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Challenge

Build an IFC Demolition Material Circularity Auditor

Inspect structural elements in architectural IFC files using IfcOpenShell to calculate salvageable timber and masonry quantities. Produce standardized circularity manifests for deconstruction contractors.

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Challenge brief

What you are building

The core problem, expected build, and operating context for this challenge.

Inspect structural elements in architectural IFC files using IfcOpenShell to calculate salvageable timber and masonry quantities. Produce standardized circularity manifests for deconstruction contractors.

Demolition and Salvage Coordinator

Import an IFC model representing a commercial building planned for deconstruction.

Query IfcWall, IfcBeam, and IfcColumn elements to extract material layer data.

Calculate total component volumes and cross-reference material recyclability ratings.

Compile a deconstruction inventory manifest highlighting reusable elements.

Material recovery dashboard listing salvaged volume metrics, demolition sequencing recommendations, and download buttons.

Clone public IFC samples from the buildingSMART international model sample repository. Starter examples below are synthetic. They are not downloaded records.

IfcOpenShell Leverages IfcOpenShell Python to read material constituent sets and element quantities from structural entities.

haystack, ifcopenshell, pandas. Haystack provides document extraction pipelines and question-answering retrieval over architectural salvage specifications. Cloud-hosted general language model capable of parsing technical deconstruction documentation and circular economy criteria.

Submit runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, a working interface, example outputs, and a recorded end-to-end demo. Include tests and an action log.

Processes material layer thicknesses and calculates total wall and beam volumes.

Categorizes materials into direct reuse, recycling, or disposal streams.

Outputs a deconstruction recovery manifest with embodied carbon offset metrics.

```json [ { "input": { "project_name": "Warehouse Rehab Project", "elements": [ { "id": "Beam_Glulam_01", "entity": "IfcBeam", "material": "Glued Laminated Timber", "volume_m3": 1.25, "fastener_type": "Bolted" }, { "id": "Wall_Brick_01", "entity": "IfcWallStandardCase", "material": "Clay Masonry", "volume_m3": 8.4, "mortar_type": "Lime" } ] }, "expected_output": { "summary": { "total_elements": 2, "high_salvage_yield_m3": 9.65, "diverted_from_landfill_pct": 95 }, "manifest": [ { "id": "Beam_Glulam_01", "recovery_action": "Direct Reuse", "condition_notes": "Unboltable without structural damage" }, { "id": "Wall_Brick_01", "recovery_action": "Reclaimed Brick Cleaning", "condition_notes": "Lime mortar allows clean brick recovery" } ] } }, { "input": { "project_name": "Office Annex", "elements": [ { "id": "Panel_Asphalt_01", "entity": "IfcCovering", "material": "Hazardous Bitumen Board", "volume_m3": 0.5, "fastener_type": "Adhesive" } ] }, "expected_output": { "summary": { "total_elements": 1, "high_salvage_yield_m3": 0, "diverted_from_landfill_pct": 0 }, "manifest": [ { "id": "Panel_Asphalt_01", "recovery_action": "Hazardous Disposal", "condition_notes": "Contains regulated adhesive; non-recyclable" } ] } } ] ```

Circularity estimates are indicative guidelines. Hazardous material abatement must be inspected on-site by certified personnel. Use mock external writes. Require human review before any real deployment.

Rules

Participation guide

Circularity estimates are indicative guidelines. Hazardous material abatement must be inspected on-site by certified personnel. Use mock external writes and human review.

Delivery guide

How work is evaluated

Evaluation

Processes material layer thicknesses and calculates total wall and beam volumes. Categorizes materials into direct reuse, recycling, or disposal streams. Outputs a deconstruction recovery manifest with embodied carbon offset metrics.

Submission format

Runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, working interface, example outputs, recorded demo, tests, and action logs.

Datasets

Challenge datasets

Public datasets, plus the private datasets you have access to.

Evaluation rubric

How submissions are scored

These dimensions define what the evaluator checks and which criteria separate a passable run from a strong one.

Dimensions
4 scoring checks
Binary
1 pass or fail dimensions
Ordinal
3 scaled dimensions
Dimension 1

Complete workflow

Import an IFC model representing a commercial building planned for deconstruction. Query IfcWall, IfcBeam, and IfcColumn elements to extract material layer data. Calculate total component volumes and cross-reference material recyclability ratings. Compile a deconstruction inventory manifest highlighting reusable elements.

Score scale
012
Score 0

Missing or incorrect.

Score 1

Partly complete, with documented gaps.

Score 2

Complete, with reproducible evidence.

Dimension 2

Correctness and evidence

Processes material layer thicknesses and calculates total wall and beam volumes. Categorizes materials into direct reuse, recycling, or disposal streams. Outputs a deconstruction recovery manifest with embodied carbon offset metrics.

Score scale
012
Score 0

Missing or incorrect.

Score 1

Partly complete, with documented gaps.

Score 2

Complete, with reproducible evidence.

Dimension 3

Review interface

Material recovery dashboard listing salvaged volume metrics, demolition sequencing recommendations, and download buttons.

Score scale
012
Score 0

Missing or incorrect.

Score 1

Partly complete, with documented gaps.

Score 2

Complete, with reproducible evidence.

Dimension 4

Safe execution

Circularity estimates are indicative guidelines. Hazardous material abatement must be inspected on-site by certified personnel.

Binary check

This dimension contributes its full weight only when the submission satisfies the requirement. Partial credit is not awarded.

Learning goals

What you should walk away with

  • Import an IFC model representing a commercial building planned for deconstruction.

  • Query IfcWall, IfcBeam, and IfcColumn elements to extract material layer data.

  • Calculate total component volumes and cross-reference material recyclability ratings.

  • Compile a deconstruction inventory manifest highlighting reusable elements.

Resources and assets

Reference links and supporting material

Dataset notes

Clone public IFC samples from the buildingSMART international model sample repository. Supplied starter examples are synthetic, not source extracts.

Challenge setup

Configuration summary for this challenge.

Challenge input

Input details are not configured.

Haystack

Framework

Evaluated output

No output checks are configured.

Evaluation checks
  • Import an IFC model representing a commercial building planned for deconstruction. Query IfcWall, IfcBeam,...
  • Processes material layer thicknesses and calculates total wall and beam volumes. Categorizes materials into...
  • Material recovery dashboard listing salvaged volume metrics, demolition sequencing recommendations, and dow...
Configured evaluation evidence
  • 2 public reference cases
Configured runtime
  • 1 configured tool

Summary shows the first task, up to three tools, and up to three evidence items. Open the technical recipe to view all configured items.

View technical recipe

Configured tools

Action Space
  • Haystack · Optional

Evaluation contract

  • Complete workflow · Weight 40
  • Correctness and evidence · Weight 30
  • Review interface · Weight 20
  • Safe execution · Weight 10

Reference cases

  • 2 public reference cases

Workflow tasks

No workflow tasks are configured.

Recipe freeze marker

No recipe freeze time is recorded.

Frequently Asked Questions about Build an IFC Demolition Material Circularity Auditor