Abstract
The open international standards for exchange of information (Information Foundation Classes, IFC) and the definitions of what to be exchanged (International Framework for Dictionaries, IFD) are emerging as the new standards in building information modelling. Together with an emerging third standard (Information Delivery Manual, IDM), these standards set the premises for electronic exchange of building specific information in the business process. IFC, IFD and IDM facilitate the use of a wide range of model-based applications in the building industry, included future tools and applications for environmental assessments of buildings. Today, only a few such environmental assessment model-based applications exist. The information flow propounded by the use of IFC, IFD and IDM depends on clearly defined data in the information package to be exchanged. With the new ISO 21930, Environmental declaration of building products (EPD), a standardized way of defining life cycle based environmental information on building products is established. An EPD is intended to provide information for environmental planning, design and assessment of buildings, by giving information that verifiable and accurately, and ensuring that any environmental impacts are completely accounted for. A template based on ISO 21930 is an optimal information package (schema) for environmental information to be exchanged in building information modelling. The template should also be incorporated in the IFD Library
