Harmonization for CIS/2 and IFC

There has been enormous efforts have been given to achieve a medium format for data exchange in AEC (Architecutre, Engineering, Construction) industry as well as other domains. International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) has set up a building product model, called the Industry Foudation Class (IFC), for the entire AEC industries in a horizontal perspective, while the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) has created a very detailed building product model, called CIMsteel Integration Standards (CIS/2), for the construction steel industry from analysis to manufacturing in a vertical perspective.

With the great success in the data exchange using CIS/2 in the steel construction industry, American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) initiated an investigation into harmonization with IFC to achieve the synergy effect throughout AEC industries. As a consequence of cooperation between AISC and IAI, IAI agreed to add a modification in the future release of IFC (IFC2X3) to work with data exchange between the CIS/2 and IFC product model. The proposal for the modification will be wraped up in IFC ST-6 project. Link to IAI Extesion Project website

Scope

The work in the Harmonization for CIS/2 and IFC addresses following issues;

• Review and make recommendations, from the US perspective, on the use cases for the ST-6 Sub-model of IFC, for the support of future harmonization with CIS/2

• Review and recommend extensions of the coverage of ST-6, in support of US steel practices and the use of CIS/2

• Development of a translator program supporting a specified set of use cases, between CIS/2 and IFC