Abstract

This work explores a framework for automating building code compliance checks by leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the ontological representation of BIM data through Linked Building Data (LBD). With BIM’s increasing adoption for digital building models, the complexity of verifying compliance manually has made automation a critical need. The framework focuses on validating International Building Code (IBC) requirements efficiently by utilizing Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) files and representing BIM data in RDF format. Using SPARQL queries within Python-based Jupyter notebooks, building parameters can be calculated and checked against regulatory rules. A case study involving a hotel building demonstrates the practical application of this approach, integrating the Revit plugin SMARTreview for IFC data extraction and query verification. The system further automates the compliance workflow using GitHub Actions to run checks and generate reports, published to GitHub Pages. Although current challenges include the need for highly detailed IFC files and more standardized LBD vocabularies, this methodology provides a promising foundation for advancing automation in construction code compliance.

Speaker

Summayah Waseem

is a recent master’s graduate in Software Engineering from CSUN. As a research fellow at the Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM (ARCS), she collaborated closely with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to develop autonomous systems. Her research focused on Automation in Construction Code Compliance and enhancing Accessibility for People with Disabilities on YouTube. With a strong foundation in software engineering and a passion for innovation, Summayah bridges technical research and real-world applications to advance autonomy and accessibility.