Requirements for event-driven architectures in open BIM collaboration

Abstract

Current practice of BIM-based collaboration relies on the exchange of entire domain models, which are managed and shared using Common Data Environments. Such platforms are well standardized in terms of states, roles, and participants. However, the coordination of changes by exchanging entire models requires manual identification of any added, modified, or deleted information from one shared version to another. This paper proposes the application of an event-driven system architecture, which is in widespread use in modern communication systems. Combining the publish-subscribe design pattern, patch-based update mechanisms for BIM models, and the established concept of asynchronous, decentralized collaboration in BIM projects can significantly ease the process of understanding design changes and reduce the overall overhead of information already shared in previous versions among project members.