openBIM standards for geotechnic information exchange

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) is an ISO standard published for information exchange in the built environment. The standard has recently been enhanced to better support geotechnic objects and relationships, particularly in the context of infrastructure projects. This paper will explain the purpose of openBIM, the collaboration that it can facilitate, and the benefits derived from openBIM exchange. The paper also offers a description of IFC improvements to facilitate geotechnic collaboration, such as recording site investigation and interpretation. Relevant existing concepts in IFC include classification, geometric description, spatial containment, property sets and quantity take offs.