## 1 Introduction
The primary resource employed in this process is the _time_ consumed by practitioners and experts in the analysis, validation, modification and transfer of the data. To provide a BIM-compatible structure, the international standard ISO 22057:2022 [8] defines the data templates for EPD data. The research in Aragon & Alberti [9] and in [PERSON], [PERSON] et al. [10] examined the specific gaps applicable to the computer interpretability to propose a revision of this international standard. The analysis was partially based on the results of a survey conducted with EPD and BIM experts such as the members of ISO/TC 59/SC 17/WG 3, the group in charge of the development of ISO 22057, including some questions related with IFC. Forty-five experts from seventeen countries completed the survey, representing different producers and users of environmental product information. The survey demonstrated the importance of improving the structure for LCA data in IFC,as a substantial proportion of respondents perceive that the issue remains unresolved in the current schema (see Figure 1). It is imperative to distinguish between digital EPDs (dEPDs) and EPDs presented in a digital format (e.g., pdf). dEPDs should be understood as EPDs issued in a **machine-interpretable structured format** that can be seamlessly transferred to other tools (e.g., BIM software) with minimal or no human intervention. Machine interpretability of the IFC schema should be improved with a revision of the current version, to allow direct transfer of environmental information from construction products info BIM. This revision should align with ISO 22057 to ensure a seamless transfer of LCA-based product information into digital models. The overarching goal of the authors is to promote the use of life cycle assessment during the design, construction and operation of built assets, by reducing the resources required to transfer product data into BIM. The **purpose** of this paper is to define concrete improvements to the IFC 4.3 structure with a view to making environmental information machine-interpretable, in order to bridge the gap between digital EPDs and BIM tools. The **scientific question** that guided the study was as follows: What are the gaps that limit the machine interpretation of LCA data in IFC 4.3, and how can these gaps be bridged? The **significance** of this study lies in its pragmatic approach, which is focused on current industry practices and standards. Furthermore, it is novel in its analysis of the gaps between EPDs and IFC, a topic which has been addressed in few scientific papers. Previous publications have described limitations of IFC with regard to the storage and transfer of EPD data. However, there is a lack of research in this area, particularly in terms of proposing concrete modifications to the IFC schema to ensure machine interpretability of LCA data. Furthermore, the integration of IFC with ISO 22057, as the main international standard for BIM-compatible data templates for EPDs of construction products, has not been thoroughly addressed with enough detail in published research. As described in the  
Figure 1: Responses to the question related to the possibility of storing EPD data in the current IFC schema. conclusions, the potential for direct application within the standardization system further substantiates the significance of this paper.