Between the Poles: BIM standard IFC4 published as ISO16739

Geoff Zeiss

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September 21, 2013

BIM standard IFC4 published as ISO16739

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model is intended to describe building and construction industry data. It is a neutral and open specification that is not controlled by a single vendor or group of vendors. It is an object-based file format with a data model developed by buildingSMART to facilitate interoperability in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, and is a commonly used format for Building information modeling (BIM).

In spring 2013, buildingSMART’s IFC4 was formally published as ISO standard – ISO 16739. IFC4 is intended to replace the current IFC2x3 standard. The major BIM software vendors are certified or in the process of becoming certified via the official buildingSMART IFC2x3 Coordination View V2.0 certification process.

Overview of IFC4

enhances the capability of the IFC specification in its main architectural, building service and structural elements with new geometric, parametric and other features
enables new BIM workflows – including 4D and 5D model exchanges, manufacturer product libraries, BIM to GIS interoperability, enhanced thermal simulations and sustainability assessments
links all IFC property definitions to the buildingSMART data dictionary
improves readability and ease of access to the documentation with numerous implementation concepts and fully linked examples
contains ifcXML4 schema, fully integrated into the IFC specification in addition to the EXPRESS schema
has been developed in line with the new mvdXML methodology (as the baseline for future computer-readable model views and data validation services)
corrects technical problems found since the release of IFC2x3
enables the extension of IFC to infrastructure and other parts of the built environment

The next step is for software vendors to incorporate IFC4/ISO 16739 in their software interfaces, which is expected to happen from mid-2013 to mid-2014. Then buildingSMART will certify the quality of the implementations over the following year.

Between the Poles

Geoff Zeiss

November 2023

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September 21, 2013

BIM standard IFC4 published as ISO16739

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