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B/555/-/5_14_0007
For information

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BS 1192-4:2014

Collaborative production of
information
Part 4: Fulfilling employers information
exchange requirements using COBie –
Code of practice

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Contents
Introduction 6
1 Scope 8
2 Normative references 8
3 Terms and definitions 9
4 Business process 11
5 Purposes 14
6 Management and quality criteria 17
7 Execution 21
Annexes
Annex A (informative) Example COBie entries 33
Bibliography 45

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Foreword
Publishing information
This part of BS 1192 is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The
British Standards Institution, and came into effect on XX Month 201X. It was
prepared by Technical Committee B/555, Construction design, modelling and data
exchange. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on
request to its secretary.
Relationship with other publications
BS 1192 series now comprises four parts as follows:
• Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction
information – Code of practice
• Part 2, Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of
construction projects using building information modelling (PAS)
• Part 3, Specification for information management for the operational phase of
assets using building information modelling (BIM) (PAS)
• Part 4 (this part), Fulfilling employers information exchange requirements using
COBie
BS 1192, PAS 1192-2 and PAS 1192-3 document best practice for management of
collaborative projects using Facility and Asset Information Modelling (BIM) based
design, construction and use.
BS 1192-4 defines the UK usage of COBie, an internationally agreed information
exchange schema for delivering facility information to the employer.

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Figure 1 – Core maturity model

This part documents the best practice recommendations for the implementation of
COBie as developed in the UK Government pilot projects.
Use of this document
As a code of practice, this part of BS 1192 takes the form of guidance and
recommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification and particular
care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading.
Any user claiming compliance with this part of BS 1192 is expected to be able to
justify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations.
Presentational conventions
The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its
recommendations are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is
“should”.
Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller
italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.
Requirements in this standard are drafted in accordance with Rules for the structure
and drafting of UK standards, subclause J.1.1, which states, “Requirements should
be expressed using wording such as: ‘When tested as described in Annex A, the
product shall ...’”. This means that only those products that are capable of passing
the specified test will be deemed to conform to this standard.

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Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract.
Users are responsible for its correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal
obligations.

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Introduction
COBie provides a common structure for the exchange of information about new and
existing Facilities including both buildings and infrastructure.
This standard defines expectations for the exchange of information throughout the
lifecycle of a Facility. The use of COBie ensures that information can be prepared
and used without the need for knowledge of the sending and receiving applications or
databases. It ensures that the information exchange can be reviewed and checked
for compliance, continuity and completeness.
COBie is the UK Governments chosen information exchange schema for federated
BIM (UK level 2), alongside BIM models and PDF documents. It can be used within
less structured projects (UK level 1) and may have a role within integrated BIM (UK
level 3) alongside a fuller building information model.
The scope of the exchange is given by the Facility – a distinct operational unit,
typically a building or section of infrastructure along with the temporary project and
permanent site details. COBie then holds information about the spatial locations and
the equipment and components that make up the Facility. To make these
manageable during design, construction and use, spatial locations are grouped into
intermediate addresses and other spatial groupings and equipment and components
are grouped by their common specification and by their functional purposes (see
Figure 2). The subsequent figures then apply these principals to infrastructure and
building.
Figure 2 – Generic view of COBie assets

Reprinted with permission from AEC3 UK Ltd. © AEC3 Ltd 2012

For infrastructure, the assets include the Facility as a whole, and its constituent
locations and Components. These assets are managed through groupings of these
into Zones, regions, Systems and Types (see Figure 3).

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Figure 3 – Infrastructure view of COBie assets

Reprinted with permission from AEC3 UK Ltd. © AEC3 Ltd 2012

For buildings, the assets include the Facility as a whole and its constituent Spaces
and Components. These assets are managed through groupings of these into Zones,
Floors, Systems and Types (see Figure 4).
Figure 4 – Building view of COBie assets, using standard terms

Reprinted with permission from AEC3 UK Ltd. © AEC3 Ltd 2012

NOTE Throughout this document the standard COBie sheets, such as Facility, are shown capitalised.

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1 Scope
This British Standard defines a methodology for the transfer between parties of
structured information relating to Facilities including buildings and infrastructure. It
defines expectations during the design and construction “project” stage prior to
handover and acquisition and the subsequent “in-use” stage.
The aim of this standard is to aid the demand side, including employers with portfolio
managers, asset managers and facility managers, to specify their expectations and
information providers including the lead designers and contractors to prepare concise
and accessible information.
NOTE 1 During briefing and renovation, these roles may be reversed.
NOTE 2 Suppliers and specialist designers and contractors may also be involved in providing
Information.

