ISO/TR 16214:2025

Review of geospatial and building information modelling (BIM) terminological entries

This document provides an overview of terminological entries relating to building information modelling (BIM) as well as those relating to geographic information or geomatics. This document identifies terminological entries which are identical, equivalent (i.e. synonyms), homonymous, and entries which are unique to their respective domains. This document does not provide recommendations to resolve terminology homonyms.

Revue des articles terminologiques sur la modélisation des informations de la construction (BIM) et les information géospatiales

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 18-May-2025
• ICS: 01.040.35 - Information technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 01.040.91 - Construction materials and building (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 35.240.67 - IT applications in building and construction industry
• ICS: 35.240.70 - IT applications in science
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 59/SC 13 - Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM)
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 59/SC 13 - Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM)
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 19-May-2025
• Completion Date: 19-May-2025

Standards Content (Sample)

Technical
Report
ISO/TR 16214
First edition
Review of geospatial and building
2025-05
information modelling (BIM)
terminological entries
Revue des articles terminologiques sur la modélisation des
informations de la construction (BIM) et les information
géospatiales
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 2
5 Management of terminology . 2
5.1 Report methodology .2
5.2 Document structure .2
5.3 Sources of terminological entries .2
5.3.1 BIM terminological entries .2
5.3.2 GIS terminological entries .3
6 Terminology review . 3
6.1 Data structures and architectures .3
6.2 Digital representations .10
6.3 Digital documentation .16
6.4 Uses, functions and services .19
6.5 Data acquisition, processing techniques and technologies . 30
7 Conclusion .34
Bibliography .35

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
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The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
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Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 59, Buildings and civil engineering works,
Subcommittee SC 13, Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works,
including building information modelling (BIM).
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
Several developments aim to leverage structured information to support decision-making within the built
environment. The two most prevalent are:
— building information modelling (BIM): focused on the organization and structuring of information
relating to assets such as buildings and infrastructure; and
— geographic information systems (GIS): focused on the organization and structuring of information
relating to geospatial information and geomatics.
ISO/TR 23262 investigates the conceptual and technological barriers between BIM and GIS. This document
further develops this work by summarizing the key conceptual and terminological equivalents and
homonyms.
v
Technical Report ISO/TR 16214:2025(en)
Review of geospatial and building information modelling
(BIM) terminological entries
1 Scope
This document provides an overview of terminological entries relating to building information modelling
(BIM) as well as those relating to geographic information or geomatics. This document identifies
terminological entries which are identical, equivalent (i.e. synonyms), homonymous, and entries which are
unique to their respective domains.
This document does not provide recommendations to resolve terminology homonyms.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
building information modelling
BIM
use of a shared digital representation of an asset to facilitate design, construction and operation processes
to form a reliable basis for decisions
[SOURCE: ISO 29481-1:2016, 3.2, modified — The words “built object” have been replaced with “asset”; the
words “including buildings, bridges, roads, process plants, etc.” have been removed; note 1 to entry has been
removed.]
3.2
geographic information system
information system dealing with information concerning phenomena associated with location relative to
the Earth
[SOURCE: ISO 19101-1:2014, 4.1.20]
3.3
terminological entry
collection of terminological data related to only one concept
Note 1 to entry: A terminological entry prepared in accordance with the principles and methods given in ISO 704
follows the same structural principles whether it is monolingual or multilingual.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087:2019, 3.6.2]

4 Abbreviated terms
BIM building information modelling
GIS geographic information system
MLGT multi-lingual glossary of terms
UML unified modelling language
5 Management of terminology
5.1 Report methodology
A systematic review of terminological entries used within the standards on GIS developed by ISO/TC 211
(see 5.3.2) and those on BIM developed by ISO/TC 59/SC 13 (see 5.3.1) was undertaken.
This review evaluated the definitions of these terminological entries to establish:
— identical entries: terminological entries which use the same definition;
— equivalent entries: terminological entries whose definitions capture the same concepts;
— homonymous entries: terminological entries whose definitions capture different concepts;
— unique entries: terminological entries not found within either the BIM or GIS which may resolve a gap in
its lexis.
NOTE 1 Unique entries which are not relevant to both BIM and GIS have been excluded from this document for
clarity.
NOTE 2 Other terminological entry components, such as examples and notes to entry, have been excluded from this
document for clarity.
5.2 Document structure
For ease of comparison and organization, terminological entries have been grouped in this document under
the following sub-domains of analysis:
— data structures and architectures;
— digital representation (graphical and non-graphical);
— digital documentation;
— uses, functions and services;
— data acquisition and processing techniques and technologies.
5.3 Sources of terminological entries
5.3.1 BIM terminological entries
Terminological entries used throughout the standardization of BIM are stored and maintained in the
[73]
Working Terminology Document, which includes over 180 terminological entries.
For the purposes of this document, a terminological entry is considered part of BIM if it is included within
[73]
the Working Terminology Document .

5.3.2 GIS terminological entries
Terminological entries used throughout the standardization of GIS are stored and maintained within the
[74]
ISO/TC 211 Multi-Lingual Glossary of Terms (MLGT). ISO TC/211 MLGT includes over 2000 terminological
entries, many of which have multiple translations.
For the purposes of this document, a terminological entry is considered part of GIS if it is included within
ISO/TC 211 MLGT or its proposed update as of March 2024.
6 Terminology review
6.1 Data structures and architectures
Table 1 shows terminological entries related to data structure and architectures.

Table 1 — Terminological entries related to data structures and architectures
BIM GIS Comments
Term Definition Source Term Definition Source
application conceptual schema ISO 19101-1:2014, application conceptual schema ISO 19101-1:2014, Identical.
schema for data required by 4.1.2 schema for data required by 4.1.2
one or more applica- one or more applica-
tions tions
concept unit of knowledge ISO 1087:2019, 3.2.7: concept unit of knowledge ISO 1087:2019, 3.2.7 Identical.
created by a unique created by a unique
combination of char- combination of char-
acteristics acteristics
conceptual formal description ISO 19101-1:2014, conceptual formal description ISO 19101-1:2014, Identical.
schema of a conceptual 4.1.6 schema of a conceptual 4.1.6
model model
conceptual formal language ISO 19101-1:2014, conceptual formal language ISO 19101-1:2014, Identical.
schema based on a conceptu- 4.1.7 schema based on a conceptu- 4.1.7
language al formalism for the language al formalism for the
purpose of repre- purpose of repre-
senting conceptual senting conceptual
schemas schemas
namespace collection of names, ISO/TS 19139- namespace collection of names, ISO/TS 19139- Identical.
identified by a URI 1:2019, 3.1 identif
...