Construction Classification Criticality
– Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Facilities Management, & Life-cycle Management of the Built Environment
Building classification systems are critical if any measurable productivity gains are to be achieved across the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Owner (AECOO) domains and associated life-cycle management of the built environment.
It is virtually impossible to engage in collaborative and productive processes among AECOO participants and stakeholders from initial conceptualization through deconstruction/structure reuse, without a common understanding of terms, definitions, and relationships.
The myriad of requirements, specifications, documents, data types, inter-relationships, and dependencies encountered throughout the life-cycle of built structures demands would be better understood and managed if based upon common terms, definitions, and data structures. The combination of information related to all aspects of physical assets life-cycle is best called a physical asset model.
Physical asset models should NOT be confused with 3-dimensional (3D) visualization, which is merely one of several methods of representing and working with information
Physical asset models include and require multiple competencies, industries, business processes, data formats, classification structures and layers, and technologies.
Standardized classification, is needed in order to organize and share physical asset information, processes and requirements (physical, functional, economic, environment…) across multiple competencies, team members, asset users, and oversight groups.
Classification enables information to be used for multiple purposes, individually and generically, such as determining initial and final scopes of work (SOW), cost estimating, capital planning and deferred maintenance management, space utilization, life-safety/security, levels of compliance, and mission dependencies.
Examples AECOO classificationsystemsand data architectures include Omniclass, Uniformat, Masterformat, COBie, and Uniclass.
With properly designed flexible, yet comprehensive architectures, classification systems should enable the location, representation, manipulation, and use of the same object/process for differing criteria/purposes.
Key Words: Classification systems, Taxonomy, asset model, asset modeling, collaboration, lean construction, integrated project delivery, IPD, job order contracting, JOC, BIM, OmniClass, MasterFormat, UniFormat, Uniclass, building information management, building information models, building information modeling.