Making a start with ‘COBie’ Compliant data

In today’s rapidly evolving construction industry, effective management of information is crucial to ensure projects are delivered efficiently and with optimal outcomes. This need is addressed by the ISO 19650 standard. By providing clear guidelines and requirements, this standard revolutionizes the way construction information is managed, shared, and maintained throughout the project lifecycle. ISO 19650 ensures consistent and reliable information exchange. Stakeholders can rely on accurate data, reducing the risk of miscommunication and misunderstandings.

Fig:1 – Cobie Compliant Spreadsheet

Historically, the construction industry has struggled with disparate data formats, and incompatible systems. The lack of a common data standard has hampered collaboration, led to data loss or duplication, and hindered the transfer of critical information between project phases. COBie emerged as a response to these challenges, aiming to establish a unified approach to capturing and sharing construction data. It provides a standardized format for organizing and exchanging asset information throughout the building lifecycle, from design and construction to operations and maintenance.

COBie serves as the key mechanism for delivering accurate and comprehensive asset data at various project milestones. It ensures that asset information, including spatial relationships, equipment details, warranties, maintenance schedules, and operating instructions, are captured and provided in a standardized format during handover.

The industry still faces challenges in exchanging BIM data between different software applications and stakeholders. Interoperability gaps often lead to data loss, errors, and inefficiencies, hampering the realization of BIM’s full potential. Autodesk’s ‘BIM Interoperability Tools’ aim to bridge these gaps and enable stakeholders to exchange data seamlessly while adhering to the COBie standard.

Fig:2 – Autodesk Interoperability tools splash screen

The ‘Autodesk Interoperability Tools’ enable users to export BIM data in compliance with the COBie standard. This ensures that the exported data includes all the necessary attributes and information required for smooth asset management and facility operations. This utility provides a range of productivity tools amongst others, the ‘COBie Extension, which provides essential functions that enable users to efficiently create, map, export, and validate COBie-compliant data directly from Revit.

Fig:3 – Autodesk COBie Extension for Revit’ interface

Key Features include:

Parameter Mapping: Users can establish mappings between Revit parameters (e.g., equipment, spaces, systems) and corresponding COBie attributes (e.g., asset names, spaces, types). This ensures consistency and proper alignment of information during data export.

Attribute Extraction: The toolkit extracts relevant data from the Revit model and populates the corresponding COBie attributes based on the established mappings. This automation eliminates manual data entry, saving time and reducing errors.

Data Validation: The COBie Toolkit includes data validation features to ensure the exported COBie data meets the required standards.

Integrity Verification: The toolkit validates the integrity of the exported COBie data, ensuring completeness and correctness. It checks for missing or inconsistent information, identifies potential errors or discrepancies, and prompts users to address them.

Data Export: The COBie Toolkit facilitates the direct export of COBie-compliant data from Revit. The toolkit supports export to an Excel Spreadsheet.

The ‘COBie Extension for Revit’ offers a comprehensive set of functions that streamline COBie compliance and data exchange within the BIM environment. This utility enables efficient and accurate transfer of information between Revit and COBie datasets. Thereby reducing manual effort, improved data integrity, and enhanced compliance.

Written by Patrick Mullins – AEC Technical Specialist