The specification of the IFC scheme is the main technical achievement of buildingSMART International, to achieve the goal of promoting openBIM More specifically, the IFC Schema is a standardized data model that logically encodes: the identity and semantics (name, machine-readable unique identifier, object type or function), the characteristics or attributes (such as material, color and thermal properties), and relationships (including locations, connections and ownership) of objects (such as columns or slabs), abstract concepts (performance, costs), processes (installation, operation), and people (owners, designers, contractors, suppliers, etc.). An IFC Schema denotes an open, international standard for describing buildings and building data in construction and architecture. It is basically a data model used to store and exchange various information about a building. The IFC Schema is hierarchical and consists of various classes and attributes that describe the structural and functional aspects of a building.
In data modeling, important concepts such as entities and attributes, relations, geometric representation, typing and context are used. Entities represent concrete objects with certain properties such as material and color, while relations represent relationships between them, e.g. between a wall and a window. Geometric representation visualizes entities through lines and surfaces. Typing enables the classification of entities, e.g. into different wall types such as load-bearing or partition wall. Context provides additional information, such as the position of a wall on the ground floor.
Overall, the IFC schema provides a standardized way to describe and exchange construction data, making it interoperable across different construction software applications and systems. It is often used in the construction industry to facilitate data exchange between different stakeholders such as architects, engineers and contractors.