Clause 4 documents these processes and by whom and when such exchanges are
envisaged.
Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) can be specified by the purposes
intended for the information; Clause 5 structures these demands by the “why” and
“what”.
Clause 6 defines the management and quality criteria that is to be applied in the
preparation and acceptance of the information exchange.
The specific implementation of buildings and infrastructure facilities for new and
existing facilities are detailed in Clause 7 which defines how the expected information
and structure is delivered using COBie.

2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this
document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
BS 1192, Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction
information – Code of practice
PAS 1192-2, Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase
of construction projects using building information modelling
PAS 1192-3, Specification for information management for the operational phase of
construction projects using building information modelling
BS 8541-1, Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction –
Identification and classification – Code of practice
BS 8541-2, Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction –
Recommended 2D symbols of building elements for use in building information
modelling
BS 8541-3, Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Shape
and measurement – Code of practice
BS 8541-4, Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Attributes
for specification and assessment – Code of practice
BS 8544, Guide for life cycle costing of maintenance during the in-use phase of
buildings

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BS ISO 16739, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for data sharing in the
construction and facility management industries
BS ISO 19148, Geographic information – Linear referencing best practice

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this part of BS 1192, the terms and definitions given in BS 1192,
PAS 1192-2 and PAS 1192-3 and the following apply.
3.1 Assets
includes the overall Facility and its constituent parts
3.1.1 Facility
named distinct operational built asset, typically a building or section of infrastructure
along with details of the permanent site and temporal project
NOTE See A.3 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.1.2 Identified Space (location)

named location for activities such as use, inspection or maintenance, including un-
occupied or un-inhabitable spaces, but not inaccessible voids
NOTE See A.5 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.1.3 Floor (region)

named intermediate spatial subdivision, including distinct vertical levels and
horizontal areas
NOTE See A.4 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.1.4 Zone
named set of Spaces (locations) sharing a specific attribute, such as activity, access,
management or conditioning
NOTE See A.6 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.1.5 Manageable Components

named and individually scheduled physical items that may require management,
such as inspection, maintenance, servicing or replacement, during the “in-use” phase
along with their groupings by Type and by Systems
NOTE 1 The Employer may define manageable components by reference to their criticality to the
operation of the facility.
NOTE 2 See A.8 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.
NOTE 3 See BS 8544 for operational criticality.

3.1.6 Type
named specification for equipment, products and materials
NOTE See A.7 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.1.7 System
named set of components providing a common function
NOTE See A.9 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

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3.2 Operational information

information in COBie specifiying operational activity associated to Types
3.2.1 Jobs
named tasks and activities during the “in-use” phase associated to Types
NOTE See A.14 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.2.2 Resource
named material and skills required to execute Jobs
NOTE See A.13 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.2.3 Spare
named replaceable parts associated to Types.
NOTE See A.12 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3 Supplementary information

additional descriptive information in COBie associated to the assets
3.3.1 Document
named external document associated to an asset
NOTE 1 See A.16 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.2 Attribute
named specific characteristics associated to an asset
NOTE See A.17 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.3 Impact
named economic and environmental measures associated to an asset
NOTE See A.15 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.4 Issue
named risks or deficiencies in the information relating to the assets
NOTE See A.19 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.5 Assembly
named physical aggregation of a Type or Component to define another Type or
Component where both the overall (owning) assembly part and the constituent
(owned) parts have significance for their operation and use
NOTE See A.10 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.6 Contact
named person and/or organisation involved in the Facility lifecycle
NOTE See A.2 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.7 Coordinate
named position associated to Facility, Floor (region), Space (location), Component or
Assembly
NOTE See A.18 for the COBie spreadsheet representation.

