LINEAR

The power of creation is a gift that mankind has been blessed with in abundance. While there are hundreds of other creatures on the planet that possess incredible architectural ingenuity, nothing rivals the planning and construction capabilities that humans have showcased since they stopped depending on caves for shelter. And over the years, man has developed impressive new methods and techniques to erect the most stunning monuments as well as construct varieties of structures for residential and commercial purposes. The manner in which construction professionals go about developing and implementing their designs has also evolved, mainly due to the digital transformation of the modern world. Innovations like building information modeling (BIM) systems, digital twins, cloud-based platforms, and an ocean of software tools have revolutionized how professionals approach each project and communicate with on-site teams to deliver on the needs of the hour.

Digital construction technology solutions, especially BIM systems,are currently empowering several players in the field to address pressing challenges like pollution and over-utilisation of resources as well, where sustainable and eco-friendly practices are being enforced all over the world. However, many mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design engineers do not often employ or leverage BIM systems as effectively as they can due to the complexity of the technology. They find that collaborating with other design engineers and using holistic data can also seem challenging. At this juncture, having understood the needs and demands of the market, Germany-based liNear is an organisation that seeks to help MEP engineers best utilise BIM systems and achieve their desired construction results. The company offers a slew of software solutions and services that excel at supporting users design HVAC, plumbing, and plant infrastructure.

Simplifying BIM

liNear strongly believes that an MEP engineer should not have to manage the multiple data formats in a BIM system and works towards streamlining their workflows completely. “With our solutions, we hide the complexity in working with data formats by optimally structuring the information beforehand,” expresses Manfred Waluga, CEO of liNear. In doing so, MEP professionals are empowered with the ability to communicate and collaborate with other process users, technologies, and data to obtain the desired results more expeditiously.

liNear’s massive portfolio of design software for building service engineering brings all the resources required by MEP professionals and architects in a single work environment. They are equipped with the ability to manage conceptual design and as-built models, including all specific and standardised calculations. The company seamlessly integrates multiple applications into one, consolidated source that allows users to draw, calculate, simulate, and design 3D models. It also goes without saying that Waluga and his team ensured to develop their solution to support important interfaces like IFC and BCF for collaboration and long-term archiving of building models.

Extensive Construction Solutions Portfolio

Concerning the company’s HVAC expertise, liNear creates separate data sets for products such as radiators, thermostatic valves, air outlets, and pipe systems alongside large, resourceful CAD libraries. Architects benefit greatly from these features as it helps them automate data entry and process execution tasks likethe selection of the correct variants of a certain model series. Additionally, liNear’s solutions can be operated in seven different languages, each with their own country-specific compliance standards. This helps various regulatory bodies approve of the designs for heating, cooling, waste water management, and portable water more smoothly, even after comprehensive evaluation processes.

The company’s product features particularly stand out owing to its solution’s integration with Revit and AutoCAD. “For Autodesk Revit, we follow the same philosophy as for AutoCAD, which is already known and established,” says Waluga. liNear has created a new user interface, a dialog sidebar for AutoCAD and Revit, allowing users to avoid the workaround and directly achieve new levels of productivity. The sidebar provides MEP engineers with the ability to simply selectthe necessary type of task, location, and plan. With these selections,the company offers users the perfect view of their designs, presenting them with the right set of tools that aids an engineer to navigate through the design process. “We work directly in the model and have integrated the design tools as well as all network calculations into the program without error-prone interfaces. To make Revit a true engineer tool, we offer many design, building detection and control tools that combine commands in a time-saving manner,” states Waluga. Additional tools are available for a constructive and effective collaboration as well within the integrated design of BIM.

The company has developed an intelligent algorithm that detects heating or cooling calculations from building models, where its MEP-specific toolsets and calculations help engineers establish a robust new workflow. Waluga and his team also ensured to build a CAD browser for product selection, configuration, and parts lists. These elements are categorised based on manufacturers and article numbers, which make them ideal inputs for tender programs. The quality and validity of the content that liNear’s CAD libraries proffer is unparalleled. It is constantly updated, referenced with industry partners, and is available to all users cost-free.

Non-Stop BIM Innovation

liNear’s solutions, since its establishment in 1993, have been implemented in hundreds of projects across the globe. Some of the most prominent endeavours are the Formula 1 circuit in Abu Dhabi, Tropical Island in Berlin, and the Grand Tower in Frankfurt, where decentralized heating and cooling systems with more than 300 kilometres of panel heating pipe and 400 dwelling stations were constructed.

With such strong software capabilities, liNear is leading the charge in the BIM landscape today. It has launched liNear Building Labs, an R&D department dedicated to innovative planning in the building industry. The company, with its incredibly sophisticated products and services, intends to showcase BIM as the next step in the evolution of traditional construction workflows, where professionals in the field are driven by model-based design, collaboration, and data sharing capabilities.