National BIM Standard - United States® Version 3

2 Reference Standards
2.4 OmniClass™

2.4.4.7 OmniClass™ Table 31 – Phases, Pre Consensus Approved Draft 2012-10-30

2.4.4.7.1 Scope – Business Case Description

OmniClass™ is an existing industry standard that has been continuously developed, managed, and
published since 2001 by CSI and Construction Specifications Canada. OmniClass™ has its own
procedure for regular review and approval of all content by an independent body of subject matter experts
composed of representatives from a wide variety of AECOO industry interest areas, the OmniClass
Development Committee.

OmniClass™ is designed to provide a standardized means of classifying and organizing construction

information, including BIM objects and related information. This classification and organization allows for
grouping and more refined analysis, storage and retrieval, or presentation of that information, and can
also aid in enhancing information exchanges and other forms of standardized data transfer. All individual
OmniClass™ tables are capable of serving these purposes individually, but the tables are designed to
work as a suite, enhancing each other’s classifications by increasing the number of access points
provided on any object so classified. As a result, increasing the number of OmniClass™ tables available
within an NBIMS-US™ context will have a multiplicative effect on affected applications.

The intended uses of Table 31 – Phases described in this version of the Table are:

“Construction project scheduling and record keeping, facility management record keeping, preventative
maintenance scheduling.”

2.4.4.7.1.1 Publishing organization

All OmniClass™ content is published by CSI and Construction Specifications Canada.

2.4.4.7.1.2 Version

The version of OmniClass™ Table 31 – Construction Entities by Form is “2012-10-30,” designated as

OmniClass_31_2012-10-30.zip on www.omniclass.org. The version of this table is listed as “Pre
Consensus Approved Draft,” which is the final version of any OmniClass™ table as approved by the
OmniClass Development Committee prior to full consensus approval, either through NBIMS-US™ or
another consensus process.

2.4.4.7.1.3 Date of publication

This NBIMS-US™ approved document is for the current edition of OmniClass™ Table 31, approved by
the OmniClass Development Committee and published by CSI on October 30, 2012.

2.4.4.7.1.4 Industry source and process

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All work on and approval of OmniClass™ content is conducted by the OmniClass Development
Committee (ODC), an independent group of industry subject matter experts administered and funded by
CSI and Construction Specifications Canada.

Membership in the ODC is free of charge and open to all interested individuals. The membership
currently consists of 110 individuals representing a wide variety of interest areas in the AECOO industry,
including designers, product manufacturers and information providers, contractors, owners, software
developers, government agencies, universities, and others. A full list of organizations represented on the
ODC is included below in “Annex A.”

Development and review work takes place in a selection of Working Groups (WG) appointed and charged
at the start of each biennial review cycle. Though all ODC members do not participate in every WG or
take part in every development or review discussion, all ODC members are apprised of all WG activity
quarterly and can request to participate in or monitor any WG at any time.

The following individuals were members of the WG that reviewed Table 31 – Phases content during the
2008-2010 and 2010-2012 review cycles:

Dianne Davis – AEC Infosystems Inc. – WG Lead

Mehmet Ateshin – LACECO Architects and Engineers
Gary Beimers – GB Consultants
Kenneth Chappell – CUH2A, ARCOM Master Systems
Roger Grant – CSI, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
Duke Guzey – independent consultant
Chris Hubbard – Quarry Group, Inc.
Robert W. Johnson – Johnson & Johnson Consultants, LLC
Dave Jordani – Jordani Consulting Group
Josh Kanner – Vela Systems, Inc.
Deborah MacPherson – Cannon Design
Mike MacVittie – Allen + Philip Architects
Patrick Mays – Dassault Systèmes
Adam Omansky – Vela Systems, Inc.
Chris Pechacek – McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Deke Smith – buildingSMART alliance®
Robert Weygant – Sumex Design

At the close of each review cycle, WG present the outcomes of their review work to the full ODC
membership for balloting and approval, which takes place following documented ODC procedure for
approval of content.

2.4.4.7.1.5 Revision plans and notification

CSI has an MOA in effect with the buildingSMART alliance® relating to OmniClass™ content; in that
agreement, CSI has agreed to notify the Alliance when OmniClass™ tables approved as NBIMS-US™
reference standards have been revised.

