Today, the author will discuss the significance of BIM and IFC in the building lifecycle. Common challenges faced include: during the design phase, changes made cannot automatically update associated 2D drawings; in the construction stage, information is repeatedly entered without consistent management; frequent revisions and storage of the same drawings leave little time for correcting new ones; project teams often lack a unified understanding of the overall project; no single software vendor offers a system that covers the entire building lifecycle; and during bidding and quotation, it is difficult to quickly and accurately estimate project quantities.
To address these issues, the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) introduced the concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and developed Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as a standard for information exchange. IFC has become one of the most widely used formats in the engineering field.
Established in October 1995, the IAI has actively promoted BIM, a concept originally proposed by Professor C.M. Eastman from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the late 1970s. BIM integrates all data and information throughout a building’s lifecycle into a data model represented by 3D objects, effectively serving as a centralized database and knowledge base. This allows any discipline or software involved in the building process to access the necessary data and information.
The standard data exchange format for BIM is the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). To improve the efficiency and accuracy of engineering design, the IAI promotes IFC as an information standard tailored to various engineering applications. During design, engineering data can be shared and reused across specialties such as architectural design, cost estimation, and building management through IFC’s storage and transmission capabilities. IFC has resolved many issues related to information exchange and sharing, becoming an internationally recognized standard. Many engineering software providers now support IFC import and export, establishing IFC as the core format for BIM data exchange and a foundation for BIM implementation. Therefore, adopting IFC standards is essential.
Currently, quantity estimation during the construction phase is mostly done by manually interpreting design drawings and inputting data into estimation software, which is labor-intensive and prone to errors, affecting both competitiveness and accuracy. Since BIM applies object-oriented principles to CAD software, IFC-compatible software can automatically calculate quantities without relying on separate estimation tools. It can quantify elements such as structural formwork area, concrete volume, decorative surface areas, and even count individual components like doors, windows, ladders, and railings.
That concludes today’s overview of BIM and IFC. I hope this has been helpful to everyone.
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