Searchable guide to Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) entities, properties, and relationships for BIM workflows
IFC 4.0 / IFC 4.3Spatial structure entities that define the project hierarchy. Includes IfcProject, IfcSite, IfcBuilding, IfcBuildingStorey, and IfcSpace. These form the backbone of every IFC model.
Common building elements used across disciplines. Walls, doors, windows, slabs, roofs, stairs, and other physical components that appear in most building projects.
Discipline-specific entities for MEP, structural, and other specialist domains. Includes HVAC equipment, plumbing fixtures, electrical systems, and structural members.
Supporting definitions for materials, properties, geometry, and relationships. These entities provide data to other elements rather than representing physical objects.
0 entities shown
The root entity of the IFC model. Contains all project information and serves as the container for the spatial structure.
Usage: One per model, mandatory
Represents the site or terrain on which the project is located. Contains geographic coordinates and site address.
Usage: Spatial container for buildings
Represents a building or facility. Contains building-level properties like address, elevation, and construction type.
Usage: Container for building storeys
Represents a single storey or level within a building. Primary container for building elements on that level.
Usage: Container for spaces and elements
Represents a defined space or room within a building. Contains area, volume, and occupancy information.
Usage: Room scheduling, area calculations
Vertical building element used to bound or subdivide spaces. Can be load-bearing or non-load-bearing.
Types: STANDARD, PARTITIONING, SHEAR, SOLIDWALL
A wall with a rectangular cross-section that is extruded vertically. The most common wall type in models.
Usage: Simple extruded walls
A building element providing controlled access between spaces. Includes door panel, frame, and hardware.
Types: DOOR, GATE, TRAPDOOR
An opening element with glazing for light and ventilation. Can be fixed or operable.
Types: WINDOW, SKYLIGHT, LIGHTDOME
A horizontal planar element that may serve as a floor, roof, or landing. Carries loads and defines boundaries.
Types: FLOOR, ROOF, LANDING, BASESLAB
The top covering of a building, providing shelter from weather. Contains roof slabs and covering elements.
Types: FLAT, SHED, GABLE, HIP, DOME
A vertical structural member that transmits loads from beams and slabs to foundations.
Types: COLUMN, PILASTER
A horizontal or inclined structural member spanning between supports, carrying loads to columns or walls.
Types: BEAM, JOIST, LINTEL, SPANDREL
Vertical circulation element consisting of flights and landings for moving between floor levels.
Types: STRAIGHT, CURVED, SPIRAL, WINDER
An inclined surface providing accessible circulation between floor levels without steps.
Types: STRAIGHT, SPIRAL
A framing structure providing a barrier or support along edges of stairs, ramps, or elevated areas.
Types: HANDRAIL, GUARDRAIL, BALUSTRADE
An exterior wall system consisting of a frame structure with infill panels, typically glazed.
Usage: Glass facades, building envelopes
A finish material applied to building elements such as flooring, ceiling, or wall coverings.
Types: CEILING, FLOORING, CLADDING, ROOFING
A foundation element that transfers building loads to the soil. Typically at the base of columns or walls.
Types: PAD, STRIP, CAISSON, PILE_CAP
A slender structural element driven or cast in place to transfer loads to deeper soil or rock.
Types: BORED, DRIVEN, JETGROUTING
A segment of ductwork used to convey air in HVAC systems. Part of the distribution system.
Types: RIGIDSEGMENT, FLEXIBLESEGMENT
A connecting element in ductwork such as elbows, tees, or transitions. Changes direction or connects segments.
Types: BEND, CONNECTOR, TRANSITION, TEE
A segment of piping for conveying fluids such as water, gas, or drainage.
Types: RIGIDSEGMENT, FLEXIBLESEGMENT, GUTTER
A connecting element in piping systems including elbows, tees, reducers, and connectors.
Types: BEND, CONNECTOR, JUNCTION, TRANSITION
A segment for routing electrical cables such as cable trays, ladders, or conduits.
Types: CABLELADDERSEGMENT, CABLETRAYSEGMENT, CONDUITSEGMENT
A device for delivering or extracting air from a space. Includes diffusers, grilles, and registers.
Types: DIFFUSER, GRILLE, REGISTER
A plumbing fixture connected to water supply and drainage systems. Includes toilets, sinks, and baths.
Types: BATH, SINK, TOILET, URINAL, SHOWER
An electrical device that provides artificial light. Includes all types of luminaires.
Types: POINTSOURCE, DIRECTIONSOURCE, SECURITYLIGHTING
An electrical connection point for plug-in devices. Provides power or data connections.
Types: POWEROUTLET, DATAOUTLET, COMMUNICATIONSOUTLET
A device for making, breaking, or changing electrical connections. Controls power flow.
Types: TOGGLESWITCH, DIMMERSWITCH, SELECTORSWITCH
A terminal device in fire suppression systems. Includes sprinklers, hydrants, and hose reels.
Types: SPRINKLER, FIREHYDRANT, HOSEREEL
Defines a material with specific properties. Can be assigned to elements or used in material layers.
Usage: Material assignments, BOQ extraction
A set of material layers with defined thicknesses. Used for walls, slabs, and other layered elements.
Usage: Multi-layer constructions
A container for a set of properties assigned to objects. Enables custom property definitions.
Usage: Custom properties, Pset_* definitions
Contains quantity information for an element. Used for quantity takeoff and cost estimation.
Usage: QTO, Qto_* sets, estimating
A reference to an external classification system. Links elements to Uniclass, OmniClass, MasterFormat, etc.
Usage: External classification systems
Defines a type or template that can be instantiated by multiple occurrences. Base for all type definitions.
Usage: Type definitions, families
Defines a whole-part relationship where a whole object contains related parts. Used for spatial hierarchy.
Usage: Spatial structure, assemblies
Places building elements within a spatial container (site, building, storey, or space).
Usage: Element placement in structure