Solibri

Solibri
Name	Solibri
Developer	Solibri Oy
Released	1999
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Genre	Building information modeling quality assurance
License	Commercial

Solibri is a commercial software suite for building information modeling (BIM) quality assurance, model checking, clash detection, and information takeoff. It is used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals, linking workflows between firms such as Arup, AECOM, Skanska, Hochtief, and Turner Construction Company with project delivery methods like Design–bid–build, Design–build, and Integrated Project Delivery. The software interoperates with file formats and platforms produced by vendors including Autodesk, Trimble, Graphisoft, Bentley Systems, and standards bodies such as buildingSMART International.

Overview

Solibri provides rule-based model checking, compliance verification, and reporting tools intended to improve coordination among stakeholders like Foster + Partners, Gensler, Buro Happold, Jacobs Engineering Group, and WSP Global. The product emphasizes integration with industry standards including IFC (Industry Foundation Classes), ISO 19650, and interoperability with file exporters from Revit, Tekla Structures, and Archicad. It supports workflows in project types associated with organizations such as The Royal Institute of British Architects, American Institute of Architects, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and procurement frameworks used by European Investment Bank and national agencies.

History

Founded in Finland, Solibri Oy emerged amid late 1990s innovation alongside companies like Nemetschek Group and Graphisoft during BIM's early adoption phase that included milestones such as the development of IFC and initiatives by buildingSMART International. Over time Solibri evolved through partnerships and acquisitions in the AEC technology sector similar to those involving Autodesk and Bentley Systems, serving clients including multinational contractors such as VINCI and consultants like Arup. The product matured through iterations responding to standards like ISO 19650 and was used on projects comparable to those executed by Skanska and landmark designs by Norman Foster.

Products and Features

Solibri's product family includes modules focused on model checking, classification, rule management, clash detection, and quantity takeoff used by firms such as AECOM, Turner Construction Company, Kiewit, and Laing O'Rourke. Core features mirror functionality sought in workflows by Gensler, Perkins and Will, and HOK: automated rule checking, customizable rule sets, issue management, reporting dashboards, and export to formats consumed by Autodesk Navisworks and coordination platforms from Trimble. The software supports model aggregation and federated review similar to processes used by Bechtel and Fluor Corporation on infrastructure projects like those overseen by Network Rail or Port of Rotterdam Authority. Advanced capabilities include classification inheritance, parameter mapping, and rule libraries aligned with guidance from bodies like BuildingSMART International.

Technology and Architecture

Solibri is built to consume open data standards such as IFC, enabling interoperability with BIM applications including Revit, Tekla Structures, Archicad, and point-cloud workflows that integrate with products from Leica Geosystems and FARO Technologies. Its architecture supports rule engines and constraint solvers comparable to technologies developed at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and companies like Siemens PLM Software. The software integrates with cloud and collaboration platforms used by Procore Technologies, Autodesk BIM 360, and Trimble Connect, and leverages database and API patterns familiar to enterprises like Microsoft and Oracle Corporation for reporting and traceability.

Use Cases and Industry Adoption

Common use cases include clash detection and coordination for projects delivered by contractors such as Skanska and Balfour Beatty, code compliance checks for agencies like NYC Department of Buildings or UK Building Regulations, quantity takeoff for estimators at firms like Rider Levett Bucknall, and model QA/QC in multidisciplinary teams including consultants such as WSP Global and ARUP. Solibri is used on project types ranging from high-rise developments by Lendlease to transportation infrastructure commissioned by entities like Transport for London and industrial projects managed by Shell and BP. Adoption is often documented in case studies from consultancies such as Arcadis and academic settings at universities like Aalto University and Delft University of Technology exploring BIM standards.

Licensing and Pricing

Solibri is distributed under commercial licensing typical to enterprise AEC software, with seat-based and subscription models comparable to offerings from Autodesk, Bentley Systems, and Graphisoft. Procurement often involves procurement teams influenced by frameworks used by European Investment Bank or multinational contractors such as Vinci and may include enterprise agreements, maintenance contracts, and professional services from channel partners similar to those representing Trimble or Nemetschek Group.

Criticism and Limitations

Criticism of Solibri reflects general industry concerns noted about BIM tools supplied by companies like Autodesk and Bentley Systems: high cost for small firms, learning curve for teams in practices such as architectural practice at small offices, dependency on accurate IFC exports from platforms like Revit or Tekla Structures, and occasional challenges integrating with proprietary workflows used by contractors like Bechtel. Other limitations cited by practitioners mirror issues raised in literature from institutions such as Royal Institute of British Architects and research at Technical University of Munich: customization complexity, rule authoring overhead, and the need for organizational change management in firms like Perkins and Will and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Category:Building information modeling