Structural analysis extension of the IFC modelling framework

The further development of the IFC2x platform gains in importance with its rapidly expanding acceptance in real design and construction practice. This is underpinned by the 23 IAI projects inaugurated in the last few years, aiming to produce model extensions that can adequately support different AEC/FM processes and sub-domains. This paper provides an overview of the structural analysis extension to the IFCs, being developed as part of the IAI ST-4 project. Presented are the scope of the model, major concepts that have guided the conceptual modelling work and the envisaged actors and usage scenarios leading to data exchange views. An illustrative example for the possible use of the proposed model is also provided. The introduced top-level entities are briefly discussed, together with their intended usage at the detailed levels of the model. At the end, the current development status, planned further activities and future plans, and expected results for the practice are briefly outlined.