Exchange Model and Exchange Object Concepts for Implementation of National BIM Standards

The industry foundation class (IFC) standard building model schema is a necessary but not sufficient condition for achieving full interoperability between building information modeling (BIM) tools. Unless each information exchange within construction project workflows has its specific contents and level of detail defined, the breadth and flexibility of the IFC schema leaves room for errors. The national BIM standard approach for resolving the ambiguities of information exchange is based on “use cases,” which precisely define the data required in each information exchange between disciplines in engineering workflows. In this paper, we define specific procedures for developing information delivery manuals (IDM), which capture the use cases and the precise information to be exchanged. We also identify some of the data semantics we found problematic that require workflow specification. We further propose details of the information capture that allow the IDM to serve as a specification for later implementation and testing. The procedures are illustrated using examples from an IDM specification developed for the domain of architectural precast concrete.