A Uniclass Advisory Board (UAB) has been launched with a remit to advise on potential improvements to Uniclass 2015, the classification system used to organise information across all construction industry disciplines.
The UAB will comprise a cross-section of relevant stakeholder organisations, including representatives from bodies that supply, consume and procure construction data. It will meet quarterly.
The UAB will explore and advise upon Uniclass in relation to digital construction’s evolution and maturation alongside the evolving need for data security around sensitive assets, buildings and infrastructure.
The UAB’s member organisations include the Association of Cost Engineers, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, the Chartered Institute of Building, the Institute of Asset Management and the UK BIM Alliance (UKBIMA).
Fiona Moore will be the UAB’s chair: she oversees the technical delivery of the Government & Industry Interoperability Group (GIIG).
Moore said: “Those implementing information management processes and the technologies that facilitate them know first-hand how important having a shared way to classify every aspect of a construction project is. The pace of adoption of digital construction is speeding up and that’s why we need to ensure that naming conventions and approaches are robust and reflect what’s happening in the field.
“The creation of an industry-wide panel in the form of the UAB will help to continuously improve Uniclass and make sure it continues to be an important part of driving up construction quality.”
Experts from NBS, Sarah Delany and Tina Pringle, will also sit on the board, providing expert technical advice and insights.
Pringle, director of digital information at NBS and a member of the team who devised Uniclass 2015, said: “Uniclass 2015 is a powerful system as it provides a unified classification system for the construction sector. It delivers a hierarchical suite of tables that allow for ‘things’ of all sizes to be classified from an individual screw through to a university campus or road network.
“It allows for buildings, landscape, and infrastructure to all be classified using one system. As digital construction evolves so must Uniclass. This advisory board is going to be a powerful way to ensure that the system remains fit for purpose as digital construction matures.”
