Over a hundred representatives of the most important engineering firms in France participated in the "BIM tools for the design of building envelopes" that the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building of France (CSTB) organized in collaboration with CYPE in Paris. The meeting, with a highly successful participation and attendance rate, served to show French professionals the computer tools that are available to carry out the energy and acoustic design of buildings in an Open BIM work environment.
As for the design and energy analysis of buildings, the attendees were shown the software: CYPETHERM COMETH, the computer tool developed by CYPE and the CSTB to perform the energy simulation of buildings. This software allows users to establish their the energy demand, as well as the energy consumption of air conditioning systems that are analysed using the international analysis engine "COMETH" of the CSTB. According to Benjamín González, Corporate Development Director at CYPE, "This new application allows professionals to carry out energy audits of buildings, as well as estimate the energy demand and consumption of buildings."
Regarding the acoustic aspects, the organizers of the event presented AcoubatBIM by CYPE, a tool which, also integrated in the Open BIM workflow, helps users analyse the acoustic insulation and conditioning of buildings. The software calculates the indices that evaluate the insulation against airborne noise (indoor and outdoor), impact noise insulation and reverberation levels in indoor spaces, in accordance with the procedure indicated in the EN 12354 (ISO 15712) standards, using the Acoubat analysis engine and with access to the CSTB acoustic test database.
The event also consisted of a practical part in which the attendees were shown how a project can be carried out by specialized delocalized technical users, where some dealt with the energy aspects and others with the acoustic features, thanks to BIMserver.center, a specialised digital platform for the construction sector that is used to save, synchronize and share BIM project files. Thanks to the presentation, professionals saw that technical users located in different places can work in a synchronised manner and in real time due to BIM technology and this platform.
