Next Level GAEB data exchange

The "GAEB Data Exchange (GAEB DA)" provides the standardized interface for the exchange of technical information between the parties involved in construction during tendering, contract awarding and invoicing. The current version of the GAEB standard is GAEB DA XML. Its goals, elements, structure, etc. are summarized in a technical documentation, which is currently available in version 3.3. Using the Extensible Markup Language (XML), flexible data structures can be defined. Due to its machine readability, XML is used for platform-independent exchange.

Formally and technically correct data is essential for the support of all actors within the tendering, contract awarding and invoicing processes. GAEB data exchange provides an excellent basis in this respect using an established certification. Up to now, the focus of quality assurance has tended to be on the formal verification (conformity check) of the data or XML files. However, there are further more technical quality requirements for the data to be exchanged, which are already documented in the GAEB technical documentation. In the context of the implementation of BIM, GAEB data exchange is also becoming increasingly important and new requirements arise for the verification of the exchanged data. For these reasons, a flexible and future-oriented further development of the quality assurance instruments for GAEB data exchange is necessary.

Therefore, the following goals are addressed within the scope of this research project:

• Identification and documentation of existing and new technical requirements in the context of GAEB data exchange, taking into account current developments in the BIM area.
• Development of procedures for restructuring the existing GAEB documentation so that technical rules can be created unambiguously and in a machine-readable form.
• Development of concepts for the storage and use of complex technical checking rules for GAEB data exchange.
• Implementation of a stand-alone checking software that allows a flexible and easy integration of functional checking rules for GAEB data exchange.
• Evaluation and further development of the current GAEB certifications regarding the research results.