Virtual Project Data Integration Testbed

Principal Investigator: Mark Palmer
(301) 975-5858
mark.palmer@nist.gov

Objective:
To develop methods, guidelines, specifications and test cases for enabling the exchange, access and integration of construction project data. Work with industry to: 1) identify priority work processes in the delivery of physical infrastructure to transform and automate, 2) develop and test exchange protocols, tools and industry deployment guidelines, and 3) deliver national or international standards for these new capabilities.

Background:
Although many architecture, engineering and construction organizations have adopted aspects of 3D modeling and information management technologies in the design and project documentation phase of construction projects, the capabilities and benefits of these technologies are not being exploited to leverage potential advancements in cross-functional integration, modularization, fabrication, pre-assembly and construction work packaging. The digital exchange and integration of design models, equipment specifications, construction plans and related information is impeded, in most cases, by the absence of consistent vocabularies, identifiers and encoding formats for data used by the firms involved. The ability to ensure the information integrity and configuration management of the virtual facility model is critical to the delivery of complex projects and infrastructure facilities, e.g., the CAE/CIC/O&M model (computer-aided engineering, computer integrated construction, operations and maintenance) and supporting databases and documentation for a power plant or water treatment facility.

The nation and the construction industry face a projected $2.2 trillion cost-burden for renewal of critical physical infrastructure. Industry studies have identified inefficiencies ranging from 25 percent to 50 percent in current methods for coordinating labor and managing, moving and installing construction materials. , Additionally, the integration of equipment and system engineering information for facility commissioning, maintenance, repair and operations is restricted by the lack of automated information sharing and re-use capabilities. Leading industry groups, such as the Construction Industry Institute (CII), Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) and FIATECH, have identified the critical need for fully integrating and automating construction processes. The new report from the National Research Council, "Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. Construction Industry," broadens these findings to emphasize research and development in advancing: interoperability, job-site efficiency, prefabrication and modularization, demonstration installations and effective performance measurement.

Industry recognizes the critical importance of improving the way we design, construct, commission and operate our buildings and physical infrastructure. This project works with industry sectors where there are major challenges and some imperative or commitment to develop better ways to deliver projects. The results of this project feed into a number of industry activities and organizations for demonstrating and deploying new capabilities for integrated, automated and more productive project delivery. These include API, ASHRAE, ASME, buildingSMART, CII, EPRI, FIATECH, HI, ISO and NRC.

NIST Role: NIST will fulfill key roles in moving the construction industry from project specific fixes to a measurement science foundation for interoperability, integration and automation. The construction industry needs proven methods, measurement systems and guidelines for:

- analyzing and codifying information requirements and transactions;
- developing and validating information representation and exchange specifications;
- developing compliance and interoperability test methods;
- developing the next generation of engineering standards based on semantic rigor, and
- integrating diverse streams of data for the planning and execution of construction projects.

NIST has the experience and the unique combination of expertise to address these challenges.