A Systematic Review of the Trends and Advances in IFC Schema Extensions for BIM Interoperability

Abstract

Numerous studies have developed extensions to the IFC schema to meet the needs of specialized domains or represent nascent technologies, and in turn have expanded the scope of interoperability for BIM data exchanges. However, these studies used varying approaches for IFC extensions and validation, making it difficult to identify research gaps and agree on legitimate extension protocols. This study collected 64 studies of IFC schema extensions spanning over two decades, from 2001 to 2022. The analysis first focused on categorizing these cases with respect to their target domains and sectors, their purpose and extension approaches, as well as their methods for implementation and validation. Timeline analyses were also conducted to track the temporal trends over the specified period. The results revealed that architectural cases have recently shifted from process to product representations due to new technology adoptions, while infrastructure cases, initially centered on major sector elements, have transitioned towards operation and maintenance processes. The findings also showed the need for a more holistic and organized approach for extensions, as current ad hoc developments were limited to products and processes only applicable for specific sectors.