EN 17549-2:2023 PDF

Overview

EN 17549-2:2023 specifies an information structure for exchanging product data templates and data sheets for construction objects, based on EN ISO 16739-1 (IFC). Part 2 focuses on configurable construction objects and requirements, closing the gap between manufacturer product catalogs and BIM models used by designers, builders and owners. The standard supports both manual and automated creation of product data and enables reliable product data transport along the construction product supply chain - from factory to building owner - as digital twins within BIM workflows.

Key technical topics and requirements

The standard defines data structures, semantics and rules needed to express configurable products and product requirements in a machine-readable way. Key topics include:

• Core concepts and units - consistent unit handling and unit-definition concepts for product attributes.
• Data dictionaries and libraries - referencing and managing standardized property definitions.
• Properties and dynamic properties - IfcSimpleProperty, IfcPropertySingleValue, IfcPropertyTableValue and mechanisms for property dependencies and references.
• Property sets and sets of properties - organization of related attributes for reuse across objects.
• Objects and object types - configurable objects such as IfcBuildingElementProxy and IfcBuildingElementProxyType to model product variants.
• Semantic relationships and groupings - IfcGroup and relationship patterns to express assemblies and product-group semantics.
• Constraints and requirements - formal expression of product requirements (IfcConstraint, objectives, metrics) to support conformance checking.
• Context composition and project-level rules - rules for declaring libraries, projects and allowed decompositions within IFC contexts.
• Core and domain data schemas - mapping to IFC kernel, product extensions and resource schemas for interoperability.

Practical applications and who uses this standard

EN 17549-2:2023 is intended for stakeholders implementing BIM-based product data exchange:

• Manufacturers and suppliers - publish configurable product data and digital catalogs compatible with IFC-based BIM.
• Architects and engineers (planners) - import product templates and validate product requirements during design.
• Construction companies - select and manage configurable products through procurement and installation phases.
• Facility managers and owners - maintain accurate product data for operation and asset management.
• Software vendors and integrators - implement import/export, validation and templating features in BIM tools and product-data platforms.

Related standards

This standard aligns with and complements:

• EN ISO 16739-1:2018 (IFC) - data schema for data sharing in construction and FM.
• EN ISO 12006-3 - framework for object‑oriented information.
• prEN ISO 23386 / prEN ISO 23387 - property dictionaries and data template methodologies.

By standardizing configurable construction object descriptions and requirement expression, EN 17549-2:2023 enables interoperable, searchable and reusable product data across the BIM lifecycle - improving procurement, design-to-fabrication workflows and digital-twin accuracy.