BIM 2022
by: Marin Ljuban
What Is Classification And Why Is It Important?
D
igitalisation of the construction industry introduces many opportunities in all parts of the building lifecycle. In the design phase, it helps in the analysis of a larger number of possible solutions. In the construction phase it helps to speed the construction process up and make it safer, and the main benefits in the operation and maintenance phase are facility monitoring, and process optimisation that leads to lower energy consumption. As a consequence of these processes, a very large amount of data is created. In order to use the data effectively, it is necessary to develop an efficient data storage mechanism to ensure their adequate usage. Historically, the analog data storage presented a limiting factor to better data usage, but the advancement of BIM enabled a more intuitive way of storage by putting it in the context of a 3D building model. To sum up, technology enables creation of huge amounts of data as well as a digital way of storing that data, but one of the main problems still remains, and that is development of a system that would enable us to reach the right data at the right time, when it is needed to make an informed decision. As an illustration, a study conducted by Autodesk & FMI estimates that bad data could have cost the construction industry as much as $1.84 trillion in 2020. It is therefore clear that the data in the industry should be organised
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AUGIWorld Magazine | February 2022
in a way that would make collaboration between all the stakeholders. A part of the solution could be implementation of one of the classification systems. The simplest way to describe classification is as a system to organize and access the required information. The most famous classification system is the biological classification, which categorises living beings. Classification in the construction industry is a process assigns a specific code to all the building entities, thus enabling their distinction. Classification has been present for a long time in the construction industry, with many classification systems being developed through time, depending on the area of the industry whose requirements it was supposed to meet. Currently, 4 classification systems are predominantly used throughout the world. They are analysed in a paper made by K. Afsari and C. M. Eastman, and their characteristics are shown in the table in Figure 1. Each classification system is unique in its certain way, so it would be the best to decide which one to use in the beginning of the project. That is usually defined in the BIM Execution Plan (BEP). If the decision has not been made beforehand, the Uniclass system is mostly applied in Europe, and is compliant with ISO 19650, the standard that defines information management in the augi.com
