# BIM-Based Model Checking: A Scientometric Analysis and Critical Review
## 4 Critical Review
### Building Model Preparation  
From the perspective of publication quantity, fewer studies specifically focus on the model data stage compared to rule interpretation. These studies concentrated on the interoperability and scalability of BIM models. The BMC process involves the interaction and transformation of data, where applications require simultaneous access to data at various scales. For example, BIM models and rules need to follow transformation protocols to facilitate checking processes. Additionally, heterogeneous BIM model data require compatible formats for interaction and reconstruction. Without interoperable data, each new rule or BIM model would need to be defined separately, which is inefficient and could lead to errors in handling enormous amounts of data [32]. Therefore, based on ISO-STEP technology, two major publicly available building product data models described in EXPRESS language are IFC and CIS/2 [180]. CIS/2 is an industry standard widely used in the steel structure engineering and manufacturing industry in North America [181]. The IFC standard is considered as the central medium for collaboration and information sharing, which is currently the most popular object-oriented data model in the AEC field and has been adopted by many countries as the universal BIM standard. IFC supports data exchange between various application systems, addressing data management throughout the lifecycle of projects.  
Most building regulations or standards are hierarchical structures where the concepts are classified progressively. For instance, the \"Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures [182]\" regulation states that \"Single-story steel intermediate moment frames in structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D are permitted up to a structural height of 65 ft (20 m)\". This is a constraint for the components designated as seismic design category D. Furthermore, it targets the steel intermediate moment frames. Finally, it is a constraint on the selection of the structural systems. This provides favorable conditions for the mapping of the rules on the BIM models created by IFC standards.  
The generic IFC standard does not address all specific issues, and diversity in information expression leads to inconsistencies. Based on the foundational IFC standard, processes such as information delivery manual (IDM) and model view definition (MVD) are defined to capture standard workflows for data exchange requirements [35,183]. The latest IDM schema dictates how to generate rules in the idmXML format [99]. These efforts provide valuable insights and practical value for generating regulatory texts in the AEC domain. Additionally, many studies focus on IDM and MVD for different exchange scenarios to propose conventions and constraints for corresponding data descriptions. For example, [PERSON] [30] proposed a delivery requirement definition template for IDM development, enabling the BMC process for the deep excavation construction. [PERSON] [38] described how the CORENET ePlanCheck project utilized a knowledge-based approach to record rule requirements, enabling the mapping of conceptual diagrams (CG) to related MVD. [PERSON] et al. [67] developed rule-checking functionality based on MVD in the IfcDoc tool to validate the procedures, scope, and complexity related to BIM data. The limitations of data interchange in the BMC process, whether it is the generic international standard or specific-case IDM and MVD, have not been thoroughly investigated, potentially leading to syntactic issues, semantic errors, and unexpected geometric transformations. Therefore, data interoperability remains one of the most critical unresolved issues in current BMC, and even BIM, development.