Digitization is a trend that affects all fields of human activity. It is a process that we cannot stop, and the construction industry is not left behind. It’s up to us whether we can take advantage of the opportunity that digitisation offers us in the form of greater efficiency or, perhaps, lower error rates. The path to digital construction is the BIM (Building Information Management), which transfers building information into a digital environment and makes it much easier and more efficient to work with. An important element in this efficiency is also a functional classification system, but one that is adapted to the possibilities and needs of the digital environment, such as the CCI international classification system.
The classification systems used in the construction industry were so-called enumerative systems. This means that they had the ambition to include all objects in their structure. Traditionally, these systems were arranged hierarchically, with individual classes and subclasses arranged in a tree structure (without any semantics ontology works). The disadvantage of this approach is considerable rigidity. The tree structure is usually huge, complicated, and quite rigid. That is, it allows for a single view of classification. However, the needs of different construction professions are different, often resulting in each profession using its classification system (with different classification design, breakdown structure, etc.), which complicates collaboration.
Modern classification systems are therefore usually faceted. The different facets (tables) allow to see and maintain a relationship within the structure of classified object (relation between so-called functional and technical system). The development of faceted classification systems has been made possible by digitisation and working with information in the digital world using machine reading. By combining these views, it is possible to use one classification system across the entire life cycle of a building. This is how the CCI International Classification System was designed, which is directly based on the classification needs in digital information management using BIM. It´s use is therefore also fully compliant with the ISO 19650 series of standards and significantly supports clear information requirements, delivery and, most importantly, its value in sharing and further work throughout the construction lifecycle.
CCI offers a total of six basic tables – construction complex, building entities, built spaces, functional systems, technical systems and components. In an analogue world such a classification could be difficult, in a digital world, linking different tables of a building is a piece of cake for machines. For example, we can look at a window as a “space access object” with a component code of QQA, but at the same time it can be part of a ventilation system (functional – JJ) and a build system of wall construction (technical – AD). Of course, it can be in a room (built space – AAB) in a house (building entity – AAA). By combining the classification into all (or several) tables, each profession in construction sector can have its own part of the classification and use it according to its needs. However, it will still be one classification system with one rules how to build classes and maintain relations inside classification system itself.
CCI: A classification system for the 21st century
BIM means working with information
From the original Building Information Modelling, the meaning of BIM has now shifted to Building Information Management. This just underlines the fact that what we are all about when using BIM is building information. Information that is shared and used across the entire lifecycle and by all construction professions. Information that is structured, repeatable and machine processable. In the digital world, it is said that information that is not shared is dead. And this is doubly true when using BIM.
A huge amount of information is generated in connection with every construction project. From the first construction plans, through the implementation and especially the operation of the building, to its demolition at the end of its life, the amount of information grows gradually. The BIM method does not require new information, most of which we already work with today. BIM leads to the fact that all information, throughout the entire life cycle of a building, comes together in one place – in the Building Information Model. As a result, no information is lost and so there is no need to re-enter it. All digital models, documents, communications, and process records are part of the Building Information Model. In addition, all this information can be linked together effortlessly within a single model. This not only allows for the preservation of a demonstrable history, but above all gives another important context to the information elsewhere. And this is often critical for a correct understanding of the information and the subsequent decision. All construction professions work with one version of the information, so all stakeholders are assured that it is the most recent and up-to-date version of the information. This prevents many of the misunderstandings that occur today during construction. And unnecessary cost increases.
The building information model also includes a digital building model. This is a geospatial reflection of the building in the real world. However, it is far from being a more 3D model. In addition to graphical information, the digital building model also contains non-graphical information (properties). The current trend is a clear increase in the amount of non-graphical information at the expense of graphical information. These digital models are frequently shared using the open IFC format. It is a major challenge of the BIM method to transfer as much information as possible into digital models and the associated structured data, which is today unstructured within individual documents (e.g., DOCX, XLSX, PDF). But importantly, the information is structured and interrelated. This means that it can be searched, or machine processed. Just a few mouse clicks are enough to locate the information; searching for it with a traditional approach can take hours or days. So, if a decision needs to be made, it doesn’t have to be – as before – by guesswork. When using BIM, we make decisions based on information, data, and facts that are always easy to find.
Digitization brings fewer errors and greater efficiency
BIM allows us to gather all the important information about a building in one place in digital form. A building information model is essentially an open, structured database containing information that is – at least for the most part – truly digital. This means machine processable and repeatable. This allows machines to take over several routine activities and do a lot of the work for humans. They then have more space to focus on what is significant and where their contribution is irreplaceable. To make this possible, structured data must be unambiguous and clearly defined. This is where a classification system plays a significant role in providing a clear definition. It is a kind of translator, or converter, between the human-understandable description (definition) and the machine-processable code. It will help us to ensure that we recognize, distinguish, and always understand all things in the same way.
The digital world is changing the everyday working day; digitization is not just about bringing information into the digital form, but also about interconnecting it. Internal and external processes are also going digital. All relevant information is now available in one place, interconnected and machine processable. Today it is quite common to have to deal with dozens of emails a day, go through hundreds of rows of Excel spreadsheets and waste time searching for information scattered all over the place (with no guarantee that it is still valid). In the digital world, all you have to do is log into an information system where you can find the information you need in a matter of moments. And because the information is shared, everyone works with the same version. So, we can rely on always having the most up-to-date version of the information.
