IFD Library Partners work to establish standards for creators of BIM software

Four organizations have banded together to establish terminology protocols and standards for BIM software that they hope will be adopted universally.

This terminology standard is called “IFD Library” (IFD stands for International Framework for Dictionaries), and is operates as part of the buildingSMART International organization.

The four organizations, collectively called “IFD Library Partners,” are:

• Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) (Canada);
• Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) (USA);
• buildingSMART Norway (Norway);
• STABU Foundation (Netherlands)

In April 2008, these four groups — along with buildingSMART Alliance and International Code Council (ICC) — co-sponsored a North American workshop in Washington, D.C.

The focus of the workshop was the promotion of standards that will help to bring BIM into wider use.

1. The use of buildingSMART model exchange technology, including adoption of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) to store and transmit data. IFC is a maturing technology for software developers and is being used by software applications in major BIM projects around the world.

2. Setting standards for terminology that describes a BIM object without depending on the terms used to describe them. Instead, each object would be assigned a unique id number assigned by the IFD Library online database.

3. The need to establish protocols that allow users to model building processes and to create process-oriented rules that enable an application to identify only the objects needed and the person or persons allowed to access the information and make changes.

The workshop concluded with a discussion of opportunities and challenges as architectural, engineering and construction industry practices change and improved technology and open standards become available.

Key items identified for further action were:

• Building on interest in BIM to expand communications to the industry and attract support for projects and implementations of BIM standards;
• Leveraging and optimizing work being done by buildingSMART chapters and BIM standards development in North America and Europe;
• Expanding the knowledge base on the core buildingSMART technologies and their application;
Using the benefits of model-based information to support the need for improved sustainability of the built environment.

Andrew Arnold, product manager for SmartBIM, says that Reed Construction Data is committed to keeping the lines of communication with the workshop’s sponsors open as their efforts continue.

“This group is working to establish an information repository that is open and shareable,” says Arnold. “From an industry perspective, that is a huge benefit.”