Dr. H.S. Rai (Supervisor)
This research is an attempt in the domain of automation in design, helps the concerned parties to work effectively on a single sharing platform using buildingsmart's IFC. The research is done in three stages, at each platform, the interoprability criteria is IFC. Moreover, all the softwares used in this research are also open source which impart a big role in promoting OpenBIM at different levels.
GNU Octave
FreeCAD Software
Autodesk Revit
Python
ArchiCAD
Aecosim
Etabs
FreeCAD
GNU Octave
BIM Capability of various softwares is checked.
Inheritance of various IFC instances are studied.
Developed new ideas related to IFC Structural Analysis.
Research was completed on time and cleared final viva with good grades.
This is a student research project.
In this research project, an automated process has developed for designing a structural member (particularly for the staircase in this case). A BIM model was prepared, which had information related to geometry, material and number of various structural elements. Then structural engineers extracted the required information from that BIM model, performed the needed design of element and automatically updated the design details in that same BIM model using a single sharing platform of IFC.
In the first phase of this project, the G+6 institutional sample building was modelled in Autodesk Revit software and exported into an IFC format. Then by using the lavishness of IFC and advantages of openBIM, the required data for a structural engineer to design the staircase was extracted from that model by writing a code in python. Here, the information was extracted by importing IFC openshell into python. Whole hierarchy was studied before started working on IFC openshell and python. For understanding what IFC is, a blog ‘IFC for Layman’ played a major role. Knowledge about different instances and their attributes proved worthwhile for reaching at the correct information from an entire IFC file.
The second phase is the ‘Designing phase’. In this stage, the extracted data from IFC has used as an input for the design program, which has been developed by using python and GNU octave, which are open-source software for coding. Information taken from model i.e. related to geometry, number of riser and tread, span of staircase, number of staircases in building etc. was saved in .mat file which was further accessed by GNU octave (automatically) for designing purpose.
In the last phase of this process, the designed reinforcement details have automatically updated in the given model which was taken at first step of this project. This was done by again building code in python language. FreeCAD an opensource software, was used to show the updated reinforced model visually. Calculated reinforcement details were read by python code and updated accordingly into the model by executing macros file in FreeCAD. Macros in freeCAD is in .py format, which helps to show the reinforcement details in Graphical User Interface.
To make a long story short, the superiority of this project is that it dwindles the error due to manual re-entry of data at various design stages and hence saves the time of multiple players of AEC industry. Also, this research encourages the use of IFC format as a single sharing platform to exchange information among different software.
Well, this is open-ended research, and numerous future scopes can be seen after the completion of this research project. For instance, by following this same workflow, another type of stairs can be designed. Also, other structural elements like, beam, column, slab, retaining wall, shear wall etc, designs can also take advantage of this developed workflow. Apart from concrete structures, steel structures can also be designed by automating load criteria and standard codes usage. But for this, IFC needs to be more advanced and clear in the structural analysis field.
Besides the previously mentioned benefits of OpenBIM on this project, the two more advantages of OpenBIM has explained in the upcoming fragments:
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Elimination of manual redoing of work and consequently saving the time: In the conventional process, information is exchanged on papers, excel sheets, etc. which requires manual typing and copy-paste process. This may lead to differences, interpretations, mistakes and errors. To surmount this issue, openBIM comes into play. It provides the data in one open format (in this project that format is IFC) which can be easily accessible by everyone and hence escalates the efficiency of workers.
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Provides clear information of any modelled object: Since IFC role has allotted to each and every 3D figure in model, so just by a single click, the user can get the information about IFC role of the selected object. For instance, a rectangular block may be a simple beam, plinth beam or any other type of beam, here the IFC role with enumeration, manifest the clear information and also shows the geometry, concrete grade and other terms.
