ISO 12006-2:2001

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 12006-2
First edition
2001-11-01
Building construction — Organization of
information about construction works —
Part 2:
Framework for classification of information
Construction immobilière — Organisation de l'information des travaux de
construction —
Partie 2: Plan type pour la classification de l'information
Reference number
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
©
ISO 2001

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but shall not
be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In downloading this
file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat accepts no liability in this
area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation parameters
were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In the unlikely event
that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.
© ISO 2001
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO's member body
in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 � CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.ch
Web www.iso.ch
Printed in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2001 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
Contents Page
Foreword.iv
Introduction.v
1 Scope .1
2 Terms and definitions .1
3 The framework for classification.5
4 The recommended classification tables .9
Annex A (informative) The classification table titles and headings.10
Bibliography.17
© ISO 2001 – All rights reserved iii

---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this part of ISO 12006 may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 12006-2 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 59, Building construction, Subcommittee SC 13,
Organization of information about construction works.
ISO 12006 consists of the following parts, under the general title Building construction — Organization of
information about construction works:
� Part 2: Framework for classification of information
� Part 3: Framework for object-oriented information exchange
Annex A of this part of ISO 12006 is for information only.
iv © ISO 2001 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
0 Introduction
0.1 The status quo
At present there is little international standardization of classifications for construction. The construction industries
of individual countries, even adjacent countries, have tended to remain separate because of differences of culture
and legislation, and each has developed its own methods of arranging information. National classifications can be
difficult to change and there may seem insufficient reason to do so.
The most widely used classifications are work sections (mainly for specifications) and elements (mainly for cost
analysis). They are also the most widely varied, not only in their itemization and structure but also in the range of
other purposes to which they are put. There are other classifications, potentially just as important, which have not
yet been used to the same degree, e.g. construction products and properties/characteristics.
0.2 The need for standardization
Modern information systems for the construction industry, whether local or networked, need to handle data of many
different types, e.g. geometrical data, technical properties, cost data, maintenance data, for use within different
applications such as CAD, specification, product information and cost information systems. All these data and the
relations between them need to be defined and structured in such a way that the stored information is consistent
and reliable within and between the different applications.
0.3 Other work of relevance
The following groups specifically address the issue of computerized exchange of data.
� ISO/TC 184, Industrial automation systems and integration,SC4, Industrial data (STEP – Standard for the
Exchange of Product model data). STEP is a standard for computer-interpretable representation and exchange
of product data. Exchange of information has been initiated between those working in TC 184/SC 4 on the
Building Construction Core Model (BCCM) and TC 59/SC 13 for co-ordination of basic construction information
concepts.
� UN/EDIFACT with its regional organizations, e.g. EBES (European Board for EDI Standards) and PAEB (Pan
American EDIFACT Board). Groups concerned specifically with the construction industry are, at a global level,
JM7 AEC and, at a European level, EBES EEG05 (EBES Expert Group 05 AEC), the latter working within the
European user group EDIBUILD.
� ISO/TC 59/SC 13 has started work on a framework for object-oriented information exchange in the
construction industry.
� ISO/TC 10/SC 8 has produced ISO 13567-1, ISO 13567-2 and TR 13567 on the organization and naming of
layers for CAD.
� IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability) is an international body which is developing Industry Foundation
Classes, an industry standard for holding and exchanging digital data.
© ISO 2001 – All rights reserved v

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
Building construction — Organization of information about
construction works —
Part 2:
Framework for classification of information
1 Scope
This part of ISO 12006 defines a framework and a set of recommended table titles supported by definitions, but not
the detailed content of these tables. It is intended for use by organizations which develop and publish classification
systems and tables on a national or regional basis.
This part of ISO 12006 applies to the complete life cycle of construction works, including design, production,
maintenance and demolition, and to both building and civil engineering.
It identifies classes for the organization of information and indicates how these classes are related.
This part of ISO 12006 lists the tables which are recommended to be developed and used to classify the members
of each class according to particular views or principles of specialization and gives examples of entries which might
occur in these tables.
It does not provide a complete operational classification system. Classification tables may vary in detail to suit local
needs.
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this part of ISO 12006, the following terms and definitions apply.
2.1
object
any part of the perceivable or conceivable world
2.2
construction object
object of importance to the construction industry
2.3
construction result
construction object which is formed or changed in state as the result of one or more construction processes utilizing
one or more construction resources
EXAMPLES Office building, installed reinforcement bar, ventilation system, bridge, asphalt surface, enclosed space.
NOTE 1 A construction result need not have a physical existence; e.g. a “designed” office building is a construction result,
even though it has not yet been constructed; similarly a “demolished” office building is a construction result, even though it no
longer has a physical existence.
NOTE 2 A manufactured “reinforcement bar” is a construction resource until it has been acted upon by a construction
process, after which it becomes a construction result. In other words an installed “reinforcement bar” is a construction result, but
a “reinforcement bar” in storage in a manufacturer's warehouse is a construction resource.
© ISO 2001 – All rights reserved 1

