In the construction industry, innovation is key to addressing some of the sector’s most pressing challenges. In a collaborative effort to transform construction and demolition (C&D) practices, Reincarnate is developing ten groundbreaking innovations to pave the way toward a more sustainable construction industry. As part of this initiative, the Innovation Series highlights the work of researchers and developers behind these pioneering solutions.
In this episode, we feature the work of Samaneh Rezvani, Senior Researcher at DEMO Consultants, on Interfaces to Existing Databases and Planning Tools – a novel approach that ensures data used in planning, construction, and lifecycle management is grounded in real-world, project-specific information.
Brief description of the innovation and its role in the Reincarnate project
This innovation addresses the need for accurate and relevant data access throughout the building’s entire lifecycle by utilizing external data sources such as LCA databases, national waste registries, or manufacurere databases. This is to ensures that the later stages of construction and lifecycle management are grounded in accurate data, rather than relying on generic assumptions.
Specific challenges in construction and demolition (C&D) that the innovation aims to solve
In the construction and demolition (C&D) industry, one of the major challenges is that relevant data for decision-making is often fragmented and resides in different systems or sources. This includes data from manufacturers about material properties, specifications, and environmental impacts; or delivery and logistics data from suppliers; or lifecycle information from various assessment tools. The lack of a centralized mechanism to access and integrate this information creates inefficiencies, errors, and missed opportunities for circular economy practices.
What inspired the development of the innovation, and how it evolved
The development of this innovation began with collecting use cases from various partners within the consortium. These use cases provided really good insights into the needs, challenges, and processes that different stakeholders encounter throughout the project lifecycle. By understanding the workflows of designers, contractors, suppliers, and facility managers, we identified key gaps in accessing and integrating relevant data from external sources.
Building on these findings, we explored solutions to enable the integration of external data sources with (BIM)s. IFC was adopted as the backbone of our approach, as they support interoperability and standardized data exchange across platforms. An IFC-based ontology was developed to structure and store material, delivery, and lifecycle data. A practical example of our solution is the integration of manufacturers’ databases directly into the BIM. This data may include product specifications such as service life, or environmental impacts. The integration is facilitated through the use of IFC , which is an open standard for data exchange within the construction industry.
To further enhance the functionality, we utilized QR codes as a medium to easily connect and access external data sources, such as manufacturers’ databases. By using QR codes, we were able to enrich the IFC files with actual data. Additionally, we created a mechanism for querying IFC files, allowing users to customize queries to meet their specific needs. Dashboards were then developed to visualize the results of these queries, providing stakeholders with actionable insights.
In essence, our approach involved collecting data, enriching it using QR codes, processing it, and disclosing the information in an accessible and user-friendly manner to enhance project workflows.
The stage of development of the innovation and next steps
Our innovation is currently at the advanced prototype stage, with key features already developed. Further work includes refining the user experience, enhancing the dashboard functionalities, and testing the innovation on the project’s pilot sites.
A step toward sustainable construction
The Interfaces to Existing Databases and Planning Tools innovation represents a major advancement in the Reincarnate project’s mission to build a more sustainable, data-driven construction industry. By connecting isolated data sources and making information accessible and usable across the building lifecycle, this solution supports better material choices, more efficient planning, and deeper circularity in construction processes.
Stay tuned as the Reincarnate Innovation Series continues to showcase transformative ideas shaping the future of the built environment.