Generic BIM queries based on the IFC object model using graph theory

In the architecture, engineering and construction industry, building information modeling (BIM) has emerged as a viable means to support information exchange and interoperability through open standards. As a technical basis, the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), an open, platform-independent ISO standard, are commonly used as a collaboration format for building information modeling. With recent advances in BIM technologies, substantial research efforts have been devoted to the development of formal IFC-based query languages supporting the retrieval of building information (such as parametric information, structural information, or management information). However, existing approaches towards IFC-based BIM query languages are usually based on model structures requiring predefined queries or schema-based filters, which imply a profound knowledge about the IFC object model. This paper presents a generic approach towards information retrieval using the IFC object model based on graph theory. Specifically, the internal relations of the IFC object model are used to generate directed graphs that serve as semantic data pools facilitating generic queries. Using a prototype software framework, the results of several queries are checked for their correctness, proving the proposed approach. Without requiring a high level of user-side knowledge about the IFC model on the user side, the proposed approach may serve as a basis to BIM query languages becoming more user-friendly and efficient, as compared to existing solutions.