# Insulation in IFC 4
**URL:** https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892
**Category:** IFC
**Tags:** ifc4
**Created:** [January 21, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892 "2019-01-21T13:54:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ugogreco](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/ugogreco)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/1 "2019-01-21T13:54:04Z")
Hi,
with IFC 2x3 I used to classify the insulation as “IfcCovering” with predefined type “INSULATION”.
Since in IFC 4 the predefined type / enumeration type “INSULATION” is depprecated how do you classify the Insulation?
- still as IfcCovering, but with PT “USERDEFINED” or maybe
- as IfcWall / IfcSlab (depending what kind of component it covers) with the PT “USERDEFINED”
or any other ideas?
Thank you!
---
### Author:  [@rok](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/rok)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/2 "2019-01-21T16:13:05Z")
Did you read the Ifc Version 4 final? Because in the current version 4x1 and 4x2 it is not deprecated any longer: [http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC4/Add1/html/schema/ifcsharedbldgelements/lexical/ifccoveringtypeenum.htm](http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC4/Add1/html/schema/ifcsharedbldgelements/lexical/ifccoveringtypeenum.htm)
---
### Author:  [@stefan.markic](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/stefan.markic)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2019, 5:30am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/3 "2019-01-22T05:30:56Z")
Please refer to the (current) newest version of the standard (IFC4 add2 TC1) here:
[http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC4/Add2TC1/html/schema/ifcsharedbldgelements/lexical/ifccoveringtypeenum.htm](http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC4/Add2TC1/html/schema/ifcsharedbldgelements/lexical/ifccoveringtypeenum.htm)
---
### Author:  [@ugogreco](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/ugogreco)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2019, 6:24am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/4 "2019-01-22T06:24:42Z")
Thank you for your quick answers!
I checked up the IFC 4 final enumeration type and there it is deprecated… [http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC4/final/html/](http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC4/final/html/)
---
### Author:  [@Moult](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/Moult)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2019, 8:02am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/5 "2019-01-22T08:02:43Z")
@ugogreco you are looking at the IFC4 spec. This is not the most up to date specification (although I do notice that it does come up higher in search rankings, which can be a cause for confusion).
Look at @stefan.markic’s link, which links to IFC4 Add2 (addendum 2) which is the _most_ up to date, where insulation is _not_ deprecated.
---
### Author:  [@ugogreco](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/ugogreco)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2019, 8:27am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/6 "2019-01-22T08:27:43Z")
Okay, thank you!
as a subsequent question, how should the insulation (insulation under baseslab, ceiling insulation, facade insulation, etc.) be further subdivided, with a specially created attribute or by name / type?
---
### Author:  [@Moult](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/Moult)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2019, 8:40am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/7 "2019-01-22T08:40:53Z")
My understanding is that there are a few approaches.
1. You can set the `IfcCoveringType.PredefinedType` to `USERDEFINED`, and then set the inherited `IfcCoveringType.ElementType` to whatever you want.
2. You can use element composition and combine it as part of an element assembly.
3. You can use assignment to a spatial container to help describe it further.
4. You can use a classification reference to further specify the type of insulation.
These may be overkill. Remember that your `IfcCovering` should have an `isTypedBy` relationship with an `IfcCoveringType`. So in one you can have `IfcCoveringType.Name=INS01` and `IfcCoveringType.Description="Underslab insulation"`, and in another you can have `IfcCoveringType.Name=INS02` and `IfcCoveringType.Description="Facade insulation"`.
---
### Author:  [@ugogreco](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/ugogreco)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/insulation-in-ifc-4/892/8 "2019-01-22T08:47:01Z")
Thank you Moult for the explanation and approaches!