IFC 4.3.2.20240809 (IFC4X3_ADD2) under development

8.10.3.1 IfcMaterial

RV ⓘ
AbV ⓘ

8.10.3.1.1 Semantic definition

IfcMaterial is a homogeneous or inhomogeneous substance that can be used to form elements (physical products or their components).

IfcMaterial is the basic entity for material designation and definition; this includes identification by name and classification (via reference to an external classification), as well as association of material properties (isotropic or anisotropic) defined by (subtypes of) IfcMaterialProperties. An instance of IfcMaterial may be associated to an element or element type using the IfcRelAssociatesMaterial relationship. The assignment might either be direct as a single material information, or via

  • a material layer set
  • a material profile set
  • a material constituent set

An IfcMaterial may also have presentation information associated. Such presentation information is provided by IfcMaterialDefinitionRepresentation, associating curve styles, hatching definitions or surface colouring/rendering information to a material.

8.10.3.1.2 Entity inheritance

8.10.3.1.3 Attributes

# Attribute Type Description
IfcMaterialDefinition (3)
AssociatedTo SET [0:?] OF IfcRelAssociatesMaterial FOR RelatingMaterial

Use of the IfcMaterialDefinition subtypes within the material association of an element occurrence or element type. The association is established by the IfcRelAssociatesMaterial relationship.

HasExternalReferences SET [0:?] OF IfcExternalReferenceRelationship FOR RelatedResourceObjects

Reference to external references, e.g. library, classification, or document information, that are associated to the material.

HasProperties SET [0:?] OF IfcMaterialProperties FOR Material

Material properties assigned to instances of subtypes of IfcMaterialDefinition.

Click to show 3 hidden inherited attributes Click to hide 3 inherited attributes
IfcMaterial (6)
1 Name IfcLabel

Name of the material.

2 Description OPTIONAL IfcText

Definition of the material in more descriptive terms than given by attributes Name or Category.

3 Category OPTIONAL IfcLabel

Definition of the category (group or type) of material, in more general terms than given by attribute Name.

It is recommended to use common terms for the material category, the following list constitutes such a recommondation: 'concrete', 'steel', 'aluminium', 'block', 'brick', 'stone', 'wood', 'glass', 'gypsum', 'plastic', 'earth'.

HasRepresentation SET [0:1] OF IfcMaterialDefinitionRepresentation FOR RepresentedMaterial

Reference to the IfcMaterialDefinitionRepresentation that provides presentation information to a representation common to this material in style definitions.

IsRelatedWith SET [0:?] OF IfcMaterialRelationship FOR RelatedMaterials

Reference to a material relationship indicating that this material is a part (or constituent) in a material composite.

RelatesTo SET [0:1] OF IfcMaterialRelationship FOR RelatingMaterial

Reference to a material relationship indicating that this material composite has parts (or constituents).

