Jun 15 2004
GeoPraxis, an architectural, engineering and construction software company, has announced that leading heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) manufacturers have adopted and are deploying gbXML, streamlining building design and providing interoperability for architects and building design teams. This critical breakthrough by the AEC industry will speed building design and drive down the costs by seamlessly sharing building design information between architects, building engineers, HVAC systems designers, and sales teams. Green Building XML (gbXML) is an open schema available at no charge to the AEC industry.
Market leader HVAC manufacturers standardizing on gbXML include: Trane®, Carrier Corporation, and YORK International. Leading architectural design software and engineering companies supporting gbXML also include Autodesk®, Graphisoft, Bentley Systems, Elite Software, ECOTECT, and GeoPraxis. While Trane has supported gbXML for several years, the adoption of gbXML by other leading HVAC manufacturers indicates that the industry is now standardizing on gbXML. These companies will realize significant competitive advantage over others in the industry who are slow to adopt the schema.
Using gbXML, the building design process is streamlined allowing the project team to complete the design and analysis of building scenarios faster and more accurately than traditional processes, eliminating the need for plan take-offs. For example, gbXML seamlessly links architects using Autodesk® Revit® 6.1 with HVAC engineering teams at Trane using Trace™ 700 for design specifications, allowing them to develop geometrically accurate building models in minutes, rather than days or weeks. It allows the building energy analysis team to assess design alternatives using whole building energy analysis like GeoPraxis’ Green Building Studio, and supports the immediate development of detailed input files for DOE-2, EnergyPlus, and eQUEST, leading building energy modeling tools. It also allows immediate information sharing with Elite Software’s HVAC duct design tools, and ECOTECT’s environmental analysis tools.
“Trane can eliminate the need to perform time intensive plan takeoffs of key building design information by using gbXML to input building design information from an architect’s CAD model into Trace 700,” said Joe Riemer, Marketing Manager, Trane C.D.S™.
“We are excited that GeoPraxis’ Green Building Studio and gbXML-based connectors to our Revit, Building Systems, and Architectural Desktop products now demonstrate the power of the new building information modeling tools and approach for the AEC industry. This initiative is a clear example of the benefit of working with building information models to streamline the process of designing better buildings,” said Phil Bernstein, FAIA, vice president of Autodesk’s Building Solutions Division.
“The adoption of the gbXML schema by the HVAC industry represents a turning point in the industry, improving building design practice. Building design teams can now drive down the costs of green building design, and building product manufacturers involved in the specification and pre-sales design will benefit,” said John Kennedy, president and CTO of GeoPraxis, and creator of gbXML. “The incorporation of gbXML capabilities into the Autodesk BIM products, coupled with Trane, Carrier, YORK, Elite Software, and GeoPraxis, show that the vision of integrated interoperability can be achieved.”
Source: GeoPraxis