FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Building Operating Management, Mar 2005 by Piper, James, Lobash, Mike

A variety of industry efforts are ADVANCING THE CAUSE OF INTEROPERABILITY in areas ranging from CAD to security

For more than a decade, interoperability has been the focus of building automation systems. Building systems that adhere to a set of standards enable independent systems to interact with one another. This increases building management capabilities, improves operating efficiency and flexibility, and reduces installation and expansion costs.

Standards promoted by BACnet and LonMark have demonstrated the many benefits of interoperability. More and more devices are being marketed by an ever-expanding network of system and component manufacturers that conform to one of the standards.

But the move toward interoperability has produced other efforts that, while less well known than BACnet or LonMark, nevertheless promise significant benefits. Interoperability has the potential of improving practically every aspect of facility management, from construction through day-to-day operations.

INFORMATION REVOLUTION

It is hardly news that the building industry has made use of information technology to improve capabilities and reduce costs. Computers develop drawings, manage data, model operations, track expenses and run systems. But little has been done to integrate those systems into a single, interoperable whole.

These systems are best described as islands of information. Each phase of the building project, from planning through operation, develops its own independent data that cannot be easily shared with other phases. Even within each phase, not all participants have access to all information.

The problem is obvious. What happens during the planning phase affects construction. And what happens during both planning and construction can have an impact on operations. But without consistent access to and exchange of information, data becomes lost, and operations suffer.

Interoperability can help to remove the barriers and change islands of information to a seamlessly integrated whole.

A range of industry organizations is currently working to change the way the entire building industry operates. One example is the International Alliance for Interoperability. In 1994, the Alliance for Interoperability, later renamed the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), was formed to define, publish and promote a specification named the Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs). The IFC specifications allow users to assemble and share project information in a way that is independent of the operating system, software package and location of the information.

It's easy to see why this approach to interoperability is important. CAD packages, system design packages, project management packages, scheduling packages, energy-use simulation packages, project takeoff packages - all operate as independent software applications, unable to communicate or share information. Each package generates a large volume of data that is shared inconsistently among project members. Data generated by one package must often be interpreted and manually transferred to another, resulting in duplication, omissions and errors. While some interfaces allow translation of information from one software package to another, they are expensive and software-specific.

The goal of the IFC effort is to create an environment in which multiple applications can exchange information directly with any compliant software package. Consider drawings developed in a CAD program that adhered to the IFC specifications. Simulation software could access that data to evaluate HVAC system sizing or energy performance. Similarly, takeoff software could use the drawings directly for cost estimating. Project management software could access all other packages to make it easier for facility executives to manage the process from start to finish.

Sharing data, eliminating duplication, reducing errors and scheduling project phases more quickly could save up to 30 percent of the total project cost. Additional savings would come later because all project information would be available to those who manage the facility once construction has been completed.

Eventually, designers will be able to interact with codes that govern construction to ensure that the design complies with all applicable building codes.

The first phase of the IFCs, the project model, was released approximately one year ago. The IAI interoperability project includes members of the architectural, engineering, construction and facility management industries, software vendors, research institutes and professional organizations.

OPEN SECURITY EXCHANGE

Building security systems, like building automation systems, evolved from simple hard-wired devices to complex computerized networks. And as was the case with building automation systems, each vendor developed its own proprietary system that was unable to communicate or share information with other security systems. In 2003, a cross-industry group headed by Computer Associates International launched an effort to develop standards for integrating physical security and information technology security. Since then, the effort has been taken over by Industry Standards and Technology Organization (ISTO), an organization formed by the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The Open security Exchange is the name for the vendorneutral, interoperability specifications being developed by the group.