Implementing Industry Foundation Classes for Seamless Integration

What is an IFC and Why It Matters in BIM Collaboration

In today’s digital construction environment, collaboration between different disciplines and software platforms is essential. But with each vendor using proprietary formats, how do we ensure that data can move seamlessly across the project lifecycle? This is where Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) come into play.

📂 What is an IFC?

An IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) file is an open, neutral, and non-proprietary data format developed by buildingSMART International. It provides a common language for describing building and infrastructure assets so that information can be shared consistently across different stakeholders, software applications, and project phases.

Think of IFC as a “digital container” that stores not just geometry, but also rich information such as material properties, classifications, quantities, and performance attributes.

🛠️ How Are IFCs Used?

• Design Coordination: Share architectural, structural, and MEP models between different authoring tools.

  
  

• Clash Detection: Export IFC files into coordination platforms like Navisworks or Solibri for issue tracking.

  
  

• Construction Planning: Link IFC elements to 4D schedules and 5D cost models.

  
  

• Facilities Management: Deliver asset data in IFC format as part of COBie or FM handover requirements.

  
  

• Infrastructure Projects: With IFC 4.3, civil engineering models (roads, rail, bridges) can now be integrated alongside buildings.

🤝 Collaboration Between Different Software

Each discipline often uses different tools:

• Architects may design in Revit or Archicad

  
  

• Structural engineers in Tekla, Robot Structural Analysis or Prokon

  
  

• Civil engineers in Civil 3D or Civil Designer

  
  

• Contractors using Navisworks or Synchro

  
  

• Owners using FM tools

Without IFC, data loss and duplication are inevitable. IFC provides a common exchange format, allowing all these tools to communicate effectively and ensuring that data remains usable throughout the lifecycle.

🔄 The IFC Workflow

A typical IFC workflow involves:

1. Authoring – Models created in native tools (Revit, Civil 3D, Tekla).

   
   

2. Exporting – Models exported to IFC using defined settings (e.g., Coordination View, Design Transfer View).

   
   

3. Validation – Checking the IFC in tools like Solibri or BIMCollab to ensure geometry and properties are intact.

   
   

4. Coordination – Combining IFC files into a federated model for clash detection and multidisciplinary review.

   
   

5. Integration – Linking IFC data to schedules, cost databases, or GIS systems.

   
   

6. Handover – Delivering an IFC-compliant asset model to the client for operations and maintenance.

🧩 What is an IFC Schema?

The IFC Schema is the underlying structure that defines how building and infrastructure data is organized. It’s like the “grammar” of IFC—specifying entities (e.g., walls, beams, doors, roads) and their relationships, as well as how properties and classifications are attached.

🏛️ IFC Schema Structure

IFC 4.3 marks a major milestone, especially for infrastructure projects:

• Civil Alignment Support – Better representation of roads, railways, and linear assets.

  
  

• Georeferencing Enhancements – Seamless integration with GIS and survey data.

  
  

• Bridge & Tunnel Entities – Native support for bridges, tunnels, and associated components.

  
  

• Improved Geometry Handling – More robust solids, curves, and parametric definitions.

  
  

• Standardized Property Sets – More precise classification and performance data for assets.

For the first time, infrastructure assets can be modelled and exchanged with the same level of richness as buildings.

🚀 Key Changes in IFC 4.3

IFC 4.3 marks a major milestone, especially for infrastructure projects:

• Civil Alignment Support – Better representation of roads, railways, and linear assets.

  
  

• Georeferencing Enhancements – Seamless integration with GIS and survey data.

  
  

• Bridge & Tunnel Entities – Native support for bridges, tunnels, and associated components.

  
  

• Improved Geometry Handling – More robust solids, curves, and parametric definitions.

  
  

• Standardized Property Sets – More precise classification and performance data for assets.

For the first time, infrastructure assets can be modelled and exchanged with the same level of richness as buildings.

📑 Model View Definitions (MVDs)

Since IFC is a broad schema, not every project needs all of its capabilities. That’s where Model View Definitions (MVDs) come in. An MVD is a filtered subset of the IFC schema tailored for a specific use case. Examples include:

• Coordination View (CV 2.0): For multidisciplinary coordination.

  
  

• Design Transfer View: For transferring editable geometry between authoring tools.

  
  

• FM Handover View (COBie): For facilities management data delivery.

By selecting the right MVD, projects can ensure that IFC exports are fit-for-purpose and not bloated with unnecessary data.

🌍 Final Thoughts

The construction industry is moving towards open-BIM, where interoperability is no longer a nice-to-have, but a contractual requirement. Implementing IFC correctly ensures:

• Seamless collaboration between stakeholders.

  
  

• Future-proof data handover.

  
  

• Integration of buildings and infrastructure in a single digital environment.

With IFC 4.3, the industry is taking a huge step forward—bridging the gap between vertical and horizontal assets and laying the foundation for digital twins and smart infrastructure.