Interpreted open data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis models

Abstract

The heterogeneity of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry reflects on digital building models, which differ across domains and planning phases. Data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis models poses a particular challenge because of dramatically different representations of building elements. Existing software tools and standards have not been able to deal with these differences. The research on inter-domain building information modelling (BIM) frameworks does not consider the geometry interpretations for data exchange. Analysis of geometry interpretations is mostly project-specific and is seldom reflected in general data exchange frameworks. By defining a data exchange framework that engages with varying requirements and representations of architectural design and structural analysis in terms of geometry, which is open to other domains, we aim to close the identified gap. Existing classification systems in software tools and standards were reviewed in order to understand architectural design and structural analysis representations and to identify the relationships between them. Following the analysis, a novel data management framework based on classification, interpretation and automation was proposed, implemented and tested. Classification is a model specification including domain-specific terms and relationships between them. Interpretations consist of inter-domain procedures necessary to generate domain-specific models from a provided model. Automation represents the connection between open domain-specific models and proprietary models in software tools. Practical implementation with a test case demonstrated a possible realization of the proposed framework. The innovative contribution of the research is a novel framework based on the system of open domain-specific classifications and procedures for the inter-domain interpretation, which can prepare domain-specific models on central storage. The main benefit is a centrally prepared domain-specific model, relieving software developers from so-far-unsuccessful implementation of complex inter-domain interpretations in each software tool, and providing end users with control over the data exchange. Although the framework is based on the exchange between architectural design and structural analysis, the proposed central data management framework can be used for other exchange processes involving different model representations.