Whether dealing with new technology or organizational processes, it is essential to strictly enforce standardization during implementation. The adoption of BIM (Building Information Modeling) is no exception. One of the most critical concerns in promoting BIM is establishing clear standards. Essentially, BIM standards fall into two categories: technical standards and process standards. From a practical standpoint, technical standards primarily govern the format of information exchange, while process standards focus on the content of that exchange. These two categories differ significantly and should be addressed separately.
From an IT fundamentals perspective, striving for the highest theoretical standards is a key aspect of international data exchange. IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) data is known for its strict structure and clear classification definitions. The current version of IFC covers all phases of construction and design, making it a comprehensive standard. Additionally, it is important to recognize the significance of IDM (Information Delivery Manual) and IFD (International Framework for Dictionaries) standards within this ecosystem.
Currently, the BIM standard NBIMS (National BIM Standard) employs the Capability Maturity Model to define BIM interoperability across ten levels. At the highest level, all information complies fully with the IFC standard. However, in practice, the maturity level of BIM information exchange in the United States generally only reaches level two, which corresponds to mandatory interoperability. This gap highlights the practical limitations of IFC standards in real-world applications. Looking at BIM adoption in the UK, maturity is typically categorized into four levels, from Level 0 to Level 3, with Level 2 being the most commonly achieved stage.
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