IFC plus Data Templates – the right formula for interoperable data

In the construction industry, the adoption of IFC as a method for exchanging manufacturers product data is still in its early stages. This is because IFC was originally developed to support the exchange of building information models (BIM), not to handle the more complex data associated with construction products. Managing product data becomes even more complicated when it needs to comply with product standards and legal requirements, which are not fully addressed within IFC’s original framework.

With the upcoming regulatory changes in Europe, including the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR) introducing the requirement for Digital Product Passports (DPPs), a strong need for structured product data is rising. To comply with the regulations, manufacturers need to digitize their product data and present product characteristics as standard-based properties. While some manufacturers have recognized this need, confusion persists over how to implement it properly.

Let’s take a closer look at why simply providing products in IFC format is not enough and how data templates are the missing ingredients for the right formula.

Understanding IFC

IFC is a vendor-neutral, open data format developed to describe, exchange and share information within the BIM process. It was designed to facilitate interoperability—the seamless exchange of data between different software platforms. However, IFC does not inherently guarantee interoperability.
While IFC can transport a variety of data types, its flexibility allows for multiple ways to represent the same product information. Without a unified approach, this can lead to different implementers creating incompatible representations of the same object, complicating verification and validation of set requirements.

Take windows, for example. According to IFC, windows have a parameter called “security rating.” However, the EN 14351-1 European harmonized standard, which governs windows, has no such parameter. Instead, it uses three different ones: explosion resistance, bullet resistance and burglar resistance—each vaguely similar to “security rating” but fundamentally different in how they are defined and tested. This may seem like a minor difference, but it creates a larger issue since these parameters from European standards flow into Eurocodes and other national design codes, influencing every stage of the construction process. When the underlying product data isn’t consistent, it can lead to misinterpretation across different stakeholders and tools.

The need for structured data: why IFC alone isn’t enough

Manufacturers often conclude that providing their products “in IFC” is enough to meet BIM requirements. However, that’s not the case. To fully digitize product information, we need to capture it as standard-based properties defined by local regulations and tested against credible sources, such as product standards.

In practice, IFC alone is not sufficient to describe every product characteristic relevant to a construction project. Construction products, such as windows or HVAC systems, are subject to different technical, legal and market requirements based on their location, purpose and complexity. These requirements must be reflected in the data shared across the supply chain, but IFC doesn’t inherently carry all the properties necessary to fulfill these requirements.

For instance, the IFC property sets might include irrelevant or incomprehensible properties like “Status” or “Reference,” which are useful only inside the BIM model but have little bearing on the actual product data needed for compliance or lifecycle management. To ensure the right data is used, we must integrate a structured data approach that links IFC to the data dictionaries and standards relevant to each project.

Data Templates and Data Dictionaries: filling in the gaps

To create truly interoperable data, IFC needs to be combined with a data dictionary, such as BSDD and Define, based on standards like ISO 12006-3 (IFD), which provides a standardized framework for defining and storing construction information. The data dictionary content must be organized into properties and data templates according to EN ISO 23386 and EN ISO 23387.

Let’s return to our example of a window. While IFC provides some basic ideas of what the properties of an “IfcWindow” are, it doesn’t include all the specific data points required to fully describe a window. To do so, you need additional information, such as the local building regulations affecting window products, the methods used to test the properties and the credible sources associated with them (e.g., the relevant product standards).

Illustration showing the problem related to missed window properties with IFC

This is where data templates come in. Data templates provide a structured, standardized set of properties tailored to specific products, ensuring that manufacturers can communicate the right product characteristics. By using data dictionaries, data templates can reference industry-approved definitions, ensuring consistency across platforms. These dictionaries also help manage semantic differences between different contexts and languages, ensuring global compatibility.

How IFC and Data Templates work together

So how do IFC and data templates work together? IFC acts as the transport format, enabling data exchange between BIM tools. Data templates provide the content structure, organizing the data according to local regulations, standards and best practices.

For manufacturers, this means they can use data templates to structure their product data first—ensuring that all relevant properties, test methods and units are correctly defined. Once structured, this data can be transported via IFC, allowing it to be seamlessly shared across different systems. This ensures that manufacturers’ data is machine-readable, consistent and interoperable, both now and in the future.

This approach is already being integrated into international BIM standardization efforts. The CEN/TC 442 committee, for example, developed EN 17549-2 standard in 2023 that introduces an IFC-based exchange structure for product information and product requirements based on data templates. This standard closes the gap between the business semantics defined by ISO standards and the file-based exchanges facilitated by IFC.

European business semantics: how local building regulations and product standards can potentially enrich on IFC data exchange

The regulatory push: Digital Product Passports and interoperability

As Europe moves toward implementing Digital Product Passports (DPPs) as part of its Circular Economy Action Plan, the construction industry will increasingly depend on structured, digital data to meet new regulatory requirements. DPPs will demand detailed, standardized product information for traceability, sustainability and lifecycle management.

For manufacturers, structured data becomes critical. Unstructured formats like PDFs will no longer be sufficient for meeting compliance, sustainability reporting, or lifecycle tracking.

Because of the advantages of IFC, IFD, data dictionaries and data templates—such as standardization, consistency and machine readability—they are the tools that enable manufacturers to meet the demands of DPPs. Working together, these tools not only ensure seamless data exchange across platforms but also are essential for future-proofing data, enabling manufacturers to streamline compliance, and maintain the traceability and sustainability of their products.

Conclusions

In conclusion, integrating IFC, IFD, data dictionaries and data templates into product data workflows is essential for meeting the upcoming regulatory requirements for Digital Product Passports and ensuring long-term interoperability within BIM processes.

IFC provides the “how” (transport format), while data templates provide the “what” (content structure).

Together, they allow manufacturers to communicate product information in a standardized, machine-readable way, ensuring compliance with both BIM requirements and regulatory frameworks like DPPs.

This combination not only helps manufacturers meet today’s demands for structured data but also ensures that they are prepared for the increasing focus on traceability, sustainability and a circular economy in the construction industry.