It is the classification system that allows machines – much faster and more accurately than humans – to determine, for example, the total area of internal walls, the number of doors in toilets or the total length of sewer pipes. This allows us to make decisions more quickly and based on more accurate information. But that is why it is crucial that we use one common classification system for all construction-related professions. Only then will we be able to take full advantage of all the benefits that digitalization offers us in the form of sharing information that has already been taken in the past. We require all the digital tools used by the different construction professions to understand and distinguish the same parts of the building in the same way. By removing the repetitive need to keep re-entering this identification manually, we will enable the massive development of analytical and simulation tools that will help us design, build and, above all, operate and maintain buildings better and better. So that the information about the area of each internal wall in a building is correctly recognized by the software used by the quantity surveyors or construction manager, and later by the facility manager. Then working with digitally structured information will mean saving time, and fewer mistakes, thus saving money and being more efficient.
How CCI was born
While there are several classification systems in use, the largest ones have one thing in common – they were created on a national basis. So, if another country decided it needed a national classification system, it faced a very difficult decision. Either to create a completely new one or to pay licensing fees for an existing one. At the risk of having little or no influence on the further development of such a classification system. The advent of digitalisation in the construction industry, including the increasing use of BIM, together with the facilitation of collaboration on international projects and the open market of the EU has brought about the need for an international classification system. One that would allow the use of a single national classification system covering the needs of the different construction professions. At the same time, it would also open the way for international cooperation.
Estonia and the Czech Republic were in a similar situation in 2018. Both countries analysed the range of existing classification systems for their possible use as national classification system. And the expert teams in both countries soon came to a similar result; no existing system fully suited the needs of the construction sector in that country. The common conclusion was to focus on international standards and to find a platform for national adaptation, knowledge sharing and development based on their own experiences from the pilot projects. From an informal discussion between representatives of Estonia and the Czech Republic after one of the EU BIM Task Group meetings, the idea of combining activities and creating a new classification system was born. Despite a phase of searching for a more advanced partner, which ended due to its financial requirements, the initial germ of CCI was subsequently born, based on the Danish CCS classification system. CCI was conceived from the outset as open and freely available without any licensing or other fees, but with full support for national implementation.
This process was formalised in September 2020 with the establishment of the international organisation CCIC (Construction Classification International Collaboration). The Estonian Construction Information Foundation and the Czech Standardization Agency, with the support of the relevant ministries from both countries, were involved in the establishment. Very soon, representatives of Slovakia and Poland joined the collaboration, and in December 2022 Lithuania also joined. But of course, the list is not definitive. The CCIC organisation is open to all interested parties who are looking for a uniform classification system applicable nationally, and who are interested in joining the international cooperation in its development. There is no limit to the number of languages. Openness, functional cooperation and not requiring financial fees from members are the basic principles of CCIC. If you are interested in joining, please contact us.
From the beginning of its development, the CCI International Classification System was built on the idea of broad cooperation and freedom to tailor the classification system to the specific needs of builders in any given country. The basic development has been carried out in English within the CCIC Technical Committee, which includes experts from Denmark, Sweden and Finland, with subsequent mutations in the national languages. This means that each CCIC member state will be able to use common definitions in its language, which is precisely one of the basic principles of the common digital language of which the CCI is a part.
Open the way to international cooperation for your construction industry
Many countries in Europe and around the world are relying on BIM as a way to digitize their construction industry. One of the cornerstones of successful digital transformation is the use of a single national classification system. This is because it enables the successful, organized sharing of information across the construction lifecycle. The CCI international classification system not only fulfils such a role. At the same time, it also opens the way for international collaboration – ensuring that we recognize, distinguish and understand all things equally, regardless of language. The classification will be the same whether we do it in Estonia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, or Lithuania. Or anywhere else. The CCI classification system is designed from the outset to be accessible to all, with no licensing or other fees, and with implementation support in the form of published international ISO/IEC/EN standards.
Cooperation within the international CCIC organization is open to all those interested in using and developing the CCI classification system. Membership is not linked to any entry or recurring fees; each member pays his/her costs according to the “Bring Your Beer Party” principle. At the same time, however, they get the opportunity to participate in the development of the classification system and the opportunity to reflect the needs of their national construction sector in future versions. Each member has a representative on the Technical Commission (TC) and the Steering Committee (Trustee Committee). CCIC members are also very active in the working groups of international standardization organizations, in particular CEN/TC 442 and ISO/TC 10/SC 10/WG 10. But also in some others.
Although work on the development of the CCI international classification system has been ongoing for several years, it is certainly not too late to join. On the contrary, a large part of the classification system is already ready, so the translation of the classification tables into another language can be very fast. The new member will thus very soon have a working national classification system and the possibility to develop it further. Moreover, the organization is far from being limited to Europe, as CCI is based on ISO standards valid worldwide.
At the end of 2022, CCIC had five members. Lithuania joined the existing foursome of Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. Experts from Denmark, Sweden, and Finland also work with the organization The TC meets regularly once a month for a workshop, which, in addition to the standard agenda, is also an opportunity to share needs, experiences, and requirements. It is therefore a chance not only to participate in the creation of something truly new and groundbreaking but also to open the way to international cooperation for the construction sector.
You are welcome to contact us here.