IFC: the only BIM file for the future!
Worldwide, BIM is increasingly establishing itself as a new broad-spectrum design methodology in the construction industry.
One of the most important aspects of the BIM world is the continuous passage of information between manufacturers, designers and the market through interchange files: product data format must be standardized to the highest possible level so as to facilitate a correct design.
The only file that, in our opinion, has such characteristic is the IFC one (Industry Foundation Classes).
What is a IFC file?
The IFC is a particular file format that allows the data exchange regarding a product, be it a brick or a luminaire, among the various design platforms (programs) in the construction industry.
It is a platform-neutral, open data schema specification managed by an independent standardization body, therefore not controlled by single vendors, developed to facilitate interoperability.
The IFC is a file designed to contain not only the performance data of a product such as the Eulumdat or IES photometric files, but also technical, commercial and maintenance data, that is to say, all the data that characterize a product.
What are the advantages of the IFC?
The main advantage offered by the IFC format is the interoperability between the various professionals involved in the construction process, allowing them to exchange information through a standard format, which can be freely used and not only in the lighting industry.
This allows to increase the quality of work, reduce errors, reduce costs and save time, since it guarantees the use of consistent and updated data during every single phase: from design to and subsequent maintenance.
IFC: the file of the future for lighting technology
IFC files are the future of BIM because they are::
- Open
- Independent
- Managed by truly independent national or international standards bodies
- Consistent with all other construction product files in the BIM word
- Compliant with applicable national laws such as the Italian BIM Law (Del Rio Decree n.560 of December 1, 2017), or the Danish, Finnish and Norwegian BIM Laws which already prescribe the IFC file as the only usable one
Does it mean that any file that does not have these characteristics could be unusable in the BIM world? It would certainly seem so, which is one more reason to engage in its development
According to buildingSMART (the global body that leads the digital transformation of the construction sector), the IFC format is the main tool for the implementation of Open BIM, "which represents a universal approach to collaboration for the design and construction of buildings based on open standards and workflows”.
An invitation to the lighting industry
Therefore, we invite manufacturers, institutions, designers, distributors and installers, as well as the Dial and Relux consortia, to join us in developing the IFC format for the lighting industry.
The benefits for all would be enormous because finally a single exchange file would be obtained, not limited only to the lighting industry but covering the planning, design, maintenance and life cycle overall activities in the construction industry.
We will be thus able to respond coherently to the demands of BIM files, integrating the supply of products for the entire construction industry, from bricks to luminaires.
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