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OmniClass™ has a regular review calendar for all tables. OmniClass™ Table 31 is next scheduled for
review and possible update in the 2014-2016 OmniClass™ Review Cycle, scheduled to conclude in Q3 of
2016.

2.4.4.7.2 Normative references.

None

2.4.4.7.3 Terms, definitions, symbols, units and abbreviated terms

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply. These terms and definitions
are drawn from the OmniClass™ informational documentation and the ISO standard upon which
OmniClass™ is based, ISO 12006-2:2001.

2.4.4.7.3.1
construction entity
independent material construction result of significant scale serving at least one user activity or function

2.4.4.7.3.2
phase
a portion of work that arises from sequencing work in accordance with a predetermined portion of a stage

2.4.4.7.3.3
discipline
practice area or specialty of the actors (participants) that carry out the processes and procedures that
occur during the life cycle of a construction entity

2.4.4.7.3.4
organizational role
the functional position occupied by a participant, either individual or group, which carries out the
processes and procedures which occur during the life cycle of a construction entity

2.4.4.7.3.5
material
substance used in construction or to manufacture products and other items used in construction; these
substances may be raw materials or refined compounds

2.4.4.7.3.6
property
characteristics of construction objects

2.4.4.7.3.7
work result
construction result achieved in the implementation phase or by subsequent alteration, maintenance, or
demolition processes and identified by one or more of the following: the particular skill or trade involved;
the construction resources used; the part of the construction entity which results; the temporary work or
other preparatory or completion of work which is the result

2.4.4.7.3.8
Construction Specifications Canada
CSC

2.4.4.7.3.9
OmniClass Development Committee
ODC

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2.4.4.7.3.10
Working Groups
WG

2.4.4.7.4 OmniClass™ Table 31 – Phases

2.4.4.7.4.1 License terms

OmniClass™ license terms can be obtained at http://omniclass.org/license.

2.4.4.7.4.2 Referenced by other NBIMS-US™ Content

The version of Table 31 approved differs from other existing phase organization methods currently in use
in the AECOO industry in several significant ways.

1. It is designed to operate throughout the full facility life cycle. Many of the existing methods stop at
facility hand off or provide less attention to the operations phase than they do to design and execution
phases.

2. It is designed to be project delivery method independent. Most of the other systems in use are
designed with only a few project delivery methods in mind and tend to skew towards more traditional
project delivery methods. The naming and organization of the phases in this version of OmniClass™
Table 31 are designed to support both traditional and leading edge methods of project delivery.

3. As a result, it is not designed around paper-based deliverables as many of the existing phase
organization methods are.

4. It provides a transition matrix that correlates many of the most popular phase identification
methods currently in use.

5. It is designed to work with the existing OmniClass™ classification system.

All OmniClass™ tables are intended to work with other OmniClass™ tables. Additionally, NBIMS-US™
information exchanges may use one or more OmniClass™ tables as data elements, for example, Table
13 – Spaces by Function is used in COBie. The following information exchanges that are part of NBIMS-
US™ use Table 31 – Phases: LCie and COBie

It is anticipated that as other information exchanges have need to classify additional data elements, the
other OmniClass™ tables will be able to serve that role.

2.4.4.7.5 Bibliography

None

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Annex A
List of Organizations

