new issues and items under description requirement...

NEW ISSUES AND ITEMS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

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8 NEW ISSUES AND ITEMS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

8.1 Government New Initiatives

8.2 Cloud Service Cloud services is a type of internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computer and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. computer networks, servers, storage, applications and services), which can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort. Cloud services provide users and enterprises with various capabilities to store and process their data in third-party data centres that may be located far from the users - ranging in distance from across a city to across the world. Cloud services relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economy of scale, similar to utility over an electricity network.

Public Cloud and Services provide Revit provides access to a growing family of integrated cloud services. Use cloud services to collaborate on projects with distribute teams, perform analysis and simulations, render images, and more. Some cloud services are available for no additional charge when you are a services subscriber. Other cloud services require cloud credits. Services provided by Autodesk®:

- Rendering in Autodesk® 360 • The benefits of Rendering in A360 is that you can submit renders in the cloud and then continue working in your Autodesk

application. Support application include Autodesk Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Navisworks, and Autodesk Fusion 360. Each application has its own characteristics, requirements, and procedures that you should be aware of.

- A360 Collaboration for Revit • Autodesk® A360 Collaboration for Revit® is a cloud subscription services that hosts building information models in the cloud,

enabling project participants from multiple companies or location to concurrently author models. As an A360 services, Collaboration for Revit project models are available in A360 for viewing, search and social interaction.

- Autodesk BIM 360 Add-in for Autodesk Revit • BIM 360 Glue is a cloud-based management and collaboration product that connects the entire project team and streamlines BIM

project workflows. With anywhere, anytime access to the most recent models and data throughout the project lifecycle, BIM 360 Glue accelerates project review and empowers multidisciplinary teams to quickly identify and resolve coordination issues.

Although public cloud services are prohibited in the HK government projects, it is good to understand the future collaboration method in the construction industry.

Private cloud Besides the public cloud services provided by Autodesk, private cloud could also be set up for projects. Private cloud setups are most likely based on the platform selected. Please refer to the following as the private cloud specifications for Revit: Autodesk® Revit Server

Description Requirement Operating system - Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 R2 SP1 64-bit

- Microsoft® Windows Server® 2012 64-bit - Microsoft® Windows Server® 2012 R2 64-bit

Web Server Microsoft® Internet Information Server 7.0 (or later) CPU type 4+ cores

2.6 GHz+ 6+ cores 2.6 GHz+

6+ cores 3.0 GHz+

<100 Concurrent Users (multiple models)

Minimum Value Performance

Memory 4 GB RAM 8 GB RAM 16 GB RAM Hard drive 7200+ RPM 10,000+ RPM 15,000+ RPM 100+ Concurrent Users (multiple models)

Minimum Value Performance

Memory 8 GB RAM 16 GB RAM 32 GB RAM Hard drive 10,000+ RPM 15,000+ RPM High-speed RAID

array Virtualization VMware® and Hyper-V® Support

Autodesk® Revit® for Citrix

Description Requirement Citrix system - XenApp® 6.5 Feature Pack 2 or XenDesktop® 6.5

- Citrix® License Manager - Citrix® Profile Manager

Server OS As specified by XenApp® system requirements Authentication - Microsoft® Windows® 7 SP1 64-bit

- Microsoft® Windows® 8 64-bit - Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 64-bit

Client browser Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7 (or later) User access Client computers should be bound to the network domain. Each client

computer should have either the full Citrix® or web client plug-in installed. Users should use their client domain logins to access both the Citrix web console and the local area network (LAN).


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8.3 Mobile Devices The development of BIM has been very fast. Some refers the file-based BIM as the first generation; whereas the second generation of BIM refers to the integration of mobile devices with mobile networks. Design office and Site can be connected through mobile networks. Any design changes can be upload onto Cloud and thus mobile devices at site can be refreshed instantly, and vice versa. BIM Software vendors now streamlines the workflow so that location and time barriers are broken through. Systems like Glue, A360 and Fuzor are utilizing this technology at various degrees. Practitioners should pay extra attention to this development as this will affect the BIM workflow dramatically.

8.4 BIM and Specification The current practice for Specification is a manual process by referring the material as specified in drawings and compilation of the relevant specifications. In BIM practice, BIM model can be linked to Specification via Keynote. In order to utilize the keynote for bridging drawings and specifications, a clearly defined and agreed keynote system needs to be produced first. This, however, has not yet come to a standardized system in general, thus this capability is currently not utilized.

8.5 Facility Management Facility Management (FM) constitutes a large part of the BIM applications. In fact, with the information gathered through the design and construction phase, it eventually ends up to be utilized in the FM stage. At the end of the construction phase, information is transposed for the FM system use. Currently the most dominant system is through the Construction Operation Building Information Exchange (COBie) system. COBie is fundamentally comprised of several lists of database with a certain conforming data standard, typically in Excel format. As built BIM is exported through some plug in to COBie format, the BIM becomes ready for FM usage. However, there is generally a lack of conforming information structure in the FM arena, which makes the transition difficult. There are still lots of room for development in the connectivity between BIM and FM. BIM Practitioners should keep track of the current development.

