds hours to each work ticket
- Reliable data on systems/equipment results in better energy efficiency,
- Lower risk of failures
- Inventory of items + accurate warranty start dates = better service Management
- Owner facility and operations teams can update data/documents back to model

Procedures—
COBIE2 data can be generated by many different means, depending on the project phase and team capabilities.
The data can be added directly into the COBIE2 spreadsheets.
The Onuma System offers a clear path for building COBIE2 data during planning, schematic design and design development.
Both Tokmo and Vela Systems offer ways to add the data using web-based tools that assist data collection. They make it easier to get proper information in the right fields in a repeatable way during construction.
Vela Systems even lets you barcode components and then use barcode scanning to expedite the process.

With COBie2 it is possible to—
• Have Single-entry of manufacturer's data that remains consistent from design through construction to operations;
• Assign uniquely identified equipment, furniture, fixtures and other objects to specific rooms;
• Produce a COBIE2 Excel file from a Building Information Model;
• Use a COBIE2 Excel file to create a low-level-of-detail Building Information Model;
• Change data in a COBIE2 file and have it automatically change in the Building Information Model
• Change the Building Information Model and have the data automatically update the COBIE2 Excel file
• Have COBIE2 data populate CAFM/ CMMS software and provide many other productivity improvements

Following are BIM software which can help to generate COBie spreadsheet but not limited to
• Autodesk Revit
• Bentley Architecture
• Graphisoft Archicad

At present following Organizations are using COBie
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (www.usace.army.mil)
• U.S. General Service Administration (www.gsa.gov)
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (www.va.gov)
• U.K. Government (http://www.bis.gov.uk) (http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/construction/research-and-innovation/working-group-on-bimm)

References—
• BIG BIM little bim by Finith E. Jernigan
• building smart Alliance www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/cobie
• WBDG - The Whole Building Design Guide http://www.wbdg.org/resources/cobie.php