3.3.8 Connection
named logical relationship between two Components
NOTE See A.11 for the COBie spreadsheet representation

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3.4 COBie (Construction Operation Buildings information exchange)

a subset of BS ISO 16759 IFC documented as a buildingSMART model view
definition (MVD) which includes operational information. A smaller subset of BS ISO
16759 IFC documented as a buildingSMART MVD named ”FM-10” which excludes
operational information can be used during design and construction but not the final
handover.
NOTE 1 The definition is maintained by buildingSMART Alliance and buildingSMART UKI [1]. The
current version is “COBie 2.4”, first published in 2009.
NOTE 2 Construction Operation Buildings information exchange (COBie) is documented in the US
National Institute of Building Science “National BIM Standard v3” (NBIMS) [2] with its representation as
a spreadsheet.
NOTE 3 BS 1192-4 is referenced directly in PAS 1192-2 and PAS 1192-3, and in earlier documents as
“COBie-UK-2012” on which it is based.

3.5 digital Plan of Works (dPoW)

schedule of phases, roles, responsibilities, assets and attributes, made available in a
computable form
NOTE 1 It may be used to complement the Employer’s Information Requirements.
NOTE 2 Attributes for around 700 Types were documented in the UK COBie Templates at:
www.bimtaskgroup.org/COBie/ [3].

4 Business process
The process of exchanging COBie deliverables should be integral to the whole
Facility lifecycle (Figure 5) so as to maximise the benefit and efficiency of the
employer-side pull for information.
NOTE The process can be reviewed by roles (4.1) or by provider/receiver relationship (4.2) or by
Facility lifecycle (4.3).

Figure 5 – The Facility lifecycle includes “project” and “in-use” phases

4.1 Processes by role

4.1.1 Employer’s role
The employer should be specific about the purposes supporting the ownership of the
Facility for which the information is required and about the timing and content of any
interim deliveries so as to allow the supply chain to respond appropriately.
An employer should require the delivery of COBie from the lead designer and/or lead
contractor. A finalised COBie should be expected at the time of Handover, but earlier
interim deliveries may be used to monitor the business case and life-cycle decisions
for the facility and to help plan for taking ownership.
The COBie information should be archived for record purposes when delivered, and
may be held in Portfolio, Asset and Facility Management applications. The COBie

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information should be available to support the tendering of support contracts and

future projects.
NOTE For further information, see PAS 1192-3.

4.1.2 Designers, contractors and service providers process

The “project” team should document their knowledge about a Facility in both its
spatial and physical aspects. Spatially they should document the spaces (locations)
and their grouping by Floor (region) and their grouping into Zones. Physically they
should document the components and their grouping by product Type and their
grouping into functional Systems.
In federated BIM (level 2) projects, information for COBie should be available from
the models, structured specifications and other schedules. Wherever possible, data
should be mapped to COBie automatically. The lead designer and contractor should
expect COBie information on specific aspects from their supply chain.
Lead parties should then ensure that their supply chains deliver these specified
aspects.
NOTE For further information, see PAS 1192-2 and PAS 1192-3

In projects with less structured information (level 1), the information needed to
complete the COBie deliverable may already be available in reports and schedules
and in other unstructured material prepared for handover.
In integrated BIM (level 3) projects, the majority of the information required should be
available in the model, but the COBie deliverable may be useful to the employer.
4.1.3 Supply chain
The supply chain should deliver the specified aspects of the Requirements.
NOTE 1 The supply chain may include consultants, specialist sub-contractors or product suppliers.

If the employer information purposes include the

“specification/selection/replacement” process, then the product Types should be
given the specific attributes appropriate to that Type. The product COBie may also
include operational recommendations relating to the installation, maintenance
operation and emergency procedures. The product COBie may also include
information relating to the economic and environmental impact of the product.
NOTE 2 The chosen dPoW may contain more specific properties.
NOTE 3 See BS 8541 for further information.

4.2 Provider/Receiver relationships

COMMENTARY ON 4.2.
During the “project” phase, the information provider may be the lead designer/contractor/service
provider and team but in the “in-use” phase (and during project briefing) the information provider is the
employer. During the “project” phase the information receiver is typically the employer but in the “in-use”
phase this may be the lead designer/contractor/service provider and team.

Governance should be in place throughout the process to ensure compliance and to

enable emerging issues to be addressed (see Figure 6).

