Queen’s Wharf precinct development: an OpenBIM journey on the client side

Synopsis:

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is arguably the largest OpenBIM project in Australia currently. It has won BuildingSMART’s OpenBIM Award in 2019. With the design phase of the scope of the main works wrapped up, and construction nearing completion, we can draw some conclusions and share some lessons learnt. This presentation focuses on the OpenBIM / cross-platform integration aspects, challenges, solutions and lessons learnt. ​ 

Learning Objectives:

1. Review considerations of OpenBIM workflows on large-scale projects 
2. ​Showcase decision-making processes in owner/developer side strategic consulting 
3. ​Share lessons learnt, review the challenges of a COBie implementation in the integration of OpenBIM to FM (Forge and Maximo) 

Body:

With 28 design offices submitting over 250 models week by week from various authoring tools and detailed information requirements, QWB has been a challenging job to date. The owner/developer is a consortium overseeing the full life cycle for the next 99 years. They have a strong focus on smooth handovers, a “”single source of truth”” and a need for a proper model-based approach to design, construction and operations. Our team at DBMV has implemented OpenBIM standards and processes to enable collaboration between stakeholders that would not have been possible any other way. The digital ecosystem is built up of 16 different software with IFC as the common platform. To define asset information requirements early on, we have tested a workflow all the way from design through construction and commissioning data capture to the FM system. Revit, ArchiCAD and 12D were the leading platforms for model authoring, with dRofus sitting in the middle to consolidate the data. COBie provided the standard data schema for feeding into Maximo (+Forge) that is the operator’s chosen platform for facilities management.

This presentation is focusing on the journey from an OpenBIM / cross-platform integration perspective, and reviewing challenges and solutions as well as experiences with different tools, processes and people:
-defining the strategy and documenting the requirements to set the team’s expectations
-setting up the systems – IFC translators, mapping files, consolidating consultants’ in-house conventions
-onboarding and upskilling the delivery team, fine-tuning live BIM Management Plan documents
-execution, automation and auditing the deliverables in the design phase
-workshopping Level of Information Need requirements with the future FM team
-implementing commissioning data capture tools and testing four different COBie export methodologies to find the best one for the job
-testing deliverables in the FM system to future-proof the process for the whole lifecycle

While it is hard to discuss all this without touching on the characteristics and abilities of different software, the goal here is to review processes. Sharing these experiences might help others to make informed decisions.