Winner of the openBIM Awards 2025, Construction for Buildings Category

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Terminal 3 Expansion

Q: Can international standards be applied nationally?

The project successfully harmonized international openBIM standards with national and civil aviation BIM standards, creating a unified framework.

Q: Can our teams learn these new approaches?

By building on familiar tools (Revit, Tekla, Bentley) enhanced with openBIM workflows, teams adopted new methods while leveraging existing expertise.

Q: How do we validate data quality across so many sources?

IDS (Information Delivery Specification) provided automated validation, creating 5,100+ verification rules that ensured consistency without manual checking.

Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China | Status: Construction Phase

Company: Guangdong Airport Authority

Download the case study

China's largest airport renovation and expansion:

¥53.77 billion (€6.5 billion) total investment
5-year construction timeline
200+ participating organizations across 4 countries
25,000+ builders coordinated
5,118 IDS specifications created
3,190 BCF issues resolved
1,500+ design conflicts prevented
2,200 m² space saved through optimization
5-8x efficiency improvement with intelligent construction

openBIM Soltuions: IFC 2x3, IFC 4, IFC 4.3, IDS, BCF, bSDD

Phase: Construction (2020-2025)

The Challenge

Coordinating China's Largest Airport Expansion

How do you coordinate 200+ organizations from 4 countries and regions, managing over 25,000 builders across a 5-year construction timeline while ensuring seamless data exchange across 10+ specialized disciplines?

The Scale Challenge

Investment exceeding ¥53 billion yuan
Multiple specialized contractors across architecture, structure, MEP, civil works
Government mandate for BIM intelligent construction implementation
No precedent for digital coordination at this scale in Chinese civil aviation

The Standards Gap

When the project began in 2020, China's national BIM standards only covered basic areas like delivery, classification, and data storage. Critical gaps existed in information management, data dictionaries, and automated compliance checking—insufficient for a project of this complexity.

The Coordination Problem

Data exchange between hundreds of different software tools
Consistent classification across diverse international teams
Real-time collaboration during construction
Quality control across massive federated models
Traceability from design through operation and maintenance

"This project required a fundamentally different approach to digital collaboration. We needed internationally recognized standards that could work across all our partners' preferred tools and workflows."

Project Leadership, Guangdong Airport Authority

Why traditional approaches fail:

Proprietary file formats create data silos.
Manual coordination doesn't scale.
Inconsistent standards lead to rework and costly conflicts discovered too late.

Why openBIM?

Building on International Standards

As a buildingSMART Strategic Member since 2024, Guangdong Airport Authority had pioneered the introduction of openBIM technologies into China's Civil Aviation Administration industry standards.

For Terminal 3, the decision to adopt openBIM was strategic:

Global Collaboration

With 200+ organizations from multiple countries, vendor-neutral standards were essential. openBIM enabled each party to work in their preferred tools while maintaining data consistency.

Standards-Based Foundation

ISO 19650 for information management
ISO 23386 for data exchange requirements
IFC for model data structure
bSDD for semantic consistency
IDS for automated validation
BCF for issue tracking

Scalability Through Automation

Manual coordination was impossible at this scale. openBIM's machine-readable standards enabled automated clash detection, compliance checking, and quality validation across disciplines.

Lifecycle Value

Properly structured openBIM data flows seamlessly from design through construction into operation and maintenance, maximizing the digital investment's long-term value.

Can international standards be applied nationally?

Can our teams learn these new approaches?

How do we validate data quality across so many sources?

Solution in Action

An Integrated openBIM Ecosystem

Core Framework Toolkit Aviation-specific Extensions Intelligent Construction Integration

Core Framework

ISO 19650 + openBIM

The project established:

Asset Information Requirements (AIR) for operational needs
Project Information Requirements (PIR) for delivery goals
Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) defining what, when, and how information is delivered
Information Delivery Manual (IDM) specifying workflows
BIM Execution Plan (BEP) coordinating all parties

Toolkit

Guangdong Airport Authority independently developed an IDS Toolkit to bridge requirements and validation:

Excel-Based Requirements → IDS Files: Project requirements captured in Excel tables are automatically transformed into machine-readable IDS validation rules.
Integration with bSDD: The toolkit connects to buildingSMART Data Dictionary, ensuring semantic consistency across disciplines and enabling automated property validation.

Aviation-specific Extensions

Intelligent Construction Integration

The project pioneered integration of openBIM with smart devices:

Wall Plastering Robots: Used IFC models and point cloud data for autonomous navigation, path planning, and pose adjustment—achieving 5-8x human efficiency
Steel Welding Robots: Automatically planned groove paths from IFC geometry, controlled process parameters, and completed multi-layer welding
Airfield Pavement Construction: Imported design models into digital equipment for hydraulic-controlled construction achieving 545m³/h efficiency (100%+ improvement)
3D Laser Scanning: Verified as-built conditions against IFC models to create accurate digital twin upon completion

Metrics

Collaboration Efficiency

45+ software tools working together through IFC interoperability
200+ organizations coordinating seamlessly across disciplines
5,118 IDS validations ensuring data quality automatically
3,190 BCF issues tracked and resolved systematically

