Karamjit Kaur

Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows are increasingly managed by multiple Common Data Environments (CDE) which effectively comprise distributed sources of truth. However, interoperability of the AECO ecosystem is constrained by normative contractual relationships and by technical incompatibilities between systems and applications. Our aim is to improve interoperability in the AECO sector by introducing a system of systems (SoS) approach - a CDE ecosystem that combines standards-based messaging services with API adapters to enable object-based exchanges of information. Our research design has evolved over the past five years through literature reviews, fieldwork with industry partners, and implementation of a proof-of-concept CDE ecosystem. Engagement with AECO industry partners GHD and DBM Vircon focused research design and helped refine the research question. This paper also leverages prior research by the authors to improve interoperability in the process industry. CDE ecosystem benefits which support the AECO sector's complex interactions and distributed organisational workflows include: vendor-agnosticism, allowing organisations to choose their preferred or specialised software tools; fine-grained transactions, which anticipate IFC5 inter-sector (buildings and infrastructure) interoperability; connectivity across multiple systems; event-driven, timely and reliable, many-to-many messaging services.

In this paper we apply the SLICER multi-level modelling framework on the MULTI 2024 Warehouse Challenge. SLICER was first introduced at the ER 2015 conference[17] and formally specified in [18]. It has been implemented in an object-oriented knowledge representation and reasoning system and the framework identifies additional semantic subcategories for the traditional object-oriented relationship types and uses these distinctions for a new style of formal characterisation of level relationships. The framework is executable via its implementation in a dynamic metamodeling and object logic environment. We first introduce SLICER, then describe its application on the Warehouse Challenge requirements and then discuss the advantages of the SLICER representation.

Substandard performance between information systems and applications remains a problem for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector leading to significant economic, social and environmental costs. The sector suffers from poor interoperability because it lacks a holistic ecosystem for exchanging data and information. Through qualitative research involving AECO sector industry partners’ views and opinions, this research extends understanding of issues which affect ecosystem interoperability in the AECO sector. Research questions guided a literature review, survey, semi-structured interview, focus group meeting, and interpretation of the results. The authors believe that incorporating AECO sector industry partners' views is essential for meaningful proposals to emerge. Open questions asked of industry partners received candid responses and confirmed key issues including: the need for the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) to be fully interoperable; the side effects and impacts of vendor lock-in; integration problems caused by multiple Common Data Environments (CDEs); handover data and information challenges; the impacts of poor interoperability on sustainable development. Through engagement with industry this research offers better understanding of interoperability challenges in the AECO sector and has generated more meaningful actions and solutions capable of improving the sector’s data and information ecosystem.

Journal of Information Technology in Construction