Table 8.10.3.1.W

8.10.3.1.4 Property sets

  • Pset_MaterialCombustion
    • SpecificHeatCapacity
    • N20Content
    • COContent
    • CO2Content
  • Pset_MaterialCommon
    • MolecularWeight
    • Porosity
    • MassDensity
  • Pset_MaterialConcrete
    • CompressiveStrength
    • MaxAggregateSize
    • AdmixturesDescription
    • Workability
    • WaterImpermeability
    • ProtectivePoreRatio
  • Pset_MaterialEnergy
    • ViscosityTemperatureDerivative
    • MoistureCapacityThermalGradient
    • ThermalConductivityTemperatureDerivative
    • SpecificHeatTemperatureDerivative
    • VisibleRefractionIndex
    • SolarRefractionIndex
    • GasPressure
  • Pset_MaterialFuel
    • CombustionTemperature
    • CarbonContent
    • LowerHeatingValue
    • HigherHeatingValue
  • Pset_MaterialHygroscopic
    • UpperVaporResistanceFactor
    • LowerVaporResistanceFactor
    • IsothermalMoistureCapacity
    • VaporPermeability
    • MoistureDiffusivity
  • Pset_MaterialMechanical
    • DynamicViscosity
    • YoungModulus
    • ShearModulus
    • PoissonRatio
    • ThermalExpansionCoefficient
  • Pset_MaterialOptical
    • VisibleTransmittance
    • SolarTransmittance
    • ThermalIrTransmittance
    • ThermalIrEmissivityBack
    • ThermalIrEmissivityFront
    • VisibleReflectanceBack
    • VisibleReflectanceFront
    • SolarReflectanceBack
    • SolarReflectanceFront
  • Pset_MaterialSteel
    • YieldStress
    • UltimateStress
    • UltimateStrain
    • HardeningModule
    • ProportionalStress
    • PlasticStrain
    • Relaxations
    • StructuralGrade
  • Pset_MaterialThermal
    • SpecificHeatCapacity
    • BoilingPoint
    • FreezingPoint
    • ThermalConductivity
  • Pset_MaterialWater
    • IsPotable
    • Hardness
    • AlkalinityConcentration
    • AcidityConcentration
    • ImpuritiesContent
    • DissolvedSolidsContent
    • PHLevel
  • Pset_MaterialWood
    • Species
    • StrengthGrade
    • AppearanceGrade
    • Layup
    • Layers
    • Plies
    • MoistureContent
    • DimensionalChangeCoefficient
    • ThicknessSwelling
  • Pset_MaterialWoodBasedStructure
    • ApplicableStructuralDesignMethod
  • Pset_MechanicalBeamInPlane
    • YoungModulus
    • YoungModulusMin
    • YoungModulusPerp
    • YoungModulusPerpMin
    • ShearModulus
    • ShearModulusMin
    • BendingStrength
    • TensileStrength
    • TensileStrengthPerp
    • CompStrength
    • CompStrengthPerp
    • RaisedCompStrengthPerp
    • ShearStrength
    • TorsionalStrength
    • ReferenceDepth
    • InstabilityFactors
  • Pset_MechanicalBeamInPlaneNegative
    • YoungModulus
    • YoungModulusMin
    • YoungModulusPerp
    • YoungModulusPerpMin
    • ShearModulus
    • ShearModulusMin
    • BendingStrength
    • TensileStrength
    • TensileStrengthPerp
    • CompStrength
    • CompStrengthPerp
    • RaisedCompStrengthPerp
    • ShearStrength
    • TorsionalStrength
    • ReferenceDepth
    • InstabilityFactors
  • Pset_MechanicalBeamOutOfPlane
    • YoungModulus
    • YoungModulusMin
    • YoungModulusPerp
    • YoungModulusPerpMin
    • ShearModulus
    • ShearModulusMin
    • BendingStrength
    • TensileStrength
    • TensileStrengthPerp
    • CompStrength
    • CompStrengthPerp
    • RaisedCompStrengthPerp
    • ShearStrength
    • TorsionalStrength
    • ReferenceDepth
    • InstabilityFactors
  • Pset_MechanicalPanelInPlane
    • YoungModulusBending
    • YoungModulusTension
    • YoungModulusCompression
    • ShearModulus
    • BendingStrength
    • CompressiveStrength
    • TensileStrength
    • ShearStrength
    • BearingStrength
    • RaisedCompressiveStrength
    • ReferenceDepth
  • Pset_MechanicalPanelOutOfPlane
    • YoungModulusBending
    • YoungModulusTension
    • YoungModulusCompression
    • ShearModulus
    • BendingStrength
    • CompressiveStrength
    • TensileStrength
    • ShearStrength
    • BearingStrength
    • RaisedCompressiveStrength
    • ReferenceDepth
  • Pset_MechanicalPanelOutOfPlaneNegative
    • YoungModulusBending
    • YoungModulusTension
    • YoungModulusCompression
    • ShearModulus
    • BendingStrength
    • CompressiveStrength
    • TensileStrength
    • ShearStrength
    • BearingStrength
    • RaisedCompressiveStrength
    • ReferenceDepth

8.10.3.1.5 Concept usage

Concept Usage Description
IfcMaterial (1)
Property Sets for Materials General

This concept can be applied to the following resources:

Table 8.10.3.1.X

8.10.3.1.6 Examples

8.10.3.1.7 Formal representation

ENTITY IfcMaterial
 SUBTYPE OF (IfcMaterialDefinition);
	Name : IfcLabel;
	Description : OPTIONAL IfcText;
	Category : OPTIONAL IfcLabel;
 INVERSE
	HasRepresentation : SET [0:1] OF IfcMaterialDefinitionRepresentation FOR RepresentedMaterial;
	IsRelatedWith : SET [0:?] OF IfcMaterialRelationship FOR RelatedMaterials;
	RelatesTo : SET [0:1] OF IfcMaterialRelationship FOR RelatingMaterial;
END_ENTITY;

8.10.3.1.8 References

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8.10.3.1.9 Changelog

8.10.3.1.9.1 IFC4

  • attribute, Category
  • attribute, Description
  • inverse attribute, RelatesTo
  • inverse attribute ClassifiedAs name, Changed from "ClassifiedAs" to "IsRelatedWith"
  • inverse attribute ClassifiedAs type, Changed from "SET OF [0:1] IfcMaterialClassificationRelationship FOR ClassifiedMaterial" to "SET OF [0:?] IfcMaterialRelationship FOR RelatedMaterials"