SURVEYING THE SECTOR
to make IFC objects out of these ,” says AFRY Architect , Maiju Rinne-Kanto . “ Trimble Connect Organizer was very helpful for making this digital inventory , as you can easily add the feature information to the IFC building parts . These IFC objects are crucial for the next step in our process .”
Step four is where AFRY ’ s transformative vision for material reuse really came to life . Here the building components – represented as IFC files – are housed in a SketchUp 3D Warehouse that industry participants can access . The idea is that before a new building is designed to replace a demolished one , the project owner can visit this digital marketplace to see what materials are available for reuse .
AFRY also identified around 30 features that are important when considering material reuse . These include freeze-thaw resistance , thermal insulation capacity , and information related to hazardous substances or microbes . This data is all available in the digital marketplace too .
“ The idea is to compile this kind of digital inventory of a building some years before it ’ s scheduled for demolition . Then an architect would see all the parts that are available for re-use . Only then should the design of the new building be made ,” says Toorikka .
“ We essentially create a resource pool that goes in a loop . Project owners get ready parts – just like a box of Lego – without needing to
Now is the time for the global construction industry to align its ways of working and collaborating in order to accelerate this transition to a more sustainable future .
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