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Compliance of software is an important research issue as increasingly more digital applications are introduced in the area of thermal load calculations and energy analyses. Building Information Modeling (BIM), a relatively recent software technology in the line of such, is gaining more acceptance in energy and other sustainability-related analyses in AEC fields. This study assesses the suitability of BIM software in heating and cooling load calculations in buildings, using a sample building project in which thermal loads were calculated in both BIM software (Autodesk Revit) and industry-based MEP software (Carrier HAP). The results obtained in both software platforms were compared.

This paper outlines the objectives and issues of a research project about on-line product information used by architects, engineers and other design professionals. After identifying some key issues pertinent to Web-based product information, we introduce PLA(id), a tool for organising and sharing product information on the World Wide Web. The system has two different versions, each involving different design strategies and development tools.

This paper presents progress on a research project about on-line libraries of product information as used by architects, engineers and other design professionals. We present product library assistant intranet, PLA(id), which is a system programmed in Java for organising product library information on the World-Wide Web (WWW). PLA(id) is to be used experimentally in practice contexts to elicit insights into the applicability of on-line libraries of product information.