IFC & BIM Explained

There's more and more being heard about IFC lately, but what is it and what does it have to do with building information modeling (BIM)?

To quote wikipedia:

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model is a neutral and open specification that is not controlled by a single vendor or group of vendors. It is an object oriented file format with a data modeldeveloped by buildingSMART (International Alliance for Interoperability, IAI) to facilitate interoperability in the building industry, and is a commonly used format for Building Information Modeling (BIM). The IFC model specification is open and available.[1] It is registered by ISO as ISO/PAS 16739 and is currently in the process of becoming the official International Standard ISO/IS 16739.

What that's simply saying is; IFC is aiming to be a global standard for BIM data exchange.

For example I could be developing my virtual building model in Revit, then send it to our interior team who use ArchiCAD. It might also be sent to our engineers who use Tekla. Before the IFC standard file type this would have been a nightmare. As Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla can talk to each other, but not easily! IFC aims to solve this problem, so that it won't matter so much. We say bring it on, it's sounding great.

You can learn more about the IFC standard at buildingsmart.com

As usual if you have any questions about IFC or building information modeling (BIM) and how best your company can support it. Feel free to contact us today >