A.1 List of organizations represented on the OmniClass Development Committee

4Clicks Solutions, LLC Johnson & Johnson Consultants,

Abbie Gregg, Inc. LLC
AEC Infosystems JS Construction Consultants
Allen + Philip Architects (JSCC)
American Institute of Architects Kalin Associates
(AIA) Keyword Specifications, Inc.
Appraisal Institute Kiewit Corporation
Archi-Technology, LLC Kingspan, Inc.
ARCOM Master Systems KJWW Engineering Consultants
Army Corps of Engineers LACECO Architects and Engineers
Associated General Contractors of LY Blair and Associates
America (AGC) M. C. Dean
Attainia Manitoba Hydro
Autodesk Maryland Department of the
Beardsley Design Associates Environment
Bentley Systems McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
BOMA International McGraw-Hill Construction
Building Systems Design, Inc. National Institute of Building
buildingSMART alliance Sciences (NIBS)
CAD Details NIBCO, Inc.
Cannon Design Onuma Inc.
CH2M Hill Open Data Standards
Conspectus Inc. Open Standards Consortium for
Construction Specifications Canada Real Estate (OSCRE)
(CSC) Parsons Brinckerhoff
Construction Specifications Institute PlaneBIM
(CSI) Professional Construction Services,
Dassault Systèmes Inc.
Davis Langdon Public Works and Government
Design Ecology Services Canada, Real Property
Digicon, Inc. Services
Digital Alchemy Quarry Group, Inc.
ESRI Reed Construction Data
FM Global RS Means
FMBENCHMARKING RSP Architects
GB Consultants Sumex Design
Georgia Institute of Technology SynCadd
GOMO TC9, Inc.
Graphisoft U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
GRC Architects (USACE)
Hall Building Information Group U.S. Coast Guard
Harrison Publishing House, Inc. U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
HOK U.S. Department of State
International Code Council (ICC) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
International Construction (VA)
Information Society (ICIS) U.S. Federal Aviation
International Institute for Administration (FAA)
Sustainable Laboratories U.S. General Services
Jacobs Engineering Administration (GSA)
JBHM Architects U.S. Geospatial Consortium

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U.S. Health Facility Planning U.S. National Inst. of Standards and

Agency Tech. Smart Grid Architecture
U.S. National Aeronautics and Committee
Space Administration (NASA) Vela Systems, Inc.
Woolpert
Zurich Financial Services

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Annex B
Table 31 Approved by Consensus

2012 DRAFT OmniClass™ Table 31 - Phases

OmniClass™
OmniClass™ Title Definition
Number
Phase for establishing the project vision and means to satisfy the
client's business or public service requirement, including site
31-10 00 00 Inception Phase selection, planning considerations, establishment of timeline,
method of delivery, budget and which identifies necessary
resources (design, legal, financing, insurance, etc.).

Phase to identify the major design ideas in the context of

programmatic objectives, facility performance, and activity
31-20 00 00 Conceptualization Phase
parameters, to define spaces, and to initiate basic project
element considerations.

Phase to create and refine schematic diagrams of the basic

project elements - substructure, shell, interiors, equipment,
31-30 00 00 Criteria Definition Phase services, equipment and furnishings, special construction and
demolition, and building sitework - that fully establish project
spatial and element criteria as the Basis of Design.

Phase in which project team establishes means of satisfying

project Basis of Design requirements with technical solutions,
31-40 00 00 Design Phase evaluates alternatives through value analysis or similar
processes, and completes initial documentation - Drawings and
specified Work Results - for the designed project.

Phase that bridges the design effort with implementation by

integrating constructability and feasibility evaluations of the
31-50 00 00 Coordination Phase design in order to further develop spaces, elements, products,
and materials necessary for the procurement and execution of
the Work irrespective of the method of delivery.

Phase to implement the coordinated design through construction

planning, prefabrication, and field execution characterized by
31-60 00 00 Implementation Phase
constructor 'means and methods,' and Basis of Construction
strategies, controlled by quality assurance and control protocols.

Phase to evaluate the completed Work through testing,

inspection, and commissioning activities, including for any
Owner-furnished equipment, to ensure that design/performance
31-70 00 00 Handover Phase criteria are met while conforming to applicable codes and
standards, and transfer project knowledge from the
design/construction team to the Owner/facility management team
via demonstrations, training, and documentation.

Phase in which owner or a designated agent occupies, uses, and

manages and maintains a facility, which may also include partial
31-80 00 00 Operations Phase
or whole facility renovation, repair, reconditioning or remodelling
activities as part of the project use lifecycle.

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2012 DRAFT OmniClass™ Table 31 - Phases

OmniClass™
OmniClass™ Title Definition
Number
Phase which includes facility closure, preparation for unknown
future use, demolition in whole or part, foreclosure, sale, or
31-90 00 00 Closure Phase similar dispensation initiated by the decision that the facility no
longer meets the needs of the Owner and cannot be feasibly
reconfigured for continued use by that Owner.

End of Table

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©2015 National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance®. All rights reserved.