The NCS Steering Committee is seeking input on a few initiatives that we would like to get a start on this fall. There were two ad-hoc task teams proposed over the course of balloting the current version. We would like to find some interested folks, especially someone interested in taking on leadership of these two task teams. The two teams are as follows:
Detail File Naming Task Team
Chair: TBD
Purpose: The NCS Detail File Naming Ad-Hoc Task Team was created to review the current NCS detail file naming convention (found on UDS-01.19, V4.0) and determine whether it meets the needs of NCS users. If necessary, this group will evaluate various agencies' methods for detail file naming and develop a ballot for updating the detail file naming section for a future version of the NCS. This is an Ad-Hoc Task Team created for a specific purpose, not tied to any release of the NCS.
For more info: http://projects.buildingsmartalliance.org/files/?artifact_id=3274
NCS Civil Engineering Task Team
Chair: TBD
Purpose: The purpose of the NCS Civil Engineering Task Team (CETT) is to explore changes to the NCS that would increase acceptance and usability in Civil Engineering type projects. This is an Ad-Hoc Task Team created for a specific purpose, not tied to any release of the NCS.
For more info: http://projects.buildingsmartalliance.org/files/?artifact_id=3273
Please let me know at the email address at the bottom of this notice if you have any interest in participating or chairing either of these worthy efforts. The last two initiatives are combined NCS and NBIMS (National BIM Standard) things.
The first one surfaced when we tried to understand how to create a meaningful ballot item in conjunction with the Adhesive Council and their new Adhesive Symbol. The Adhesive and Sealant Council has gone through ASTM Certification on this item and would like to see it added to the NCS. This is an example of where NCS has need to reference another, existing Standard, somewhat out of our control. There are a few examples of NCS incorporating some information from other Standards, the most similar is probably the Welding Symbols from AISC. This is a Symbol that can be combined in many ways, NCS includes pictures of some of those configurations, but not all of them. If we had a way to reference the symbols right from the AISC, we would not have to worry about whether or not we are including every permutation. Ability to reference other Standards will be even more important to the NBIMS project. One of the key tenants in the NBIMS Project is that there is much work being done in the BIM space and it is much more beneficial to reference that work, in part, or in total, than to incorporate that work and end up with a 5000 page Standard.
Mark Butler along with others representing both NCS and NBIMS projects are working through details of this.
The last item is the brainchild of Ed Lowe, Steering Committee member and CAD Coordinator at Burgess & Niple, Inc.
Chair: Ed Lowe with possible co-chair from the NBIMS Project
Proposal: You have heard from many sources over the past years regarding NBIMS sponsoring a lot of "Storms" to prove the effectiveness of the BIM philosophy on present day projects. The NCS Steering Committee has received a proposal to create something similar to a "Storm" to prove the effectiveness of the NCS using the current mainstream software programs on the market. The end result would present many uses in the future to the NCS initiative from new sources for detail material for the NCS Book itself to software specific templates. The current proposed rough draft calls for a fictitious 50 acre site to be developed with 3 buildings on it. One building entirely designed using Autodesk Revit, one building designed using entirely Bentley BIM, and a third building yet to be decided. This idea breaks slightly from your usual BIM Storm in the fact we do NOT want to use multiple software products (Bentley and Autodesk) on one building, we want each building to be entirely designed in one software platform. The reason for this is simple, we want each discipline to be fairly represented and to take advantage of using the resulting files in creating templates. In your typical BIM Storm one HVAC consultant would provide work for both buildings in one software package. We want similar work done in both software packages. This will give us a set of Revit templates and a set of Bentley BIM templates for each discipline for future use.
As you can imagine, this one will take some work. If you are interested in this one, please send an email to Ed at ed.lowe@burgessniple.com.
Thanks for your willingness to help!
R. Mark Butler
Chair, US National CAD Standard Project Committee
Digital Design Technology Section Manager
Senior Professional Associate
