Reusability and Its Limitations of the Modules of Existing BIM Data Exchange Requirements for New MVDs

Abstract

Model View Definition (MVD) is developed as a subset of the IFC schema to define BIM data exchange requirements of the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management industries. Several domains such as the Precast/Pre-stressed Concrete Industry, the American Concrete Industry (ACI), the American Industry of Steel Construction (AISC), and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (Brim MVD) have defined or are currently defining model views for formally representing their BIM data exchange requirements and assisting their exchange processes using the neutral data format, IFC. However, even though several domain industries involve the same or similar sets of data exchange requirements for their MVDs, a lack of a proper approach for reusing existing MVDs results in that a data exchange process of new MVD including the same entities, attributes, and relationships of other MVDs contains inconsistent and heterogeneous sets of data exchange requirements. For accelerating the consistent MVD development reusing previous efforts and the interoperable BIM data exchange environment, this paper involves the investigation of existing MVDs and their module-based definition processes to identify the current problems in MVD development regarding reusability and contains the discussion of the promising method for utilizing predefined MVDs for new MVD development.