Bureau Veritas Construction and Xinaps to release a validation suite for design review that revolutionizes architects’ work

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is rapidly expanding its presence in construction and real estate. Its benefits, such as time and cost savings, collaborative work and data enhancement, are gradually embraced. However, a key aspect of its implementation has not been properly digitalized: the continuous quality control of a digital design and the possibility to check its compliance with local standards in real time. By far, this has been conducted completely manually or at much later design stages when the file format has had multiple conversions.

A single incorrectly drawn line in the model (even digital) may cause unnecessary delays and unexpected expenses. For instance, a wrongly placed emergency staircase easily leads to a few days extra work for the architect, who would also have to adjust other relevant elements such as doors, furniture or other building objects.

SHAPING THE ARCHITECTURAL TOOLS OF TOMORROW

Bureau Veritas Construction, the French leader in construction control, has decided to address this problem by introducing a validation suite for design review powered by Xinaps.  It started at the end of 2016 with the need definition, where Bureau Veritas involved several actors active in BIM innovation. This gradually led to the decision to partner with Xinaps, a Dutch-based specialist in developing plug-ins for the design software Autodesk Revit, the multi-disciplinary BIM platform used by the vast majority of architects, engineers and construction professionals.

« The market expertise of Bureau Veritas and the tech know-how of Xinaps ensures a successful partnership and most of all - provides a steady ground for fostering innovation in the AEC industry. » 

- Hans de Kruijff, COO at Xinaps.

The Bureau Veritas Construction plug-in, developed by Xinaps, will be the first of its kind to fully integrate with Revit. Installed in the toolbar, the plug-in will quickly validate the compliance with local standards and regulations. It will be applicable from the first sketches of a design.

« Our ambition is to ensure that the automated checking of regulations within Revit is as simple as a spell checker in a word processor. » 

- Jérôme Guillou, Marketing and Innovation Manager at Bureau Veritas.

This direct integration into a BIM software is truly revolutionary. Currently, all model checking solutions compatible with the French regulations, require an export to an IFC format prior to launching the analysis, which can be quite complex. Instead, Bureau Veritas and Xinaps enable flexibility and responsiveness in an iterative manner, right within the design software.

One of the major benefits is getting a high-quality design, which starts and ends with reliable building data. Integrated BIM means that all parties within the Design-Build chain collaborate actively in order to deliver high-performing buildings from cradle to cradle. This requires regular communication, trusting the shared information and iteratively validating the quality of the building data. That is how a BIM-driven team can make optimal design decisions.

A first version of the plug-in will be released at the beginning of 2018. It will focus on geometric checks, validating their compliance with accessibility standards for disabled as well as fire safety regulations. The tool will be regularly updated with richer functionalities. It will be offered based on an license.

 « We could not be more pleased by Bureau Veritas’ investment in BIM moving from 2D to 3D Bureau Veritas partnership with Xinaps demonstrates their collective leadership in providing a far superior construction experience for our shared construction customers and the AEC industry as a whole. The Bureau Veritas plug-ins, built on Autodesk REVIT, will enhance both the validation of design against standards and codes while improving the quality of construction projects »

- Nicolas Mangon,  Vice President, Business Strategy and Marketing at Autodesk