IFC Material Assignment Implementation Guide

Quick Reference

Decision Tree: Which Material Type to Use

What kind of element needs material?
├── Single homogeneous material (e.g., steel column, concrete beam)?
│   └── IfcMaterial → assign_material(type="IfcMaterial")
│
├── Layered construction (wall, slab, roof with defined layers)?
│   └── IfcMaterialLayerSet → add_material_set(set_type="IfcMaterialLayerSet")
│       └── Each layer has a thickness (LayerThickness in meters)
│
├── Profiled structural element (beam, column with cross-section)?
│   └── IfcMaterialProfileSet → add_material_set(set_type="IfcMaterialProfileSet")
│       └── Each profile has an IfcProfileDef defining the cross-section
│