CC2311

TECHNOLOGY focus
Tried and tested
IFCs have been around for quite some time for data exchange and are now just one of several common
standards. Here,Trimble consider whether IFCs are now more important than ever
We all know about IFCs. But why
are they so important from an
interoperability, communication
and longevity point of view, and how can
we as an industry ensure that we are
benefitting from their true value? Here,
Duncan Reed, Business Development
Manager at Trimble explores this issues.
IFC (Industry Foundation Class) can be
defined as a common standard for data
exchange. In many ways, IFC is an
enabling technology, facilitating effective
collaboration and communication on a
project, as well as providing longevity
and protection. In an industry where
there can be many different software
packages and products being used on
a single project, IFC allows a rich data
exchange that can be easily shared
between teams and is able to be
opened and viewed using any
application, regardless of the original
proprietary software.
As well as aiding effective coordination
between project teams and partners, IFC
is also just as important from a longevity
perspective. When it comes to the more
complex and large-scale construction
and civil engineering projects, such as
Hinkley Point C in Somerset, they can
take years to deliver, from the initial
design, engineering and concept design
phase through to on-site construction,
handover and operation. Given the
speed at which technology is advancing,
it is critically important that trusted,
immutable data is still accessible to any
party who is starting work on the latter
stages of such mega projects, perhaps
five or more years after the initial
construction models were issued.
It's all about futureproofing the file and
its data. Imagine you have a model file
from version 1.1 of a software, but you are
now on version 4.3 of the same software
package. Can you still open the original
file? We only need to look at the transition
from floppy discs (remember those?) and
CDs to memory sticks to the cloud to see
how storing and transferring data has
changed in just a couple of decades.
That said, while the principal value of
IFCs sounds great, it isn't without its
challenges. In many ways, organisations
on a project shouldn't need to talk about
IFC; it should just happen smoothly in
the background as the default exchange
process. Just like if you were to take a
photo on your smartphone and wished to
share it with a friend; you don't have to
think about reformatting it in order to
send it via text, or WhatsApp, or
Facebook Messenger. Similarly, if you
were to send a photo from an iPhone to
a Samsung, for example - two devices
with different operating systems - you
don't have to do a conversion process, it
just happens.
We should be at the same point when it
comes to sharing BIM model files,
automatically sending and transferring all
data as an IFC. After all, interoperability
and communication are essential.
However, as an industry we are not yet
quite at this point, with all software
vendors on different journeys and at
different stages when it comes to IFC
data exchange.
While most software products will
enable you to exchange and convert
data via IFC, the rules and scope of the
schema mean there are limits as to what
can be exchanged 'out of the box', so to
speak. There are various nuances within
the IFC schema and, as a result, it is
always best to test the exchange process
to ensure the data required does move
24
November/December 2023