Assessment of conformance and interoperability testing methods used for construction industry product models

This paper presents a review and assessment of conformance and interoperability testing methods for product data models used in the construction industry. Conformance testing methodologies, with varying degrees of rigor, have been developed and applied to ensure interoperability across product modeling software applications in other engineering and industry domains, such as, engineering and manufacturing of automotive and aerospace products. Current conformance testing and evaluation of interoperability for construction industry product modeling software do not necessarily apply those same principles and are usually done on an ad-hoc basis. Key principles are identified for improved methods and metrics for developing conformance and interoperability testing capabilities for the construction industry.