The construction industry is undergoing a digital transformation. At the heart of this shift lies a growing demand for data consistency, seamless collaboration, and long-term asset management. One of the most influential forces driving this transformation is buildingSMART, a global authority developing open digital standards for the built environment. Its mission: to improve the exchange and use of information throughout the entire lifecycle of a building or infrastructure project.
What Are buildingSMART Standards?
buildingSMART International is a vendor-neutral, not-for-profit organization leading the digital transformation of the built environment. Its core mission is to create and maintain open international standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. These standards are not proprietary to any single software vendor, promoting a level playing field and preventing data lock-in. They are developed through a collaborative, consensus-driven process involving industry experts worldwide, ensuring they meet the real-world needs of construction professionals.
The suite of buildingSMART standards addresses various aspects of information management in the built environment. They are designed to support digital workflows from design and construction through to operation and maintenance, ultimately enhancing productivity, sustainability, and data reliability. These standards form the backbone of Open BIM, a methodology that ensures stakeholders can exchange and interpret data regardless of the software they use.
buildingSMART is best known for developing:
- IFC (Industry Foundation Classes)
- BCF (BIM Collaboration Format)
- IDS (Information Delivery Specification)
- bSDD (buildingSMART Data Dictionary)
The Pillars of buildingSMART: IFC and BCF
Two of the most prominent and widely adopted buildingSMART standards are the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and the BIM Collaboration Format (BCF).
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)
The IFC BIM standard is arguably the most critical component of the buildingSMART ecosystem. It provides a standardized, vendor-neutral data model for describing building and construction industry data. Essentially, IFC defines how building information is structured and shared, allowing different software applications to exchange BIM data consistently and accurately.
Think of IFC as a common dictionary and grammar for BIM. When a designer creates a wall in a specific BIM authoring tool, IFC defines what a “wall” is, its properties (e.g., material, dimensions, fire rating), and its relationships to other elements (e.g., doors, windows, spaces). This structured information can then be exported as an IFC file, which can be read and understood by other IFC-compliant software, regardless of its original authoring application.
The current version, IFC 4.3, specifically expands the standard’s scope to encompass infrastructure assets like roads, railways, and bridges, demonstrating buildingSMART’s commitment to a holistic approach to the built environment. This continuous development ensures IFC remains relevant and robust for increasingly complex projects.
BIM Collaboration Format (BCF)
While IFC handles the exchange of model data, the BCF BIM standard addresses the need for efficient communication and issue management within BIM projects. BCF provides a structured way to communicate issues, clashes, or requests for information related to a BIM model, linking them directly to specific elements in the model.
Instead of relying on screenshots and lengthy email threads, BCF allows project stakeholders to raise issues directly within their BIM software, attach viewpoints, comments, and assign responsibilities. This information can then be exchanged with other project members, who can open the BCF issue in their own software, navigate directly to the problematic area in the model, and propose solutions. This streamlined communication significantly improves collaboration, reduces errors, and accelerates the resolution of design and construction conflicts.
Refining Information Exchange: IDS and bSDD
Beyond the foundational IFC and BCF, buildingSMART continues to develop standards that enhance the precision and automation of information exchange. Two key standards in this area are the Information Delivery Specification (IDS) and the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD).
Information Delivery Specification (IDS)
The Information Delivery Specification (IDS) is a crucial buildingSMART standard that allows for the precise definition of information requirements in a machine-interpretable format. Traditionally, project information requirements (like those found in an Exchange Information Requirements document or BIM execution plan) might be documented in static, human-readable formats such as PDFs or spreadsheets. This often led to ambiguity and manual, error-prone compliance checks.
IDS revolutionizes this by providing a standardized, computer-readable way to specify exactly what information is needed in an IFC model, for which elements, and under what conditions. For example, an IDS file can specify that all “Wall” objects must have a “FireRating” property with a value from a predefined list, or that all “Door” objects must include a specific classification.
The primary benefit of IDS is its ability to facilitate automated compliance checking. Software tools can read an IDS file and automatically validate whether an IFC model meets all the specified requirements. This significantly reduces the time and effort spent on manual quality assurance, enhances data reliability, and ensures that modelers are creating data that aligns perfectly with project needs from the outset. By setting clear expectations and providing immediate feedback, IDS streamlines workflows and elevates the quality of delivered BIM data.
buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD)
The buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) is an invaluable online service that hosts a vast repository of standardized terms, definitions, classifications, properties, and units used in the built environment. It acts as a universal lexicon, helping to overcome semantic and linguistic barriers in global BIM projects.
In a highly fragmented industry with diverse terminology, the bSDD provides a single, authoritative source for defining common concepts. For instance, what one country calls a “wall type” might be referred to differently elsewhere, or a “U-value” (thermal transmittance) might have slightly varied definitions across disciplines. The bSDD ensures that when these terms are used in IFC models or IDS specifications, their meaning is consistent and universally understood.
The bSDD supports various international classification systems (like Uniclass), domain-specific standards, and even allows organizations to publish their own standardized terms. It’s integrated with the broader buildingSMART ecosystem, allowing software applications, through their BIM API, to access and utilize this standardized terminology. This means that when an IDS specifies a particular property or classification, its precise definition and allowed values can be sourced directly from the bSDD, eliminating ambiguity and fostering true semantic interoperability.
The Broader Impact: Open BIM and Interoperability
The collective aim of buildingSMART standards is to facilitate Open BIM. Open BIM is a universal approach to the collaborative design, realization, and operation of buildings based on open standards and workflows. It contrasts with proprietary BIM, where data may be locked into specific software ecosystems. With Open BIM, project participants can choose the best-of-breed software for their specific tasks, knowing that their data can be seamlessly exchanged and integrated with other disciplines’ models.
This commitment to openness directly addresses the challenge of BIM interoperability tools. Interoperability is the ability of different computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information. In construction, achieving true interoperability means that architects can share models with structural engineers, who can then share with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) specialists, and so on, all without losing critical data or requiring extensive manual re-entry. buildingSMART standards, including IFC, BCF, IDS, and bSDD, provide the technical specifications that enable seamless and quality flow of information.
Implementing buildingSMART Standards in Your Projects
Adopting buildingSMART standards requires a strategic approach, often outlined in a BIM execution plan. A comprehensive BIM execution plan details how BIM will be implemented and managed throughout a project, including specific protocols for data exchange, software usage, and quality control. Incorporating buildingSMART standards into your BIM execution plan ensures that your project leverages the benefits of open data exchange from the outset. This typically involves specifying the use of IFC for model deliveries, BCF for issue management, and IDS for defining and validating information requirements, leveraging bSDD for consistent terminology.
For software developers and advanced users, understanding the BIM API (Application Programming Interface) related to buildingSMART standards is crucial. BIM APIs allow different software applications to communicate and interact, facilitating the development of custom tools and integrations that enhance BIM workflows and leverage the open data provided by IFC and other standards.
Conclusion
buildingSMART standards provide the foundation for open, collaborative, and data-driven construction. By supporting interoperability through protocols like IFC, BCF, IDS, and bSDD, they eliminate silos and enable integrated workflows across the project lifecycle.
For BIM professionals, aligning with these standards enhances project outcomes and ensures long-term data value. Whether you’re drafting a BIM Execution Plan or evaluating BIM software interoperability, buildingSMART provides the framework to do it right.
Catenda is built on the principles of openness. Our solutions are designed to support these standards, enabling project teams to capture the full value of Open BIM.