Leading Building Information Modeling software receives IFC 2X3 certification.

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15 Mar 2007

Tekla Structures software received IFC 2X3 certification on March 13th, in Waltham, near Boston, USA. The certification means that the vendor is able to produce high-quality interfaces with other industry software. Tekla Structures 13, the next main release to be launched this spring, will include the IFC 2x3 format. Rambøll, a leading Nordic provider of knowledge services in engineering and construction management, is taking a step further in implementing BIM (Building Information Modeling) together with Tekla Corporation, using Tekla Structures with the IFC 2x3 standard in high-profile projects.

Rambøll won the Icelandic National Concert & Conference Center project together with the architectural firm Henning Larsen Architects in Reykjavik. Rambøll uses the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) 2x3 standard that enables communication between Tekla Structures software and different architectural software used in the project. "As a result of testing the IFC 2x3 format, we find that Tekla Structures has the full capacity to import and export certified IFC files," says Jan Karlshøj, Chief Consultant at Rambøll Denmark.

IFC 2x3 certification consists of a two-step program. The first step involved IFC tests between different software vendors. The second required that companies work on real projects in which they use the IFC format. Rambøll Denmark tested Tekla Structures on a 12-storey residential building, the Orestadstadhuset, in Denmark. Both the Concert & Conference Center in Iceland and the Orestadshuset are large and complex projects that greatly benefit from 3D modeling and collaboration through the industry standard. The certification is a commitment from the software vendor to continue the development to support the IFC standard.

"The demand for effective collaboration between project parties in the Danish construction industry is rapidly increasing," continues Karlshøj. "This will result in using and sharing 3D object-based models throughout the construction projects. At Rambøll, we are very satisfied with the results so far, and, driven by our clients' requirements, expect to create 3D object-based models in all of our future construction projects."

Lasse Lifländer, Product Specialist at Tekla, adds: "With Rambøll we have taken the BIM workflow one step further by proving that the enhanced interfaces between our software and the architectural solutions really work in practice. We are very happy to continue our work to implement the IFC 2x3 support in Tekla Structures."

Tekla Structures software is a BIM tool that streamlines the delivery process of design, detailing, manufacturing, and construction organizations. While integrating openly with architectural models, its strength lies in the contractor end of the process. Thousands of Tekla Structures software users in more than 80 countries have successfully delivered BIM-based projects around the world.