IFC 4.3 Formally Approved and Published as an ISO Standard
London, (April 2, 2024) – buildingSMART International is delighted to announce that IFC 4.3 is now formally approved and published as an international standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This accreditation solidifies IFC 4.3 as the latest iteration of the successful ISO 16739 standard, marking a major step forward for the built environment.
Following the approval announcement in January, IFC 4.3 is now formally published, and is expected to generate widespread uptake and use by the industry.
Clive Billiald, Chief Executive of buildingSMART International, stated, "The formal publication of IFC 4.3 as an internationally accredited standard is a testament to the tireless efforts of everyone involved in its development. This was almost ten years in the making. I want to acknowledge and recognise the hard work, dedication and commitment of a diverse, global group of experts, in both the buildingSMART and ISO/CEN communities, who have made this possible. Their efforts have delivered a standard which will support the built environment sector for many years to come, contributing to a more productive and sustainable industry.
Our focus now shifts to facilitating the seamless adoption and utilisation of this crucial standard by industry professionals and software vendors alike."
Øivind Rooth, Chair of the technical committee ISO/TC 59/SC 13, stated, “Thanks to buildingSMART International for a good and trusting collaboration with ISO/TC 59/SC 13 in the process of adopting IFC 4.3 as an ISO standard. The IFC standard is a central standard for the digitalization of the construction industry, and thanks to buildingSMART for having it approved as an ISO standard, it makes it possible to connect it to other BIM standards developed by ISO/TC 59/SC 13.”
You can access the published standard here.
About IFC 4.3
IFC 4.3 is a result of a series of development projects that aimed to advance the use of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) by extending its utility to encompass horizontal assets, such as roads, railways, and associated infrastructure spread across landscapes. This comprehensive scope supports a range of industry domains, including roads, railways, ports & waterways, and bridges, as well as common elements shared among these sectors.
Many contributors collaborated to develop and enhance the standard, providing both financial investment and work in kind. These individuals and organisations have advanced the IFC standard to make it more applicable and usable by infrastructure domains and, at the same time, easier for software vendors to implement. By addressing diverse use cases and incorporating a wide array of infrastructure elements, IFC 4.3 enhances interoperability and fosters comprehensive support for the complex needs of horizontal asset management and development.
About buildingSMART International
buildingSMART International is a vendor-neutral and not for profit body that leads the development of open standards that support digital information flows across the built asset industry. Its mission is to proactively engage industry participants who want to develop open standards for planning, design, procurement, assembly and operation of buildings and infrastructure worldwide. It provides the international network plus the necessary technical and process support to develop consensus based open standards. Its members, who range from across the entire built environment spectrum, collaborate under the buildingSMART organization and management. buildingSMART also partners with other international standards bodies such as ISO, the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Its core Industry Foundation Class (IFC) standard first achieved ISO approval in 2012.
About ISO
ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, brings global experts together to agree on the best way of doing things – for anything from making a product to managing a process. As one of the oldest non-governmental international organizations, ISO has enabled trade and cooperation between people and companies the world over since 1946. The International Standards published by ISO serve to make lives easier, safer and better.
Media contacts:
Aidan Mercer, Marketing Director
buildingSMART International
+44 7181-304-3435
aidan.mercer@buildingsmart.org