buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD)
Also: BSDD
Quick definition: A free online service from buildingSMART that hosts linked data dictionaries — classifications, object types and properties published by independent organisations — for use in BIM software.
Explanation
Beginner explanation
bSDD is a shared reference library of definitions. Instead of each company inventing its own property names, software can look up agreed definitions, so "fire rating" means the same thing in every model.
Technical explanation
bSDD distributes dictionaries identified by organisation, dictionary code and version. Each dictionary contains classes (objects, materials, groups of properties) and properties (with data types, units and allowed values), which can link to each other, to IFC entities and to other dictionaries. Content is owned by the publishing organisation, must be neutral and reusable (project- or product-specific terms are excluded), and is accessed through a web interface and an API. Access to public content is free.
bSDD is a dictionary of machine-readable classes and properties; it is not a glossary of professional terminology like this dictionary.
Practical example
A national classification body publishes its classification in bSDD. Authoring software then lets modellers pick the correct class and fills in the required property names and allowed values, reducing manual mapping before IFC export.
Why it matters
Shared definitions improve consistency of data across projects and tools, and make automated validation (for example with IDS) more meaningful.
Common confusion
Despite the name, bSDD is not a general BIM glossary; it standardises data structures (classes and properties) rather than explaining concepts.
Standards and references
- buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD). buildingSMART International.Widely accepted professional interpretation
Supports: Purpose, publishers, neutrality rule, free access, API - Data structure of bSDD. buildingSMART International.Widely accepted professional interpretation
Supports: Dictionaries, classes, properties, relations, versioning - ISO 12006-2:2015 — Building construction — Organization of information about construction works — Part 2: Framework for classification. ISO, 2015.Original VDC Stack.io wording, based on the standard
Supports: Classification framework context for dictionaries · Status: Reviewed and confirmed 2026.
VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.
Cite this entry
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VDC Stack.io. (2026). buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD). In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/buildingsmart-data-dictionary/