Industrial News

FIC has emerged at the center of integration efforts in the construction industry. While many prestigious organizations develop standards for their aspect of the construction industry, FIC brings them all together and is coordinating the outcome. Dana K. "Deke" Smith, RA, Chair, NIBS Facility Information Council explains, “FIC’s only agenda is the advancement of building sciences and has demonstrated itself as a non-threatening environment for both the public and private sector to work together in advancing the building sciences for this country and the world. The AEC-ST Federal event focused on Lifecycle Strategies for the Built Environment, shares an identical mission which makes it the perfect platform for us to share our progress and future plans. We are excited to put AEC-ST Federal attendees in touch with the experience and insights of the experts shaping the industry at the highest level.”

The FIC Annual Meeting, Wednesday, December 6th, 9:45 a.m. through 12:45 a.m., will focus on the efforts of FIC in fostering a common, standard, and integrated life-cycle information model for the A/E/C & FM industry. Mr. Smith will present an overview of all FIC projects including the National CAD Standard and National BIM Standard, National Call to Action Planning, and Total Life-cycle Management. Project committee members will also share their updates and plans.

The BIM Workshop Sessions will take place Tuesday, December 5th, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Version 1.0 of the US National BIM Standard is due out at the end of December 2006. This series of six seminars is designed to provide background, technical details, and guidance to organizations on taking action to further develop the standard. Mr. Smith notes, “BIM has become a global phenomenon changing design and construction industry practices from top to bottom. We know many design and construction professionals are eager to get a heads up as to how BIM practices and technology can improve their upcoming projects and present new business opportunities. AEC-ST Federal is the perfect place to reach out to leading organizations to take action in further developing the standard.”

Session titles include:
•Integrating Interoperable Data Exchange Standards
- Andy Fuhrman, Chief Executive Officer, Standards Consortium for Real Estate (OSCRE)

•Integrating BIM and Specifications
- Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, LEED AP, President, Kalin Associates

•Lean, Green and Seen: Using BIM in Sustainable Design
- Dianne Davis, President, AEC Infosystems, Inc.

•Digital Practice: Integrating Design and Technology at Gehry Partners - Malcolm Davies, Chief Operating Officer, Gehry Technologies

•Making BIM Interoperability a Reality: Technical Details of the National BIM Standard – Francois Grobler, Research Engineer, IAI Technical Coordinator, US Army Corps of Engineers

•Implementing NBIMS for Planning and Design: The GSA Story - Stephen R. Hagan FAIA, Project Knowledge Center, Property Development Division, Public Buildings Service, U.S. General Services Administration, National Capital Region

Additional BIM sessions scheduled as part of the AEC-ST Federal and Ecobuild Federal conference programs include:

- Overview of the National BIM Standard, Wednesday, December 6th, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Presented by: Dana K. "Deke" Smith, RA, Chair, FIC and BIMS -- Learn more about various parts of the standard and how NIBS is working to help define how a standardized approach to BIM is beneficial to the entire Capital Facility industry. See how information will flow from one phase to another and look at some of the case studies where new business models have already been applied.

- The Changing Face of BIM-Based IT – Wednesday, December 6th, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Presented by: Randall Newton, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, AECnews.com -- IT for Creating and Using the Built environment. BIM has become a global phenomenon changing design and construction industry practices from top to bottom. Into this disruptive change new players have emerged to support the IT needs of owners, practitioners, and integrated practice teams. Some vendors offer a portfolio of solutions, others specialize in single-purpose products. All promote interoperability, but some provide it with IAI standards while other vendors provide custom links between selected applications. Come hear how the traditional vendors are moving out of CAD and into BIM, and meet new companies offering new processes in demand today.

- Integrating BIM: User Perspectives, Thursday, December 7th, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Presented by Cadalyst Magazine, moderated by H. Ed Goldberg, AIA, Principal, HEGRA, Architect, Industry Analyst, Contributing Editor, Cadalyst Magazine, "AEC From the Bottom Up" column.

- AEC Square-Off: Industry's Role in BIM, Thursday December 7th, 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. Moderated by: Dr. Richard H.F. Jackson, Director, FIATECH -- BIM is about information sharing, collaboration and communication. Hear what key industry organizations are doing to collectively support this change on a professional services and information level. Learn how your professional association is supporting BIM implementation, the National BIM Standards Initiative and other activities to keep their members in the loop and in the know as the AEC/owner-operator value chain comes together.

- An Enterprise Wide Model for Managing Real Property Assets, Tuesday, December 5th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Real property assets are a significant component of an agency’s balance sheet. Information about these assets is central to the mission and operations of these organizations. Today’s directives dictate an enterprise wide, common process, common systems approach to real property management. A Web deployed enterprise-wide approach makes real property data available to information systems and databases for decision making. Discuss proven strategies for deploying enterprise wide real property management systems. Look at the business and organizational issues involved and cover the role of GIS, CAD, CAFM and BIM technologies. You will hear case studies outlining successfully implemented, enterprise wide solutions returning a higher ROI.

- Change Management: A BIM and Data Standards Perspective, December 5th, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Presented by: Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate (OSCRE). This three-hour session designed for all knowledge levels is intended to address the maturity, evolution and drivers for change within the Real Estate supply chain, including the AEC sector. Topics include but not limited to; Data Standards, BIM, Design & Construction, Project Handoff, Lifecycle Operation, Best Practices, Risk Avoidance and Value Proposition.

To register for BIM Sessions at AEC-ST Federal or for more information visit www.aecstfederal.com or call 1-800-996-3863, fax 1-508-790-4750.

About FIC
The Facility Information Council (FIC), originally called the CADD Council, was established by the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) in November 1993. FIC’s mission is to provide industry wide public and private support for the development, standardization and integration of computer technologies and software providing for the improved performance of the entire life cycle of facilities.

About NIBS
The National Institute of Building Sciences, authorized by Congress in 1974, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor, and the public interest to identify and address building process and facility performance priorities. NIBS provides an authoritative resource for both private and public sectors in advancing building science and technology. For more information, visit www.nibs.org.

About Ecobuild America, LLC, Producer of AEC-ST Federal
Ecobuild America, LLC (Centerville, MA) under the leadership of principals Richard C. Vendola, Jr., and George Borkovich manages and produces Ecobuild America, Ecobuild Federal, AEC-ST, and AEC-ST Federal. Together they have a depth of experience in technology and event planning, for the AEC industry, including creating and managing the former A/E/C SYSTEMS International conference and exhibition.