Building information models: a review on storage and exchange mechanisms

Abstract

The concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has its roots in 2D digital drawings and product modelling. Early modelling efforts emerged in order to provide a solution to data exchange problems between several CAD and analysis systems. BIMs which used STEP as their base standard, adopted STEP data exchange and sharing mechanisms, enabling data exchange in three levels; file exchange, working form and shared database. In contrast to the traditional and accepted view of BIM as the central project model, some software vendors today define BIM as the management of a federated data layer, which consists of multiple models. After a brief summary on the history of in formation modelling in the construction industry, this paper reviews the storage and exchange mechanisms of BIMs and presents the role of model views as an information sharing and exchange method.

KEYWORDS: building information models, storage, sharing, exchange.