Cost Savings

¥2.6 million saved in preliminary design through spatial optimization
¥4.53 million saved through BIM-assisted scheme optimization
¥46.6 million saved to date (estimated ¥128.6 million upon completion) through structural conflict resolution

Design Quality Improvements

1,500+ conflicts resolved before construction
119 instances of slab depression coordination
201 annotation corrections
158 reservations and embedment conflicts
157 collision resolutions

Construction Efficiency

80% of steel components digitally fabricated with 2% reduction in material loss
520 tons of support steel saved through IFC-based crane installation optimization
30 days shorter assembly period with reduced high-altitude work safety risks
50% reduction in rebar losses through BIM-guided cutting

Intelligent Construction Performance

5-8x efficiency with wall plastering robots vs. manual work
545 m³/h pavement construction rate (100%+ improvement over traditional methods)
20% improvement in process quality control
50% overall efficiency gain in airfield construction

Sustainability Impact

Material efficiency: 50% reduction in rebar waste, 60% decrease in labor demand, 40% reduction in rebar inventory
Carbon tracking: Optimized material selection and tracking using QR codes and RFID
Environmental monitoring: Real-time dust level monitoring with automated water mist activation
Climate adaptability: Enhanced through wind environment simulations

Key takeaways

The project demonstrated that successful BIM implementation relies on four critical elements:

Well-defined information requirements and response measures
Standardized exchange methods and schemas
Sufficient and structured data resources
Secure and reliable data-sharing environment

Only when these elements align can data truly deliver value across project lifecycle.

Critical Success Factors

Adopt international standards early: ISO 19650 and openBIM standards provided proven framework
Customize thoughtfully: Aviation-specific bSDD extensions addressed industry needs without breaking interoperability
Automate validation: IDS toolkit transformed manual checking into automated quality assurance
Integrate intelligently: Connected openBIM data with smart construction devices for 5-8x efficiency gains
Maintain openness: 45+ software tools worked together because standards enabled interoperability

Where openBIM Required Further Development

The project team identified areas for continued advancement:
Data dictionary expansion — Continue building industry-specific bSDD content and semantic networks
IDM and IDS libraries — Develop reusable patterns to accelerate future projects
CDE enhancement — Improve alignment with stakeholder interests and explore Large Language Model integration
Automated Rule Checking — Advance beyond validation into automated compliance and control

Lessons for Your Organization

For Large Infrastructure Projects:

Start with clear information requirements (AIR/PIR/EIR) before model production. Invest time in requirements definition to save exponentially more during coordination.

For International Collaborations:

Neutral standards are essential when teams span countries and cultures. openBIM enables "work how you prefer without limiting others."

For Technology Innovation:

Build on open standards rather than creating proprietary solutions. Standards-based data unlocks integration with emerging technologies like robotics and AI.

For Sustainability Goals:

Digital workflows enabled by openBIM reduce material waste, enable carbon tracking, and optimize resource usage—contributing measurably to environmental targets.

Stakeholder Voices

Owner Perspective Contractor Perspective Design Perspective Engineering Perspective

Owner Perspective

"Through openBIM, we established a comprehensive digital ecosystem that enabled intelligent construction and will support intelligent operation and maintenance. The integration of IDS, IFC, bSDD, MVD, and BCF allowed us to efficiently manage information requirements, create models, conduct inspections, and share data across all project participants. The CDE enabled efficient project information management and greatly promoted data reuse throughout the lifecycle."

Guangdong Airport Authority

Contractor Perspective

"By using openBIM, we referenced many insightful international use cases and implementation methods. Through IDS, IFC, bSDD, MVD, and IFC Validation, we efficiently managed information requirements, created models, conducted inspections, and shared data. The integration of various discipline models through IFC format and collision checks identified over 1,000 design issues, reducing indirect project losses by ¥2.6 million. The CDE has enabled efficient project information management."

China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

Design Perspective

"In the T3 building structure deepening process, we resolved 796 design issues and optimized 256 design areas, improving our collaborative control capabilities. IFC-based coordination addressed 119 slab depression conflicts, 201 annotation issues, 158 reservation and embedment conflicts, 50 stair and ramp problems, 157 collision conflicts, and 111 structural consistency issues—saving an estimated ¥46.4 million to date."

Central-South Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd.

Engineering Perspective

"In the airfield pavement construction process, we adopted 'model-driven integrated construction technology' where the design reference model was imported into digital front-end devices. Through hydraulic equipment guided by IFC data, the construction state was adjusted according to specifications, achieving digital construction management. Construction efficiency reached 545 m³/h—more than 100% higher than traditional leveling efficiency, with over 50% improvement in overall efficiency."

Airport Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.

About This Case Study

buildingSMART International publishes case studies to demonstrate the real-world value of openBIM standards and services including IFC, IDS, BCF, and bSDD. We showcase diverse implementations to inspire innovation and guide adoption.

Featured in this case study: Guangdong Airport Authority

buildingSMART International does not endorse specific commercial products. Company information is provided for educational context. Organizations interested in similar approaches should evaluate multiple solutions and consult with openBIM professionals.

Browse All Case Studies

Become a Member

About buildingSMART International