8.6 Structural Analysis Program for BIM • Structural Analysis for Revit provides cloud-based structural analysis to structural engineers as a part of the BIM process. With

Structural Analysis for Revit, engineers and designers can extend design models from Revit to the cloud for structural analysis. Results can then be visualized and explored within Revit and disruptions to a designer or engineer’s workflow are minimized by performing analysis in the cloud as design continues.

• It is a process in which analytical modeling software utilizes the BIM design authoring model so as to determine the behavior of a

given structural system. With the modeling, minimum required standards for structural design and analysis are used for optimization.

• Based on this analysis, further development and refinement of the structural design takes place to create effective, efficient, and constructible structural systems. The development of this information is the basis for what will be passed onto the digital fabrication and construction system design phases.

• This BIM Use does not need to be implemented from the beginning of the design to be beneficial. Often structural analysis is

implemented at the connection design level to make fabrication quicker, more efficient and for better coordination during construction. Another application is that this relates and ties into is construction system design, examples include but not limited to: erection design, construction means and methods, and rigging. The application of this analysis tool allows for performance simulations that can significantly improve the design, performance, and safety of the facility over its lifecycle.


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Here are some potential values of using Revit Link with Structural Analysis Programs for HKHA’s reference.: Potential Value:

• Save time and cost on creating extra models • Easier transition BIM authoring tools allowing new firms implementing this use model • Improve specialized expertise and services offered by the design firm • Achieve optimum and efficient design solutions by applying various rigorous analyses • Faster return on investment with applying audit and analysis tools for engineering analyses • Improve the quality of the design analyses • Reduce the cycle time of the design analyses

Resources Required: • Design Authoring Tools • Structural Engineering analysis tools and software (e.g. RSA, Etabs, Sap2000, Orion, etc.) • Design standards and codes (CoP for SUC 2013 and CoP for SUS 2011) • Adequate hardware for running software

Figure above: Etabs link with Revit.

Team Competencies Required:

• Ability to create, manipulate, navigate, and review a 3D Structural Model • Ability to assess a model through engineering analysis tools • Knowledge of constructability methods • Knowledge of analytical modeling techniques • Knowledge of structural behavior and design • Design experience • Integration expertise pertaining to building systems as a whole • Experience in structural sequencing methods

It is recommended that the HA should facilitate the use of Plug-in and Dynamo for easier deployment of Structural Analysis link with BIM. Please refer to next section 8.7.

8.7 Application Programming Interface (API) Introduction

• Application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. An API specifies how software components should interact. Additionally, APIs are used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer then puts the blocks together.

Different Types of APIs • There are many different types of APIs for operating systems, applications or websites. Windows, for example, has many API

sets that are used by system hardware and applications — when you copy and paste text from one application to another, it is the API that allows that to work.

• Most operating environments, such as MS-Windows, provide APIs, allowing programmers to write applications consistent with the operating environment. Today, APIs are also specified by websites. For example, Amazon or eBay APIs allow developers to use the existing retail infrastructure to create specialized web stores. Third-party software developers also use Web APIs to create software solutions for end-users.

• For both corporate and 3rd party developers, APIs offer a secure, private mechanism to connect projects design and project data with external and third-party applications. By leveraging the API development platform by software vendor or third parties, developers can quickly create the data, apps, experience and services that power the future of construction. The following areas will be considered as reference:

• Revit provides a rich and powerful .NET API which can be used to automate repetitive tasks, extend the core functionality of Revit in simulation, conceptual design, construction and building management, and much more. Revit .NET API allows you to program with any .NET compliant language including VB.NET, C#, and managed C++. The Software Development Toolkit (SDK) provides extensive .NET code samples and documentation to help you get started developing with the Revit API.

The API usually presented under the “Add-in” tab as shown:


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Figure above: Example of Plug-in for calculating the FRC and GFA developed by Architects in Hong Kong.

• Project creation - Automatically create projects based on data from corporate ERP or CRM systems, reducing manual data entry

and improving quality. • Data sync - Connect documents, plans and models stored in BIM 360 to external applications. • Model viewing - Utilize the Forge Viewer within custom project portals to extend the value of BIM to the entire project team. • Project hubs - Connect business development, ERP, design and construction project management systems into a single project

hub. • Partner integrations - Access BIM 360 project data in a secure manner through partner applications and technologies • User and company directories - Add, edit and sync user and company data from external systems to BIM 360 to accelerate

project setup. It is recommended that the HA should write its own API for specified usage on the BIM process.

8.8 Live Rendering and Gaming Engine The latest development in BIM is the use of Gaming Engine multicore technology to achieve some live rendering presentation. Instead of a static rendering view of the model, users can now interactively navigate through the 3D space and experience the visual impact such as different lighting or different weather conditions. The users can interact with the model definition such as applying different materials, colour or texture etc.

8.9 Virtual Reality Virtual Reality is a subversive user experience that user can “get inside” a BIM model through typically a headset. While layman may not understand the technical presentations, with VR, these parties can visualize the space and provision of the design and co-ordination, which establish a direct client/ user participation.

8.10 Augmented Reality While Virtual Reality is a total subversive experience totally in a virtual environment, Augmented Reality, in contrast, is an experience of overlaying virtual BIM models on top of the reality space. Viewers can freely move around the space and the BIM model will be superimposed at the same location. The technology further enhances the direct involvement of the users in experiencing the BIM Space and its provisions.

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