IFC What is it, what does it do and what is its relationship with the BIM?
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is one of the most innovative and promising technologies in the construction sector.
We can understand BIM as a process of development, design, execution, and maintenance of a building that contains all the information pertaining to its entire life cycle.
Thanks to BIM, it is possible to create a virtual model of the building that is not a simple 3D representation, but a dynamic model containing a whole range of information about:
- Geometry
- Materials
- Structures
- Thermal characteristics and energy performance
- Facilities
- Costs
- Security
- Maintenance
- Life cycle
BIM and interoperability
Several professional figures are involved in the design and construction phases of a building, each with their own discipline or area of interest. For this reason, it is of great importance that the professionals involved can exchange information and collaborate effectively on the project’s implementation.
A standard format is therefore needed that enables interoperability and secure data exchange, without errors and/or loss of information . This is precisely the purpose of the IFC format.
What is the IFC format?
The IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is a specific data format that allows the exchange of an information model without loss or distortion of data or information.
It is an open, neutral format, not controlled by software producers, designed to facilitate interoperability between various operators.
The IFC is designed to compile all building information throughout its entire lifecycle, from preliminary design to execution and maintenance, including the various design and planning phases.
How the IFC Works
According to buildingSMART, the IFC format is the primary tool for implementing Open BIM, “which represents a universal method for collaborative design and construction of buildings based on open standards and workflows.”
The IFC architecture bases its own structure on:
- Semantics
- Relations
- Properties
Elements are designed to describe building components, such as fixtures, spaces, areas, furniture, and structural elements (pillars, beams, walls, floors, etc.), including the specific properties of each object. This subdivision makes it possible to associate specific dimensions with each object, such as:
- Shape
- Costs
- Need for maintenance
- Position
- Energy provision
- Connection with other objects
- Security
- Physical and mechanical characteristics
- All of this data is generally encoded in one of three available formats:
- Ifc: predefined file format based on the ISO-STEP standard
- Ifcxml: XML-based coding
- Ifczip: compressed file of one of these formats, which may also contain attached material such as PDF or images
What are the advantages of the IFC?
The main advantage offered by the IFC format is the possibility of collaboration between the various stakeholders involved in the construction process, allowing the exchange of information through a standard format.
This leads to higher quality, fewer errors, lower costs, and time savings with consistent data and information throughout the entire execution and maintenance process.
IFC Certification
buildingSMART International has defined a certification process that ensures the accuracy of IFC data import and export, ensuring compliance with standards.
All IFC-certified software is capable of reading, writing, and exchanging information with other programs . According to data provided by buildingSMART, the IFC standard is supported by more than 140 software platforms.
