A working group of the American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) Committee 131 on Building Information Modeling (BIM) is actively developing an Information Delivery Manual (IDM) for cast-in-place concrete. The IDM will capture in written form the interaction that occurs in the design and construction of concrete structures by identifying the parties involved in information exchange, what information is exchanged and when, based on a typical construction project timeline.
This IDM project is the outcome of ACI’s Strategic Development Council’s (SDC) initiative to focus the concrete industry on developing interoperability standards, and represents the first step in the development of data exchanges into the buildingSMART’s Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). IFC is an open and neutral data exchange format that covers construction information related to procurement, design, construction, and operations. IFCs will allow project information to be entered once, and then to be available and usable by every project team member across any software platform. The improved communication, coordination, and collaboration afforded by BIM implementation have already been shown to save time and money in projects.
A $60,000 grant from the Charles Pankow Foundation accounts for the majority of the $90,000 funding for this IDM project. Remaining funding is provided by Bechtel, Tekla, Bentley, Applied Systems Associates (aSa), RMC Research & Education Foundation, CRSI Education & Research Foundation, ASCC Foundation, Post Tensioning Institute, and two of the ACI Foundation’s Councils – the Concrete Research Council (CRC) and the Strategic Development Council (SDC).
A team from Georgia Technological University’s Digital Building Laboratory headed by Professor Chuck Eastman will assist the ACI IDM working group. The group’s first meeting took place during December of 2011 in Atlanta and its expected to complete the IDM by the end of 2012. The next meeting will be held in conjunction with the ACI Spring 2012 Convention in Dallas, Texas. BD+C
Related Stories
| May 18, 2011
Carnegie Hall vaults into the 21st century with a $200 million renovation
Historic Carnegie Hall in New York City is in the midst of a major $200 million renovation that will bring the building up to contemporary standards, increase educational and backstage space, and target LEED Silver.
| May 17, 2011
Redesigning, redefining the grocery shopping experience
The traditional 40,000- to 60,000-sf grocery store is disappearing and much of the change is happening in the city. Urban infill sites and mixed-use projects offer grocers a rare opportunity to repackage themselves into smaller, more efficient, and more convenient retail outlets. And the AEC community will have a hand in developing how these facilities will look and operate.
| May 17, 2011
Architecture billings index fell in April, hurt by tight financing for projects
The architecture billings index, a leading indicator of U.S. construction activity, fell in April, hurt by tight financing for projects. The architecture billings index fell 2.9 points last month to 47.6, a level that indicates declining demand for architecture services, according to the American Institute of Architects.
| May 17, 2011
Sustainability tops the syllabus at net-zero energy school in Texas
Texas-based firm Corgan designed the 152,200-sf Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, with the goal of creating the largest net-zero educational facility in the nation, and the first in the state. The facility is expected to use 50% less energy than a standard school.
| May 17, 2011
Gilbane partners with Steel Orca on ultra-green data center
Gilbane, along with Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, has been selected to partner with Steel Orca to design and build a 300,000-sf data center in Bucks County, Pa., that will be powered entirely through renewable energy sources--gas, solar, fuel cells, wind and geo-thermal. Completion is scheduled for 2013.
| May 17, 2011
Should Washington, D.C., allow taller buildings?
Suggestions are being made that Washington revise its restrictions on building heights. Architect Roger Lewis, who raised the topic in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, argues for a modest relaxation of the height limits, and thinks that concerns about ruining the city’s aesthetics are unfounded.
| May 17, 2011
The New Orleans master plan
At an afternoon panel during last week's AIA National Conference in New Orleans, Goody Clancy Principal David Dixon and Manning Principal W. Raymond Manning shared their experiences creating the New Orleans Master Plan, a document that sets a new course for the city, from land use and transportation planning to environmental protection.
| May 17, 2011
Do these buildings look like buffalo to you?
It’s hard to contemplate winter now that we’re mid-spring, but when the seasons change, ice skaters in Winnipeg will be able to keep warm in plywood shelters designed by Patkau Architects. The designers created temporary shelters inspired by animal behavior—specifically, buffalo bracing against the wind. Check them out.
| May 16, 2011
USGBC and AIA unveil report for greening K-12 schools
The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects unveiled "Local Leaders in Sustainability: A Special Report from Sundance," which outlines a five-point national action plan that mayors and local leaders can use as a framework to develop and implement green schools initiatives.
