Code Validation
Kiểm tra tuân thủ quy chuẩn
Automated software checks the BIM model against QCVN building codes, fire safety standards, and energy regulations. Basis for BIM-assisted regulatory approval.
Common tools
Solibri Model Checker, Revit IDS checking
Value delivered
Decree 217 Art.8 permits BIM to support regulatory approval — Code Validation is the technical foundation
Adoption in Vietnam
Pioneer: Singapore CORENET X (mandatory from 10/2025 for ≥30,000 m² GFA). Vietnam studying adoption.
Level of Information Need (LOIN)
G = Geometry · A = Alphanumeric · D = Documentation (ISO 7817-1:2024 method). A blank cell means this use sets no specific requirement for that discipline/stage.
| Discipline | Concept | Schematic | Developed | Technical | As-built / Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | — | G2·A1·D1 | G3·A2·D2 | — | — |
| Structure | — | — | G3·A2·D2 | — | — |
| Mechanical | — | — | G3·A2·D2 | — | — |
| Electrical | — | — | G3·A2·D2 | — | — |
| Plumbing | — | — | G3·A2·D2 | — | — |
Critical stages: Schematic · Developed
Rationale: Documentation-driven. Rule-based automated checking (Solibri, IFC-SG/CORENET X) requires populated properties: G3 + A2 + D2 at ST3 where regulatory approval is sought. D2 = regulatory approvals / compliance certificates — the defining LOIN feature of this use. ARCH starts at ST2 for egress, accessibility and fire compartmentation (D1 references). Aligns with Decree 217 khoản 5(c): BIM used to support authority appraisal/permitting.
What it really is
Code Validation is the process of encoding building code (QCVN) and standard (TCVN) requirements into machine-readable rules — each rule checks one specific condition on a model object: egress distance, fire-resistance rating, corridor width, building setback — then running the whole model through that rule set to classify every result as pass, fail, or needs manual review. Unlike a fire engineer or reviewer reading drawings by eye, this check can be re-run automatically every time the model changes, but building and tuning the rules takes as much effort as the manual check it replaces. In Vietnam, most QCVN and TCVN documents still exist only as PDF/Word text, with no official machine-readable version such as an IDS or a standardised ruleset published by a state authority, so most rule sets must be built from scratch rather than purchased — the biggest gap compared with markets that started earlier. Singapore's CORENET X permitting platform has built an automated checker into its approval workflow, but by the platform's own account that component is still under development for straightforward geometric and spatial requirements — showing that even in a market ahead of Vietnam, fully encoding building codes into machine-readable rules is not yet finished.
When to use
Worthwhile for works with complex code requirements and high failure risk — hospitals, high-rises, occupied buildings with heavy fire-safety obligations — or projects that want to shorten appraisal time by self-checking before submission. Start building the rule set early, alongside Design Authoring, since rules need several rounds of tuning before they are reliable enough for a formal report.
Prerequisites
- •A model at the LOIN carrying every property the rule set needs — depends directly on Design Authoring and Design Review
- •A defined list of applicable QCVN/TCVN, with specific document numbers and effective dates
- •Domain specialists (fire safety, structural, MEP engineers) involved in building and validating the rules — code interpretation is never left entirely to the BIM team
- •A BEP stating which scope is checked automatically and which still needs a manual review (Art. 8(2))
- •A version-control process for the rule set, tied firmly to the exact code edition currently in force
Inputs
Discipline task team · IFC / .rvt
BIM Coordinator + code specialist · .ids / .xml / cấu hình riêng công cụ kiểm tra
Appointing party · .pdf / .docx
Lead appointed party · .xlsx
BIM Coordinator · .bcf / .xlsx
Code specialist · .pdf
Outputs
Compliance report broken down by rule
.pdf / .xlsx → Appointing party · lead appointed party
Accepted when: Every result traces to its object and rule; false positives removed by expert review
Confirmed violation register
.bcf / .xlsx → Discipline task team
Accepted when: Each violation has a description, object, rule breached, owner and due date
Version-controlled rule set
.ids / .xml / định dạng riêng công cụ → BIM Coordinator · stored on the CDE
Accepted when: Tagged to the exact applicable code edition, with a change log
Appraisal support package
IFC kèm báo cáo tuân thủ → Competent construction authority
Accepted when: Sufficient to support the compliance check under Art. 8(5)(c), clearly labelled as supporting material, not a substitute for the appraisal conclusion
General workflow
Define scope and applicable codes
List the specific QCVN/TCVN applicable by building type — fire safety, structural, energy, accessibility — and agree in the BEP which rules can be automated and which must stay manual.
BIM Manager + code specialist · Checking-scope table in the BEP (no software at this step) → Applicable-code register and automation scope
Author the checking rules
Turn each QCVN/TCVN requirement into a machine-readable rule: which object, which property, which threshold counts as a pass. This is the most labour-intensive step in Vietnam, since codes have no ready-made encoded version — most rules must be built from scratch rather than bought off the shelf.
