How Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) create a platform for Architects, Civil Engineers, and Contractors

This is an accepted fact that the people around the world continue to be expanding rapidly. With this growth, it is observed that major metropolitan centers across the globe are facing issues such as public transit, a place for staying, ridership volumes, and whatnot. These are some of the basic but a point of concern that needs to be taken care of and that also at the highest priority. But this set of work is lagging and it is with regards to the transportation, infrastructure, and a lot many other things. Considering these issues people who are in the construction sector across the globe have been forced to get in touch with public transit agencies and companies to expand their services and along with that having a matching pace in it.

Due to such numerous factors, the resulting design and construction project have disclosed inefficiencies that need to be reduced. This process is only possible only when the entire set of work is been listed down, and to give a go-ahead to the project proper planning and its implementation rules need to be finalized. Given the fact that the way of working indeed has been slowing down and it is all due to the easy acceptance of new technology and practice to use standardized information exchange practices.

Well with this said, today in this article we would be focussing on these details and also a fact that how COBie Services help in creating a proper layout and workflow chart for the architects, Civil engineers, and contractors. Taking it further, let us first have an understanding of what is COBie services and how it is assisting to build a strong base and platform for the architects, contractors, and civil engineers.

Foundation of COBie Services

The acronym of COBie is "Construction Operations Building Information Exchange". It is an international standard that is been taken into consideration for all major types of BIM Services or BIM projects. The formation of the service was to make sure that the information of all the data and asset details are stored in one single file. This set of data gathered does have the information related to space and equipment that is closely associated with building information modeling (BIM) services. The approach of the service is to have information with regards to design, construction, and managerial work of built assets.

Purpose of Implementing COBie Services

Let us now share with you the information that describes the purpose of implementing the COBie services. Implementation of COBie services has turned the table to its ways in the entire construction industry and sector. This was the time when the entire set of information or building data was transferred from paper to online. The main objective of COBie is to move all the data into a digital platform that has all the information for building i.e its operational and managerial set of data.

Now to get the implementation of COBie successfully in any project, it is necessary to follow some of the principles. These principles of BIM COBie Service is the complete roadmap for any project. So, having said this here is the details as mentioned below.

Principles of COBie Services

Classification : When integrating COBie services, the use of the classification system is entirely depending on the need and requirement of the project. The use of considering classification system is one of the key principles for COBie services. Although, it is that there is no specific system being defined whether to integrate the system or not because it is entirely based on the demand of the project. Moreover, we suggest having use of the classification system to navigate the overall information of the project and help the owners to be familiar with the overall concept of the project.

Data-Model : The alignment of COBie services is open with IFC format often known as the Building SMART data model. This indeed means that data shared with the help of COBie is using the latest as well as best industry practice that is very well furnished into the data model. Moreover, the work also becomes easier when proper information is made use for integration of design along with the construction tools and considering its processes too. In one word to sum up the details of the services, we can say that COBie is a model view that defines the IFC data model and at the same time there is proper coordination of the model so that when delivering the work it is clash-free and error-free. It uses the service BIM clash-detection to get the data as expected by the clients and also what is the demand of the project too.

Format : The use of COBie gives access to the users multiple options in which the delivery of the data can be given and that too in set formats. The data that is being supported here is the standard IFC ones, and to some extent it makes sense and with that, the details can be used and taken care of. However, the data format that COBie demand is either way. The client can share the data in the precise spreadsheet form or google docs that have the data-collection as well as the details of the delivery of the project. Moving further, in the said service if given the simple structure of the sheets, can also make the data effective and the participation for it in an openBIM workflow is possible and it is without any required specific BIM tool and without having ant knowledge of the IFC data model. With the data shared the team will have specific information and importers and exporters can easily extract the data and start the work easily and effectively.

Further, till now we have shared with you the details on the below-mentioned topic, now we will proceed further and have an understanding of how the service can set a defined platform for the team of architects, civil engineers, and contractors.

COBie - A Set Platform for Architects, Civil Engineers, and Contractors

One thing that needs to be shared is with the integration of COBie services, the quality of the data delivery during the process of delivering the project has improvised a lot. It is the information in which COBie organizes the complete handover of the data in such a form so that it becomes easier for the stakeholders, owners, civil engineers, contractors, to review the entire project document that is being submitted to them.

All, the data and information that is being submitted are also used as construction handover documents for any future construction project as well. Moreover, to get proper implementation and integration of the service that is familiar as well as effective, the team has indeed set a bar to integrate and implement COBie services.

COBie for Architects : The work of an architect is to create and develop the drawings and design as discussed by the stakeholders of the project. Once the design is being created it becomes easier for them to integrate COBie service in it. COBie services help the team to rectify clashes and errors. Thus, when the project is being given a go green signal to initiate the project, the work does not get stopped and the team can carry on with it. Moreover, all the details are stored on the server and are in virtual form. Thus, at any moment, if the team needs to access the data, they can view the drawings, designs, and can check the details for further work.
COBie for Civil Engineers : The role and responsibility of civil engineers play a vital role. Civil engineering is the basis for any services. While outsourcing COBie BIM services to the company the team makes sure that the set information and data shared is accurate and precise. The role of a civil engineer is to analyze, plan, and execute the plan in a proper and respective manner. Therefore, once the BIM model is been created it becomes easier for the engineer to integrate COBie service in it and get the result as per the need and requirement of the project. Thus, this service in other words can be said as the roots to get its start and end to any project.
COBie for Contractors : The use of COBie services is to make sure that the work becomes simpler, easier, and convenient. All the data and information that are being gathered by the respective team are converted into digital form so as to make the use of the work simple for the contractors. This is the process in which they can collate the construction data effectively that needs to be submitted at the time of getting the work started. The best thing about COBie service is that the process of gathering information and data becomes easy and this in the end helps in diminishing the copy and re-organizing the data all at its time and again. Also, for the contractor, the time for reworking on some of the parts can be saved to a great extent along with the rework of the time as well. Using COBie services will always help the contractors to automate the work of the O&M manual and with that reduce the efforts on their effort on compiling and organizing information for handover.

Conclusion

COBie service plays an important role and thus the need and demand for the service are very much taken into consideration. Moreover, as the service has a complication, therefore, the best idea is to get the work outsourced to a leading company that has years of experience and is well-updated with the latest use of technology and software.

To know more about the services or to get free quotations for the services, you can always connect with us over the call or via email and the team can revert back to you with the respective details and information.

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