What is CDE and what role it play in a BIM project?
CDE stand for Common Data Environment is BIM environment
where all of members of project can collect, manage, transform and archive
document and graphical and non-graphical assets of project. Each project
requires a unique CDE to avoid duplicated and refused information. In using a
single source of information, collaboration between project members should be
enhanced, mistakes reduced and duplication avoided. Therefore CDE consider
being backbone of any BIM compliance projects. It will be set up in the beginning
of project (0-1) from design (3-4) to construction (5) to Handover (6) and
maintain to operation (7) and retained in even when the building will be
demolished. The good CDE will fulfill building information from starting to
ending.
Why CDE?
Comparing to information exchange method in the previous time, each company establishes an intranet to share internal files. The small sized companies employ between 10-20 employees establish the intranets network with some servers. This system requires a maintenance team due to electrical fire risk or faulty hard disk. The larger companies have Data Center that requires an IT apartment for operation.
About Software, almost data on the internal server is managed by folder structure that when you want to look for a file, you have to browser entire of that folder tree. The larger companies is easier thank for some software of document management. However, email still plays an important role in information exchange.
In the recently, with the development of cloud computing, stakeholders exchange information via a general environment such as Dropbox, Google Drive, FTP…that easier to manage information than email but they are still static environment. They manage by folde but not allow you to track the changes during the design process. You can only check the popular files such as .doc, .pdf. With the typical files like dwg or revit, you have to download to computer which supports Revit software that you can check them. Therefore the design workflow still base on paper. Each participant of project including architect, structure, MEP engineers… have a paper document (drawing, description of production…).
It results to lost information and the used information may not the last one.
Contractor will make a very thick copy for as-built document to employer and useless for Operation and Management stage.
It is one of reason why BIM was born led to CDE is the generation to acquire efficiency. CDE has many functions, to achieve Level 2 in the UK, CDE is operated according to PAS 1192-2 standards, here are some key functions:
1. CDE is to archive data on the cloud, your facility will be archived in somewhere in the world, in the data center of Google , Amazon,… ensure absolutely confidential data with data of banks or US Department of Defense. Data on cloud help to access in anytime and anywhere by just Ipad and Internet.
2. CDE allow you to look for data you need easily as you google it
3. CDE allow you to track all of versions. Not only uploading the latest drawing, but keeping all of previous to ensure you always use the latest information of others to design and help you compare and analyze what happens
4. Online Viewer file: The current CDE allow you to view almost the popular format for engineer and architects like doc, pdf, xls, dwg and 3D IFC models. It helps all of participants to be able to view file that don’t need to set up too much software.
For example; on the worksite, workers only need have Ipad to view all 2D and 3D files to understand what they must do that don’t need a PC or Laptop with the necessary software.
5. To collaborate, review and approval: you can view and mark the comment online. All of comments will be reported automatically to other parts. Once review process is ending, you can approve the drawing and stamp “Release for construction” online. So workers will construct all of approved “Release for construction” works that have not to wait the time to architects and engineers making decision for changes.
6. Thanks for data on CDE, from design to construction, so to the as-built stage, you will acquire digital as-built document. For the O&M, Project management unit can export the necessary information to manage information better.
Some advices on evaluation and selection appropriate CDE tools
The development of BIM led to significant improvement of Common Data Environment technology. As I mentioned above, CDE is the crucial and initial must-have to integrate BIM to any project. Nowaday, there are so many BIM vendors have developed a particular CDE platform in order to facilitate users in design worksharing and multi-company collaboration on that, such as: Viewpoint, Autodesk’s BIM 360 Docs, Aconex, Bentley’s Project Wise, Tekla BIM Insignt…
An NBS, a BIM specification company based UK, follow-up question asked respondents to list the CDEs they use. This invited free text responses, and some people cited more than one platform, so the percentages do not sum to 100; the survey suggests Viewpoint For Projects is the most widely used CDE ahead of Aconex/Conject (these businesses merged in March 2016) and Asite. Generic file-sharing applications, including Dropbox (neck-and-neck with Autodesk’s BIM360 range), Microsoft’s Sharepoint and Google Drive also featured in the most commonly cited answers – although NBS noted many respondents said they used these general tools for “projects of a less complex nature”. I understand from NBS that some other solutions (eg: GroupBC’s CDE) did not feature in the report’s final list as they got less than five mentions.
When selecting the appropriate Construction Management Software for your organization or project, you should examine the functions, costs, along with other critical information about the product and vendor. All of CDE platforms recently are integrating advanced and general features I mentioned above. As well as, analyze the terms thoroughly for information on hidden costs, such as, setup fees, separate support plan, upgrade fees, disk space fees, and other similar charges. As in the article, with our using experiences, we will review 2 CDE tools you can consider are: Autodesk’s 360 Docs and Bentley Project Wise. Bellows are some comparison between them:
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Comparison
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Autodesk's BIM 360 Docs
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Bentley Projectwise
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General Description
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Autodesk BIM 360 is
a software product that gives project teams the tools to coordinate better,
communicate effectively, and resolve issues quickly.
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ProjectWise is a cloud-based
tool that focuses on collaboration and real-time visibility into project
progress that help to Improve your project performance by integrating people,
data, and processes throughout the project lifecycle.
