IFC Validation Service

The IFC Validation Service is a free, online platform for validating IFC files, developed by buildingSMART – with the help of software vendors and bSI projects. Given an IFC file, the Validation Service provides a judgment of conformity for such file against the IFC standard (schema and specification).

The IFC file is valid when it conforms to:
– STEP Syntax. The STEP Physical File syntax
– IFC Schema. An up-to-date (not withdrawn and latest revision) IFC schema referenced in the file, including formal propositions and functions encoded in the EXPRESS schema language
– Normative IFC Rules. Other normative rules of the IFC specification (e.g. implementer agreements and informal propositions)
Additionally, the Validation Service performs non-normative checks including:
– Industry Practices. Checking the IFC file against common practice and sensible defaults. None of these checks render the IFC file invalid. Therefore, any issues identified result in warnings rather than errors
– bSDD Compliance. Checking whether references to classifications and properties from bSDD, found in an IFC file, comply with the source definitions in bSDD

Outside of the constraints encoded in bSDD, the IFC Validation Service does not check project-specific, national-specific, organization-specific rules or constraints. Case-specific validation is where the mandate of the bSI Validation Service ends – and where other solutions like IDS can help.

No. For multiple reasons, geometric visualisation is not within the scope nor the mandate of the Validation Service. Many errors are invisible in a viewer or unrelated to a geometric representation or prevent visualisation altogether.

The IFC Validation Service is a 100% open-source initiative, and we welcome contributions from the community. If you're interested, feel free to submit a pull request with your proposed changes to the Validation Service GitHub repository. Your contribution can make a big difference!

The latest version of the platform is displayed in the bottom left corner of the webpage. Stay updated on the latest release by turning on notifications on this Forums page Validation Service Updates - buildingSMART Forums.

Note that the main branch of buildingSMART/validate always corresponds to the most updated version deployed at validate.buildingsmart.org

The Validation Service uses the Azure Cloud infrastructure. The data are physically hosted in Amsterdam and Dublin, ensuring compliance with EU privacy regulations. Data transfer is encrypted using TLS 1.3 and 256-bit AES encryption and data stored is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption, which is FIPS 140-2 compliant. Data are retained only as long as necessary for analysis. For enterprise users with a long-term, commercial agreement we offer a web-assembly version of the validation, that allows offline operation without sending data over the internet. If you're interested, please contact us at validate@buildingsmart.org

When IFC files are checked by users through the Validation Service, metrics on the quality of these files are extracted. buildingSMART uses such metrics from IFC files to generate a report on the reliability and consistency of the producing software. Read more about this in the buildingSMART International Software Certification Program.

The IFC Validation Service aims to ensure IFC files adhere to the standard, irrespective of design intent specifics. For this reason, it is most effective when applied at the outset of any IFC model validation process. In this way, it serves as an enabler for all subsequent checks, ensuring that these can rely on a valid IFC data structure.