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Figure 6 – Exchange facility information process

The COBie deliverable should include all the information that needs to be transferred
as part of an information exchange including the COBie data and local documents
referenced from it. The extraction process should cover the activities of populating
the target systems and data stores using the content of the COBie deliverable. The
review process should involve both Information Receiver and Information Provider to
ensure that there has been no significant loss of information as a result of the
transfer, or that a process is initiated to resolve the issues.
NOTE The Employer has final approval of overall transfer of information

The information provider should fulfil their strategic, managerial and implementation
obligations for the COBie deliverable.
4.2.1 Strategic actions of the information provider
The strategic actions should include the following.
a) Receive and review Employers Information Requirement (EIR).
b) Delegate aspects of the Employers Information Requirement (EIR) downwards to
next tier.
c) Create, acquire and store required information.
d) Review and approve the COBie deliverable prior to submission.
4.2.2 Management and Quality Assurance actions
The management and quality assurance actions should include the following.
a) Review of received information.
b) Receipt and federation of delegated submissions.
c) Review of federated information against the EIR (see Clause 5) and the
management criteria (see Clause 6).
4.2.3 Implementation obligations
The implementation obligations should include the provision of expected information,
including interpretation of the purposes and requirements (see Clause 7 and dPoW
and EIR).
4.3 Processes over the Facility lifecycle
There should be progressively more complete COBie deliverables throughout the
”project” stages, culminating at the Handover into “in-use”. Any COBie deliverable
after Handover should include any corrections and any data obtained during post-
occupancy assessments.

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The “in-use” COBie should be provided to the “project” lead at the commencement of
a “project” affecting an existing asset.

5 Purposes
The employer should express their purposes for requiring information deliverables,
including the aspects of the facility that are intended to be managed.
NOTE 1 These purposes can be used to determine the scope of the information exchange and the
employer information requirements (EIR).
NOTE 2 See PAS 1192-2 for employers Information requirements.

The supply of quality information should support the employers purposes in

managing the Facility, including:
a) When information deliverables are required, by reference to the agreed Facility
lifecycle stages.
b) Which purposes are included and excluded by reference to clauses 5.1, 5.2 and
5.3, along with any additional purposes. Each of these purposes should be
explicitly included and detailed or excluded from the Employers Information
Requirement.
c) Any additional checks and metrics by extension to Clause 6.
d) Any additional content by extension to Clause 7. This should also define which of
the “requirable” fields are required or excluded (see Annex A), and any specific
Attributes needed.
e) If other document and model formats are also being received, these Documents
should be associated to the appropriate assets using the “Document” sheet.
5.1 Overall purposes requiring information
The employer should request information relating to overall management of the
Facility.
5.1.1 Register
Full registration of assets should be provided to support accurate audit and reporting.
The inventory should include both spatial and physical assets and their groupings.
NOTE 1 This information may be included whether or not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW.

Every identifiable inside or outside Space (location) should be documented along

with every distinct Floor (region) containing them. The Zones defining public/private
access should be documented, along with other Zones where known. Volumetric
zones defined for design or construction management should not be included.
NOTE 2 For information on volumetric zones, see PAS 1192-2.

Every manageable Component should be documented along with every distinct

functional System whether containing manageable Components or not, and every
distinct product Type defining the manageable Components including both generic
and specific product and materials.
5.1.2 Support for business questions
The employer should specify if information is required to support the evaluation of the
business case for ownership and operation of the facility. This should include
continuous development of the Impacts and of the beneficial aspects of the Facility
from the earliest deliverable onwards.
NOTE 1 See 5.2 for benefits.

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NOTE 2 See 5.3 for impacts.

5.1.3 Support for compliance responsibilities

The employer should specify if information is required to support the maintenance of
the health and safety of the users of the facility such as construction design and
management (CDM) Issues.
Issues should be related to assets and also may be related to Attributes, Documents
or Impacts.
Jobs covering safety procedures and cautions within those safety procedures should
be documented by Handover.
NOTE This purpose may be omitted if not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW

5.2 Management of facility benefits

The employer should request information relating to the management of the benefits
of the facility.
5.2.1 Management of use and utilisation
Documentation of the intended use, capacity and utilisation of the Facility should be
provided as it is required to support comparisons of actual use and utilisation and
portfolio management.
NOTE 1 It also supports improved briefing for future projects.
NOTE 2 This documentation may include data for soft-landings usage review, and benchmarking of
facilities to agreed metrics.

Facility, Floors (regions), Zones and Spaces (locations) should be documented with
their net and gross areas. The method of measurement used should be documented
on the Facility sheet. This should be complemented with measures of the functional
capacity such as bed, pews, occupants or passenger movements served.
NOTE 3 For example, RICS appendices A, B contains formal rules of area measurement. RICS
appendix E contains a list of suggested beneficial measures [4].

