Omniclass is classification strategy for the built environment. Omniclass includes facility types, space types, properties, organizational roles etc. in tables/Excel format. “OmniClass (or OCCS) is useful for many applications, from organizing library materials, product literature, and project information, to providing a classification structure for electronic databases. It incorporates other extant systems currently in use as the basis of many of its Tables – MasterFormat for work results, UniFormat for elements, and EPIC (Electronic Product Information Cooperation) for structuring products.” (Source: OmniClass, Construction Specification Institute, www. omniclass.org.)
OmniClass is a standard used by the National Building Information Modeling Standard™ (NBIMS) / buildingSMARTalliance™ , and used to support the Construction Operations Building Information Exchange™ (COBIE) supported by Whole Building Design Guide / Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
The OmniClass-defined numbers, system name, and product name are the component identification aspects.
Some BIM (Building Information Modeling) software vendors are beginning to support this standardized method of classifying Objects/Things in the built environment.
When BIM or CAD data needs to work within exchange models, setting up exchanges and processing in various parameters is required: BIM Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Capital Planning and Management Systems (CPMS),. Computer-aid Facility Management (CAFM), Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), Building Automation Systems ( BAS), and Adaptive Construction Delivery Methods ACDM) such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Job Order Contracting (JOC).
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Peter, what is the relationship betweeen COBie and Omniclass? Is COBie based on this classification system?
Hello Lisa,
Good to hear from you. COBie (Construction Operations Building information exchange) uses OmniClass tables to organize information.
As you know there are a lot of “ad hoc” processes in the construction/facility management sectors. The use of open standards will enable signifcantly enhanced collaboration, information reuse, and higher overall productivitly… all so sorely missing in our industry. Omniclass is most similar to Uniformat and MasterFormat, actually it’s an extenstion ot them and includes them, to define “components”. COBIE is a “higher level” schema, which also integrates OMNICLASS to specifically target facility management.