Complexity in today’s construction projects necessitate comprehensive
proficiency in various divergent domains. These domain-specific professionals usually
work with software solutions that are highly specialized which often do not provide
adequate means of data exchange with other software products. However, the building
industry has collaborative atmosphere that involves repeated, iterative data exchanges
and communication. To automate information processing there is a need of
standardized and qualified data for efficient working processes. IFC provides vendorindependent
and open building information models to capture and exchange data. This
chapter presents an introduction to the IFC and emphasizes its utility in all the stages of
a project by illustrating its application in design, construction and operation &
maintenance stage.
Keywords: BEM, Compliance checking, Cost estimation, IFC, Progress
monitoring, RFID, Work space management.