Utilisation should be provided based on the hours of intended use, expressed as a

fraction where 24/7/52 = 100%.
NOTE 4 This purpose may be included unless excluded by the EIR or chosen dPoW.

5.2.2 Management of security and surveillance

Information should be required or supressed to support the management of the
security and surveillance of the facility. This may include a confidential schedule of
objects (such as CCTV cameras) or attributes (gate key codes) to be omitted from
any COBie deliverable outside of the Employer’s security.
NOTE This purpose may be omitted if not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW.

5.2.3 Support for Repurposing

Repurposing of each Space (location) and the whole Facility should be supported
with detailed information about the capacity, in terms of areas, volumes, occupancy,
environmental conditions and structural load bearing.
NOTE This purpose may be excluded if not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW.

5.3 Management of Facility Impacts

The employer should require information relating to Impacts from cost, carbon
(CO2e), energy, waste, water consumption or other environmental effects.

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5.3.1 Predicted and actual Impacts

Impacts should be associated to the Facility as a whole. The “project” (production)
and “in-use” impacts should be documented separately.
NOTE 1 “Project” impacts are one-offs, whereas “in-use” impacts may repeat on an annual or more
complex pattern.
NOTE 2 Detailed predicted or actual impacts may also be associated to any asset.

Care should be taken if summing Impact values. The summed assets should be
complete and non-overlapping.
NOTE 3 For example, the impact of the facility may be derived from summing the impacts of the
Systems but only if all relevant Systems are listed.
NOTE 4 This purpose may be excluded if not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW.

5.3.2 Operations
Information necessary for the normal operations of the facility should be provided to
support the facility operators and the employer to anticipate costs of operations.
NOTE 1 This purpose may be included if not excluded by the EIR or chosen dPoW.
NOTE 2 This may include data for soft-landings operations review.
• Power consumption of Components, Types and Systems [as Attribute (W)].

• Jobs including “start-up”, “shutdown” and “operation” procedures.

• Test results and normal settings and readings from Commissioning.

• If Facility Impacts are included then the usage should be included as a yearly Impact from
“Primary Energy Consumption” and Impact Stage is “use” (MJ).

5.3.3 Maintenance and repair

Information on the recommended maintenance tasks, including planned preventative
maintenance, should be provided to support the facility operators to anticipate and
plan for costs of maintenance. This information should include:
• Jobs associated to Types including inspection/diagnostics, PPM and repairs
(frequency is duplicated with Impact where the Impact Stage is “maintenance”).
• Spares.
• Impacts of maintenance operations.
NOTE 1 Labour cost rates are not required
NOTE 2 This purpose may be excluded if not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW

5.3.4 Replacement
Information on the reference or expected replacement service life and costs should
be available to the facility operators and to the employer to anticipate costs of
replacement. Recycling of the physical assets should be supported with detailed
information relating to principal constituent materials.
All the “requirable” fields for Type should be provided if relevant to the product,
including the expected life and replacement cost.
NOTE Further details of the replacement process may be provided as a Job and as an Impact.
Additional attributes may be specified in the chosen dPOW.

This purpose should be included, if not excluded by the EIR or chosen dPoW.

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5.3.5 Decommissioning and disposal

Information on the recommended de-commissioning Job should be provided to
support the facility operators to anticipate and plan for end-of-life costs.
NOTE 1 Further details of the process may be provided as cost and waste Impacts.
NOTE 2 This purpose may be excluded if not specified by the EIR or chosen dPoW

6 Management and quality criteria

Information providers should provide management and quality oversight and review
of the requirement in terms of the sections outlined below. Testability should be by
compliance with the COBie definition schema with additional rules implied by the
specific requirements here and in part 7.
6.1 Validity
The deliverables should be compliant to the COBie schema as defined in section 3
above.
6.1.1 Structure
COBie should be delivered in “Spreadsheet XML 2003” format.
NOTE 1 This format is acceptable to most spreadsheet and database applications. Formats containing
macros or other embedded code may be rejected by firewalls and security scans.

All sheets, columns and header rows should be present in the deliverable, named
and ordered as in Annex A.
NOTE 2 Applications creating COBie data need not reproduce the colour coding of the COBie
worksheets found in the manual COBie template and example files (see Annex A). However when
manually pasting into the COBie sheet, it is preferable to paste only text, so as to maintain the cells
colouration, formatting and validation.