Code specialist + BIM Coordinator · Solibri Model Checker · Autodesk Model Checker for Revit (IDS) → First-draft rule set
Prepare the model with the properties rules need
Add the mandatory properties the rules need: fire rating, material, egress distance. A model missing properties makes a rule run on an empty object set yet still report "pass" — the most dangerous silent failure in the whole process.
Discipline task team · Revit → Check-ready model
Run the automated check
Run the rule set on the model and log the number of objects actually scanned per rule, not just the error count, so a rule running on nothing is caught immediately.
BIM Coordinator · Solibri Model Checker · Autodesk Model Checker for Revit · Navisworks (egress-related rules) → Raw check results with the scanned-object count
Classify results and triage false positives
The code specialist reviews every "fail" and "needs review" flag, removes false positives caused by placeholder geometry or stale properties, before anything enters the formal report.
Code specialist + BIM Coordinator · Forma Design Collaboration (BCF) · BIMcollab → Confirmed violation register
Compile the compliance report and appraisal package
Assemble the report rule by rule, package it with the IFC model, and send it to the appointing party and, where applicable, the competent construction authority to support appraisal — clearly labelled as supporting material, not a substitute for the licensed practitioner's conclusion.
BIM Coordinator · Forma Data Management (CDE) → Appraisal support package
Update the rule set when a code edition changes
When a new QCVN/TCVN edition is issued, review every affected rule, tag the new version, and retire the outdated rule set instead of letting it run in parallel and cause confusion.
Code specialist + BIM Coordinator · Rule-set version-governance process (not tied to specific software) → Rule set updated to the current code edition
Diagram
- 1. Author rules — Turn code text into machine-readable rules — mostly built from scratch in Vietnam
- 2. Run the check — Test every object against the rules, logging how many were scanned
- 3. Classify results — Pass / Fail / Needs manual review
- 4. Triage false positives — A specialist confirms each flag before it enters the report
- 5. Update on code revision — Version the rules, retire the old edition
A "pass" result only confirms the encoded rules were satisfied — it is not a legal appraisal conclusion. The final decision still rests with the competent authority and the licensed practitioner.
Common pitfalls
The project team treats the tool's "pass" report as the appraisal conclusion and skips professional review
Cause: Confusing confirmation that encoded rules were satisfied with a legal substitute for the competent authority's approval
Fix: Always have a licensed specialist review results before submission; Art. 8(5)(c) only allows BIM data to support appraisal, it does not delegate approval authority to the tool
The model reports "pass" against an old rule even though the code's figures have changed (egress distance, fire rating...)
Cause: The rule set is not version-tagged to a specific code edition, and nobody tracks when the code is revised
Fix: Version the rule set against the code number, with a mandatory review process whenever a new QCVN/TCVN edition is issued
The report reads "0 violations" when in fact 0 objects were scanned
Cause: The rule filters by a property the objects were never assigned, so the result set is empty and the system defaults to "pass"
Fix: Always check the scanned-object count alongside the error count; never accept "0 errors" without confirming the scanned count is greater than zero
The project team switches off the automated report entirely because of too many false alarms
Cause: Rules are written too rigidly or ignore legitimate exceptions that occur in real designs
Fix: Tune rules progressively from real feedback and always keep a manual confirmation step before the formal report — the same false-positive discipline used in 3D coordination
Measuring effectiveness
Compare automated rule-run results with a manual rule-by-rule check on the same model
Benchmark: 96.81–98.17% across 4 test models (classroom, subway station, petrol station, apartment) in a study using relatively simple spatial and dimensional rules — a narrow context, NOT transferable to the complexity of Vietnamese fire-safety or structural rules
Warnings confirmed correct by a domain specialist divided by total warnings raised by the rule set
Benchmark: no independent benchmark — set an internal target
Clauses with a working rule divided by total applicable clauses, tracked separately per QCVN/TCVN — in Vietnam this starts low because encoding is done from scratch
Benchmark: no independent benchmark — set an internal target
Legal basis
Art. 8(5)(c) provides that the competent construction authority may use BIM data for appraisal, explicitly naming the check of compliance with applicable technical regulations and standards — the most direct and specific legal basis for this use anywhere in Decree 217/2026/NĐ-CP, unlike most other uses that rely only on Article 8 generally. Art. 8(1)(a) makes BIM mandatory for new-build works Grade II and above, producing the model such checks run against; Art. 8(2) assigns the scope and information requirements for compliance checking to the contract. The law only permits the authority to USE BIM data to support appraisal; it does not make an automated check result a substitute for the appraisal conclusion — professional and legal responsibility still rests with the licensed practitioner and the competent authority.
Sources
Only official sources (legislation, standards) and peer-reviewed academic work are cited. No vendor marketing figures or press sources. Reference only — does not replace legal advice.