Interoperability in building construction using exchange standards

Abstract

Standard product and/or process models are a key enabling technology for the AEC industry to realize many of the benefits of more advanced computing approaches. The steel building industry has standardized on CIS/2. More broadly AEC has been striving to move IFCs into practice. STEP, the international product data standard ISO 10303, serves as the basic format for both CIS/2 and the IFCs. An overview of both formats accompanies example exchange files. An example one-way translation from CIS/2 to IFC2x3 illustrates some of the difficulties that must be overcome if the sought for harmonization of these standards is to be achieved. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.