Header chart should be as tabled: Title, Version, Release, Status and Region should
be provided. This information should not change.
NOTE 3 For more information, see Annex A.1.

Any additional sheets specified by the Employer should occur in the deliverable after
the final PickLists sheet.
NOTE 4 Any additional sheets may not be read by receiving applications.

Any Additional columns specified by the Employer should occur to the right of the
final specified columns and should have a header column name.
NOTE 5 Such columns may be read by receiving applications, as if they were textual Attributes. They
can be used to simplify the generation of COBie information where the Attribute is applicable to the
majority of the objects on the sheet. For example, if all or most Spaces (locations) are expected to have
a “FloorCovering” value, then such a column can be added.

A blank row should not occur before a row containing data or header.
The integrity of references should be ensured as follows:
a) Every Component should be assigned to at least one Space.
b) Every Component should be assigned to one Type.
c) Every Component should be assigned to at least one System.
d) Every Space should be assigned to at least one Zone.
e) Every reference to other sheets should be valid.
f) Every reference to Picklist enumerations and classifications should be valid.

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g) Enumerations specified in the Attributes and Picklists should be adhered to.

Data types should be respected.
Dates should be presented in ISO style and as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 – Date format
Example Sheet Column
2012-03-15T12:45:00 (all sheets) Created On
2012-03-15 Component Installation Date
2012-03-15 Component Warranty Start Date
2012-03-15 Job Start

Lists (including local classifications) should be comma delimited as shown in Table 2.

Table 2 – Comma separated lists
Example Zone Column
A)
L0-01A, L0-01B Zone Space Names

B)
Acme YT405 WC 285036, System Component Names
Acme BM180 Basin 230172

1. Spray the basin with a Job Description (sub tasks)

standard cleaner
2. Scale can be removed
using proprietary products
and abrasives
3. Stains and surface marks
may be removed with the use
of a scouring pad.

Acme YT405 WC DL7523, Job Resource Names

CandG P101 Certificate

2,5,10 Attribute Value (ranges and tables)

A)
On the Zone sheet the use of lists of Spaces (locations) may be avoided by repeating the row for each
member Space (location).
B)
On the System sheet the use of lists of Component may be avoided by repeating the row for each
member Component.
NOTE For example, comma separated lists can provide low, mode and high value.

Uniqueness of information should be ensured. Names should be unique within their

sheet, except that the System, Zone and Attribute names should be unique in
conjunction with other columns.
a) On the “Attribute” sheet, every Attribute Name (column A), taken with Sheet-
Name (column E) and Row-Name (column F) should be unique.
b) On the “System” sheet, every System Name (column A) taken with Component-
Names (column E) should be unique.
c) On the “Zone” sheet, every Zone Name (column A) taken with Space-Names
(column E) should be unique.
d) Elsewhere every Name and Email (column A) should be unique.

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6.1.1.1 Clarity of naming

Names should not contain commas or double spaces.
Contacts should be named by use of their valid email address.
Names should not use punctuation nor unusual characters (e.g. &, %, ‘, “, <, >).
Classifications should use the colon to separate code from description and should
not use commas.
6.1.1.2 Consistency of units
Length, Area and Volume and Currency values should be consistent with the units
selected on the Facility sheet (see Table 3).
Table 3 – Common units of measure
Example Sheet Column
millimeters Facility Linear Units
squaremeters Facility Area Units
cubicmeters Facility Volume Units
Pounds Facility Currency Unit
NOTE The allowable values for units use non-UK spellings.

Numeric values should be provided without units appended. Unknown values should
be entered as “n/a” (see Table 4).
Table 4 – Use of common units of measure
Example Sheet Column
millimeters Floor (region) Elevation
millimeters Floor (region) Height
millimeters Space (location) Useable Height
squaremeters Space (location) Gross Area
squaremeters Space (location) Net Area
millimeters Type Nominal Length, Nominal
Width, Nominal Height
Pounds Type Replacement Cost
millimeters Coordinate Coordinate X Axis,
Coordinate Y Axis,
Coordinate Z Axis

Units should be provided separately for all Attribute and Impact numeric measures
selected from the provided Pick-lists. The units of measure for length, area, volume
and currency should be as defined on the Facility sheet (see Table 5).
Table 5 – Use of units from Pick-lists
Example Sheet Value Column Unit Column
W Attribute Value Unit
kg Impact Value Impact Unit

The units of measure for Durations and Frequencies on the Type and Job sheets
should be provided in the separate column, selected from the pick-lists provided. The
unit of measure for Impact timings should be Years. Impact durations, warranty
durations and Job frequencies should be expressed in Years. Job durations should
be expressed in hours (see Table 6).