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Available Language
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English
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English, French,
Chinese, German, Korean, Russian
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Supported Integrated
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Autodesk’s 360 Docs supports the following
integration options:
- Help & Video Illustrations
- Egnyte
- Drop Box
- Box
- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- Navisworks
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Project Wise Connect Edition supports the
following integration options:
- Controlling Office integration (for Excel,
words, powerpoint, outlook)
- Unlocking
iDesktop
- Title Block
Integration with AutoCAD
- Best-in-class
Design Application Integration
- ProjectWise
Exlporer Integration
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Type of support
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Email
Phone
Forum
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Email
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List of Features
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- Custom reports and analysis
- Pushpin construction issues
- Project status and description
- Safety inspection
- Streamline job site inspections
- Track key performance indicators
- Dashboards
- Quality assurance/quality control
- Identify trends and minimize contractor risk
- Construction tracking
- Standardized checklist templates
- Real-time data
- Building information modeling (BIM)
- Integrate with Navisworks
- Navigate and interact with models on an iPad
- Manage field performance
- View field data updates
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- API
- Access Control
- Activity Dashboard
- Automatic Reminders
- Calendar Management
- Collaboration Tools
- Collaborative Workspace
- Commenting
- Content Repository
- Data Synchronization
- Deadline Tracking
- Discussion Board
- Document Assembly
- Drag & Drop Interface
- File Management
- Lifecycle Management
- Meeting Management
- Multi-Department / Project
- PDF Conversion
- Progress Tracking
- Project Management
- Projections
- Quality Control
- Real Time Data
- Real Time Notifications
- Real Time Updates
- Risk Alerts
- Risk Assessment
- Rules-Based Workflow
- Supply Chain Planning
- Task Management
- Task Planning
- Task Scheduling
- Task Tracking
- Version Control
- Workflow Management
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Available devices
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Windows
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Android
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iPhone/iPad
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Mac
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Web-based
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Iphone/ipad
Web-based Adroid
Mac
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Available Plans
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Autodesk BIM 360 offers a 30-day free trial to
try out the features. When the trial ends, you may choose between the free
plan and paid plans based on the number of subscriptions and to access
advanced features that are priced on an annual basis.
Free plan
– $0
·
1 project
·
Unlimited users and storage
Single
subscription – $29/month
·
1 subscription
·
Unlimited users, storage, and project
For
project team collaboration – $249/month
·
25 subscription pack
·
Unlimited users, storage, and project
Collaboration
with all stakeholders – $599/month
·
100 subscription pack
·
Unlimited users, storage, and project
Custom
plan – By quote
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For exact features that meet your needs
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Contact vendor for
pricing information or a quote
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Business size
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Small Business |
Large Enterprises | Medium Business
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Mid-sized design
firms | Large Enterprises
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Popular clients
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Balfour Beatty, DPR
Construction, Consigli, Mortenson Construction
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AECOM Technology
Corp, Jacobs, Perkins+Will, Gensler, HOK, Arup
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Review
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Bellows are some review about pros and cons of
BIM 360 Docs:
Pros:
- Allow to check clash detection online due to
integrate with Navisworks
- Ability to attach all forms of documents, fill
out and customize many different fields
- easy to recall checklists, issues,
reports
- This allows for a very high level of detail and
documentation and enhance communication so that everyone knows what the
status of every piece is.
- The print reports and schedule reports module
is really helpful. There are many different report types and layout options,
which is repeatedly useful.
- It is easy to see any pertinent info in Issue
list view, and print quickly from that page.
- Customizing the different types of drop down
Issue Filters for different users is very handy, and necessary. And it is
very easy to sort and search for Issues using the filter module in Issue List
view.
- Speed support
- Saves time in downloading and uploading -
creates better collaboration by having a format all team members can review -
without specialized software.
- Cheap solution
- User friendly interface. The visual and easy to
handle features allowed users to express concepts, ideas and resolve problems
during construction.
- Missing feature “Sort by file’s format”
Cons:
Some common issues may be mentioned that:.
- Pinning an issue from the website version is
not very intuitive, and takes you a completely different pathway to find the
maps. This should be something that is easy to get to from the window of an
open issue, just like the iPad app version.
- No possibility of batch or automated functions
- Navigation on iPads is a bit hard to learn at
first for field staff
- There is limited storage space & battery
life on the ipads. It takes a long time for the sync process to complete.
- Setup is time intensive
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Bellows are some review about pros and cons of Projectwise:
Pros:
- Huge storage capabilities for all types of
files,
- provides a flexible file structure and allows
easy storage sharing and collaboration on security data based cloud in
various levels at all stages of project development and design
- Easy compatibility with all Bentley civil engineering
design programs
- facilitated good sharing and cooperation between
in-house personnel and the customers.
- Easy to find even years later
- The variable levels of access controls can seem
frustrating at first to the ordinary user, but are highly useful in
controlling access to data
Cons:
- It can be slow. Sometimes it goes down. There's
a box that started auto-checking itself a few months ago that makes you open
a read-only copy of things, and this resulted in my doing a bunch of analysis
that didn't get saved, and a really awkward conversation with my group leader
because said analysis was not there when we needed it to be.
- Upgrading the software can be a
quite daunting task. The ability to integrate some of the more complex pieces
of software Autodesk develops could use some attention.
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Cost
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Started with $29
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Start with $180
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ViBIM is using parallel both of that tools for 2 large projects in Vietnam and the US. Project wise is more suitable with the large projects than BIM 360 Docs. But nowadays, BIM 360 Docs is becoming more popular because of its advantage in time and cost .