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 An up-to-date (not withdrawn and latest revision) IFC schema referenced in the file, including formal propositions and functions encoded in the EXPRESS schema language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

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.

Currently, the maximum file size allowed on the platform is 250 MB. This limit ensures consistent performance and reliability for all users.

For files that exceed the 250 MB size limit, you have a few options:

• Local deployment: You can deploy the validation service locally. The IFC Validation Service is fully open-source, allowing users to run the service independently on their machines.
• Enterprise package: We offer validation for larger files and additional features through an enterprise package designed for users with long-term, commercial agreements. If this interests you, please contact [email protected] for further details.
• Direct validation by our team: If your file is public and shareable, you may send it to us, and we’ll request validation from our team. However, please note that this may take additional time due to limited resources and other ongoing activities. Also, keep in mind that we currently cannot provide detailed validation reports, due to missing features, but only a screenshot of the overall result.

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 [email protected]

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.