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Table 6 – Time units

Example Sheet Value Column Unit Column
Year Type Expected Life Duration Unit
hour Job Duration Duration Unit
Year Job Frequency Frequency Unit
Year Impact LeadInTime (Year)
Year Impact Duration (Year)
Year Impact LeadOutTime (Year)

NOTE The Job Frequency is a duration measured between Job starts. The Impact timings define a
repeating cycle, starting at the time of handover.

Initial impacts such as capital costs and embedded carbon should have zeros
entered for their LeadInTime, Duration and LeadOutTime timings.
6.2 Consistency
NOTE 1 Known discrepancies may be documented as Issues.

COBie deliverables should have continuity with earlier deliverables and preferably be
developed cumulatively to allow comparison and checking.
The deliverables should re-use the unique asset names defined in earlier deliveries.
The External System identifiers such as Global unique Identifiers’s (GUIDs) should
be maintained.
Common Attributes (excluding identification, quantities and location) should be
assigned to:
• the Type or System, not the Component; and
• the Floor or Zone, not the Space.
Common Documents (excluding condition reports, photographs and commissioning
reports) should be assigned to:
• the Type or System not the Component; and
• the Floor or Zone, not the Space.
Common Impacts (excluding actual readings or measurements) should be assigned
to:
• the Type or System not the Component; and
• the Floor or Zone, not the Space.
NOTE 2 The EIR or dPoW may specify precision and tolerances.

6.3 Completeness
Any deliverable should be assessed for completeness by applying the appropriate
review and testing before the information exchange.
NOTE 1 This may be the minimal deliverable compliant with the Employer’s information purposes and
the EIR, as complemented by the chosen dPoW.
NOTE 2 Known discrepancies may be documented as Issues.

6.3.1 Veracity
The information provided should reflect the intended or actual Facility. Every
identifiable Space (location) should be registered. Every manageable Component
should be registered.

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6.3.2 Groupings
The relevant groupings used to manage the Facility should be provided. Every
identifiable Space (location) should be assigned to at least one Zone and to a Floor
(region). Every manageable Component should be assigned to at least one System
and to a Type.
6.3.3 Supplementary information
Attributes, Documents, Impacts and Issues should be provided as specified by the
purposes above, EIR and the chosen dPoW.
NOTE Additional recommendations are listed in Clause 7.

Document entries should be provided for any documents and models forming part of
the COBie deliverable.
The following should not be documented as Attributes or Documents or Impacts:
a) Zero, unset or undefined Values.
b) Graphical and stylistic information.
c) Parametric behaviour.
d) Information found elsewhere in COBie.
6.3.4 Operational information
Spares, Resources, and Jobs should be provided as specified by the purposes
above, EIR and the chosen dPoW.
6.3.5 Timeliness
Attributes should be provided by the stage specified by the chosen dPoW. All
required and reference fields, including classification, should be provided by
Handover. All requirable fields not excluded by the EIR should be provided by
Handover.

7 Execution
The implementation of COBie and the delivery of the Employer’s Information
Requirements should be specific and appropriate to the Facility and should therefore
be led by the Client.
7.1 Means
Implementation should be through the use of robust applications, shared structured
data and repeatable processes.
NOTE Manual correction or enhancement of the COBie deliverable may be inefficient, unmanaged or
unrepeatable, leading to loss or rework.

7.2 Existing and new facilities

Existing facilities should be documented from surveys, document reviews and/or
existing data sources.
NOTE Existing components and spaces (locations) may be covered by pre-existing naming
(“numbering” or “labelling”) decisions. An example is the convention to name Spaces (locations) using
their full Facility, Floor (region) and Space (location) number sequence.

Should any attributes and measures not be readily available, it may be necessary to
add “unknown” to the category and other pick-lists to aid progressive documentation
though, although “n/a” is acceptable.

