IFC-based integration tool for supporting information exchange from architectural model to structural model

With the purpose of enhancing effective collaboration between architects and structural engineers in the building design field, an integration tool was developed for supporting information exchange from architectural model to structural model. The PKPM (Bopomofo acronym, a Chinese building design software) structural model and an industry foundation classes (IFC) data model were adopted and analyzed to design the framework of the integration tool. The technique of mixed program languages (C++ and FORTRAN) was applied to developing the tool software, and the connectivity relationships and intersection nodes between the structural elements were optimized and simplified. A case study was implemented to illustrate the method to use the integration tool for information exchange from IFC-format architectural model to PKPM structural model. The results show that the tool can extract the information of architectural model and form a corresponding structural model. The presented method can help to enhance the modeling efficiency at the structural design phase.