Common Data Environment for Heritage

Posted by:

Sagal Rooble

Having a common data environment for the historical data is important when approaching HBIM project.  When we started the project there was missing areas that needed filling up with information

We created online account and made sure everyone posted anything relating to Springfield.  The most difficult part of the process was finding the information we had spent weeks speaking with architects, libraries around the west midlands and we had the first year Architecture students helps us also find information. Creating the common data environment was a useful tool to have as it helped me put together the missing parts. Having my class mate’s work on building adjacent to mine I would always find snippets of my building. This was crucial for me as everyone angle I needed some images to verify my building.

I would recommend for the future of heritage BIM projects to create a workflow which supports anyone who is working on a heritage BIM project as a step by step guide, as we didn’t have one and we found ways that we could go about it for the next heritage project I work on.  

 Post by Mike Loleke

Our recent meeting with the Springfield Brewery workers has been a blessing towards the first stage of our Heritage BIM (HBIM) urban modelling project. The site visit along with the brewery workers did not only allow the previous employees to reminisce but for us to also visually appreciate and envision their experiences.

They were able to specifically guide us regarding the functionality of the brewery.

Their insight played an effective role towards modelling the brewery back to its historic former glory.

For example, before our collaborative support, I recently blogged concerning an unknown building structure in Block B. Having met with the group of the brewery employees, it was pointed out that the building located at the corner in block B (which I was querying about) used to be an engineering workshop before its demolition.

Development of Engineering workshop model

The collaborative experience did not only end there. Few employees of the brewery were gracious enough to provide us with few photos captured in the times of their employment along with dates and functionalities processes. This enhanced our knowledge and understanding towards completing our stage 1 HBIM project.

Here are few examples of images that supported the first stage of the Springfield Brewery HBIM modelling process.

The reconstruction of Springfield Brewery - Block G

Posted by:

Sagal Rooble

Reconstructing Springfield in Revit wasn’t an easy process, working on block G I found myself looking at plans and elevations for guidance and support for the missing areas of the 3D model. Looking at pictures and scanning data had helped me some to some extent however still didn’t fill in the missing gaps that I really needed some guidance with.

Lucky a site visit with the pensioners was organised as part of the university engagement and I had the opportunity to meet some of the ex-employees of Springfield brewery. We walked around the site and shared some amazing memories information with me regarding a particular plot I was remodeling Block G.

Looking through some of the information I hard searched online wasn’t enough to help me fill in the missing sections of the building. Having looked at the scanning data that had been conducted previously I feel as it helped me model what is existing however the areas that I needed the most I had to look for in pictures and plans. 

I started modelling from this basic preliminary model for guidance which was created using scanning data, point cloud data. I believe from my experience point cloud data is very useful as it gives the designer a good place to start. Having the preliminary model was a good starting point and having the point cloud was a good tool to have to validate the model for me. I had learnt how to use the point cloud information and use a validation tool and going on site had helped me understand the model even more.

This section of model was difficult to construction as the pictures weren’t verifying what it used to be.

This aerial view was sent to me my Chris Smith who worked on Springfield many years ago I had met Chris on site when we all went to visit Springfield, I had shown her the 3d virtual model on my laptop and made her aware of the difficulties I was having modelling Springfield. We had exchanged information and she had found some amazing snaps of the site back in 1924 which had helped me model the rest of block G

Some of the difficulties I went through was modelling the right side of block G. These imagines was found my colleague Stas which then helped me model the rest of the block G.

 This snap was sent to Mike by one of the ex-employees of Springfield who had helped us with the photographs and project. 

Cambridge Street View

Overall the re-modelling of Springfield was a success having the planning drawings found by Katie Andrews had helped everyone put together the missing pieces and having architectural plans verify the missing elements within the building was a good starting point. 

Planning Drawings

Going on a site visit helped the re-modelling process too as it gave us the feel of what the site is and speaking with the pensioners had helped me fill in the gaps too. If the site visit wasn’t conducted then the pictures and additional information that had been given to us wouldn’t have been available to us to complete the model and this has made it really good experience that we have met up with the people who have the best knowledge of the site. 

Complete Block G Model

Infraworks Web Zoom Issues

Post by: Katie Andrews

Infraworks 360 allows you to upload your model to the internet, where it can be easily viewed from any browser. Whilst this worked in the initial stages of the project, as the model has become more complex, issues with zooming has become apparent.

Initially I thought it was the browser I was using but having tested Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge with the same results, I assumed this was not the source of the problem. To check that other people were having the same problem, Stas checked the model using Opera and Firefox, and still were not able to yield any results. He also found that the pins to which I had linked photographs to didn’t open the links, but the 3D scenario did show.

I posted my issue to the Infraworks forum and the only solutions provided were to try a different browser, or to reupload the model. 

Having tried both again with no improvement, I looked to Youtube for assistance.

I watched an Autodesk webcast from 2015, named “Best Practices for InfraWorks 360 Web and Mobile Viewing”. Interestingly they mentioned that although the concept behind Infraworks was to allow people to easily create concept designs, they had many enquiries with people using Infraworks to visualise existing assets, much like our project.

They suggested trying the steps below to optimise your scenarios.

• Simplifying the models during import to reduce the complexity and detail shown, in turn reducing the file size. The video suggested changing to 10%, but too much detail was lost, so  I changed this to 50%.
• Reduce the number of 3D models. Unfortunately to create the true representation of the site, this number could not be reduced. Instead I trimmed the west of the model, to remove some of the railway tracks.
• Use simple 3D models, especially trees. The brewery buildings themselves all required Revit modelling, but the housing surrounding the site were all created using the ‘Building’ tool in Infraworks, and were given minimal detail, so this step was complete.
• Reduce site extents. As previously mentioned, I removed some of the railway tracks to the west of the site.

As I created the model using Infraworks’ Model Builder function, there were imported objects which I did not require, so I removed the remainder of these from the Data Sources too.

After trying all these and not getting any improvements, I had a response to my forum post from Karsten at Autodesk, who asked for me to share the model so that he could test the issue. Unfortunately, he encountered the same problem, and is currently looking into the issue. All is not lost however, with the scenario web viewer working (albeit rather clunkily) which allows the site to be viewed from the extents I have specified, but with minimal interactive features.

Boiler Buildings

Post by: Stas Steikunas

As part of the project I was allocated reconstruction of Boiler Buildings. Unfortunately both boiler buildings were damaged during the fire of 2005 and have been demolished in 2008.

Current state of the site with demolished boiler buildings (2017)

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While no information was available from the  3D Laser Scan of the site, carried out by Scantech International Ltd. model had to be created solely based on the available information in pictures and drawings. Information varied depending on the source, sometimes contradicting each other, especially regarding exact location in relation to other buildings and floor levels.

During research in preparation to modelling following information was located:

Boiler building no. 1 (building with clock on the roof, as shown in the picture below) has been built in 1920's  in Neo-Georgian Style1, matching existing brewery buildings, with exception of grey colour.

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Second boiler building built in 1953 was lower, made of steel frame and brick infills with corrugated sheet cladding, with large chimney built at the back, as shown in the drawings below.

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To recreate buildings with correct levels, heights and detail, Howl Associates Ltd. elevation drawings from 2005, have been used.

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By applying various measuring methods and comparing the results, 3D model of the buildings has been created in Autodesk Revit software and prepared for inclusion into main Infraworks 360 model, incorporating other brewery buildings and surrounding area.

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1 Pearson, L. (1999). British Breweries: An Architectural History. The Hamble Press London.