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
2.4
construction entity
independent material construction result of significant scale serving at least one user activity or function
EXAMPLES Building, bridge, road, dam, tower, sewer, museum (if a single structure), sports field, sewage settlement tank,
cycleway.
NOTE A construction entity is the basic unit of the built environment. It is recognizable as a physically independent
construction even though a number of construction entities might be built as parts of a particular construction complex. Ancillary
works such as access roads, landscaping, service connections, may be regarded as part of a construction entity. Conversely,
when ancillary works are of sufficient scale they may often be regarded as construction entities in their own right.
2.5
construction complex
two or more adjacent construction entities collectively serving one or more user activity or function
EXAMPLES Airport, sewage treatment works, business park, port, motorway, shopping and sports complexes.
NOTE A construction complex can be analysed and the construction entities that go to make it up, identified; e.g. an airport
typically is composed of the construction entities runway, control tower, terminal building, aircraft hangar, etc. A business park
typically is composed of a number of buildings, access roads and landscaping (each a construction entity in its own right). A
motorway typically is composed of service stations, the motorway pavement, bridges, embankments, landscaping, etc.
2.6
construction entity part
solid (as distinct from liquid or gaseous), material part of a construction entity, having physically delineated
boundaries
EXAMPLES Wall, door, door handle, wash basin, road surface, bridge pier, pipeline valve, light switch, roof, heating
system, sluice gates.
2.7
element
construction entity part which, in itself or in combination with other such parts, fulfils a predominating function of the
construction entity
EXAMPLE 1 (element): External wall, floor, roof, foundation, column, lighting system, ventilation system, culinary
furnishings, sanitary equipment.
EXAMPLE 2 (predominating function): Space enclosing, supporting, servicing, furnishing.
NOTE 1 For practical purposes, such as when carrying out a cost analysis of a construction entity, it is vital that elements be
defined as exhaustive and mutually exclusive, in order to ensure that each part is counted once and only once. Where an
element contributes to more than one of the predominating functions of the construction entity, such as an internal wall that
provides support as well as enclosing space, for the purposes of an element table one of these must be designated the
“characteristic” predominating function. By “characteristic” is meant “generally the most significant”.
In the case of internal walls of buildings “space enclosing” may be chosen because not all such walls provide structural support
and, during the early stages of design, it may not be known whether a wall will be load-bearing or not. Conversely, it may be
considered advantageous to regard load-bearing and non-load-bearing internal walls as distinct elements, the first being
classified under the predominating function “supporting” and the second classified under “space enclosing”.
NOTE 2 An element is fundamentally different from a construction entity part; e.g. when constructing a classification table for
construction entity parts, the objects listed below are likely to be defined as types of “wall”. However, their characteristic
functions (given in parentheses) are quite different. Therefore when constructing a classification table for elements, they will not
be grouped together.
� Wall forming external boundary of building (enclosing habitable space).
� Under-building wall (supporting the building, as part of foundations).
� Manhole wall (part of drainage system).
2 © ISO 2001 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
� Retaining wall (achieves a change of level on a site).
� Garden wall (encloses or divides areas of the site).
2.8
work result
construction result achieved in the production stage or by subsequent alteration, maintenance or demolition
processes
NOTE 1 Such results are identified by one or more of the following: the particular skill or trade involved; the construction
resources used; the part of the construction entity that results; the temporary work or other preparatory or completion work
which results.
EXAMPLES (Installed) reinforcement for concrete, (laid) brickwork, (installed) ventilation duct, (applied) asphalt surface,
(erected) scaffolding, (constructed) temporary site accommodation.
NOTE 2 A work result may form a permanent material part or parts of a construction entity, or it may be “enabling”,i.e.
necessary to enable the construction entity itself to be constructed. There are two types of enabling work results: temporary
work results (e.g. scaffolding and temporary roads) and non-material work results (e.g. snow clearing).
2.9
designed element
element for which the work result(s) have been defined
EXAMPLES Wall of gypsum board fixed to timber studs, wearing course (of a road) of rolled asphalt.
2.10
space
three-dimensional, material construction result contained within, or otherwise associated with, a building or other
construction entity
NOTE 1 A space may be bounded physically or notionally.
EXAMPLES Room, corridor, atrium, cleared zone (at an airport), roadway, square, working space around a machine,
swimming pool.
NOTE 2 One of the key properties of a space is the nature of its boundaries; e.g. a room is a space which is bounded on all
sides by solid elements, whereas a working space around a machine is often not bounded by solid elements on any sides (other
than a floor), but will have notional boundaries.
NOTE 3 Another key property of a space is the function or user activity it is intended to serve. Spaces are often named
according to this intended or actual function/user activity, e.g. office space, operating theatre, sports hall, boiler room, garden.
NOTE 4 Traditionally the concept of space has mainly been applied to buildings, but it is often applied to other types of
construction entity.
2.11
construction process
process which transforms construction resources into construction results
EXAMPLE 1 Broad classes — design, production, maintenance, demolition.
EXAMPLE 2 Narrower classes — formulation of design brief, structural design, product supply, facilities operation, cleaning,
applying, taking up (e.g. a road), reheating.
NOTE Each broad process may be split up into its component processes; e.g. the design process may be split up into
space design, structural design and services design; the production process may be split up into production planning, product
supply and work processes. Work processes may be further split up into the separate types of work such as brick walling, in-situ
concrete construction and installation of lifts.
© ISO 2001 – All rights reserved 3

---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
ISO 12006-2:2001(E)
2.12
management process
construction process with the purpose of planning, administrating or assessing
2.13
work process
predominant construction process which results in a work result
EXAMPLES Installing reinforcement for concrete, installing ventilation ducts, applying asphalt surfaces, erecting scaffolding,
repairing concrete.
NOTE “Process” is closely related to “stage”, which is a period of time identified by the overall character of the processes
that occur within it. There are two types of stage of interest for construction information: construction entity lifecycle stage and
project stage.
2.14
construction entity lifecycle stage
period of time in the lifecycle of a construction entity, identified by the overall character of the construction
processes which occur within it
EXAMPLES See 2.15: a) inception/design/production, b) use/maintenance, c) refurbishment/alteration/recommissioning,
d) decommissioning/demolition.
NOTE Associated with lifecycle stages are a series of states of construction entities; e.g. a c
...