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Survey work that includes documenting condition or deterioration should use a

consistent multi-point scale.
NOTE This is shown in detail in Table 14, existing Components.

7.3 Infrastructure and building

Infrastructure projects should be documented using an appropriate spatial structure,
mapping “regions” within the facility to the Floor (region) sheet, and ensuring that
Spaces (location) correspond with recognisable “location” destinations for inspection
and maintenance work.
The option “region” should be added to the Floor (region) category enumeration,
although “site” is an acceptable alternative.
Where absolute coordinates are in use, all the spatial structure should be placed at
0,0,0 without offsets, and then all Components are located by absolute coordinates.
NOTE 1 Alternatively, external identifiers and document references may create the correspondence
with GIS data.

Additional columns “RelativeTo”, “RelativeToLateral”, and “RelativeToVertical”

(column P, Q and R) should be added to the Coordinate sheet to optionally refer to
the name of earlier points.
NOTE 2 This allows relative placements of Coordinates to be explicitly documented. This overrides the
default placement of Components relative to Spaces (locations) and Spaces (locations) relative to
Floors (regions).
NOTE 3 For more information, see Annex A.19.

The option “feature” should be added to the Picklist for Coordinate categories, as
there may be situations in both building and infrastructure facilities where
Components are positions relative to named but un-located coordinates such as a
grid or edge line. No X, Y, Z coordinate values need be provided.
The option “linear-element” should be added to the Picklist for Coordinate categories,
to identify situations where additional coordinate points are provided to aid relative
positioning, for example a mile point.
The option “referent” should be added to the Picklist for Coordinate categories, as
there may be situations in both building and infrastructure facilities where
Components are positions relative to named but un-located coordinates such as a
grid or edge line. No X, Y, Z coordinate values need be provided.
7.4 Facility lifecycle management
Where intensive asset management is envisaged, Components representing the
required performance should be separated from the Components representing their
fulfilment and then linked as an Assembly.
7.5 General requirements on assets
Identity, including Name, Description, Classification, External System (ExtSystem)
and External Identifier (ExtIdentifier) (if available), should be provided.
Full classification of assets should be provided to support accurate audit and
reporting. This should include code and description. Classifications should be as
provided from the defined pick-lists (see Table 7).
NOTE These recommendations may be superseded in the EIR and chosen dPoW.

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Table 7 – Classification recommendations

Sheet Column Classification table Example
Contact Category Uniclass Table C C3891:
Manufacturers
Facility Phase As defined (PAS CIC 6: Handover
1192-2 and PAS
1192-3) prefixed with
“CIC”
Facility Category Uniclass Table D or D376: Detention
RICS/BCIS Facility secure facilities
Classification prisons,
376: Prisons
Space Category Uniclass Table D D376: Detention
secure facilities
prisons
Type Category Uniclass Table L L72104: Washbasins

System Category Uniclass Table G & H G44 Sanitary and

or SFCA / SF(CE)CA hygiene FFE,
5A1: Sanitaryware

7.6 Expected attributes

Recommended Attributes should be as specified by the COBie sheet templates, (see
Annex A) and as scheduled in specific property sets which can be obtained at
www.buildingsmart.org [1], and the templates available from the chosen dPoW.
7.6.1 Facility Attributes
The following Attributes in Table 8 should be used for buildings and infrastructure
Facilities.

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Table 8 – Recommended additional Facility Attributes (buildings and

infrastructure)
Name Example Value Example Unit Description
GrossArea 20.00 squaremeters Sum of all gross
areas of spaces
within the Facility. It
includes the area of
construction
elements within the
Facility. May be
provided in addition
to the quantities of
the Spaces
(locations) and the
construction
Components
assigned to the
Facility. In case of
inconsistencies, the
individual quantities
take precedence.
GrossVolume 55.00 cubicmeters Sum of all gross
volumes of Spaces
(locations) enclosed
by the Facility. It
includes the volumes
of construction
Components within
the facility. In case of
inconsistencies, the
individual quantities
take precedence.
IsLandmarked false logical This Facility is listed
as a historic
landmark (TRUE), or
not (FALSE), or
unknown.
LandTitleNumber ESX257525 — The land title number
(designation of the
site within a regional
system).

NetArea 18.50 squaremeters Sum of all net areas

of Spaces (locations)
within the facility. It
excludes the area of
construction
Components within
the facility. In case of
inconsistencies, the
individual quantities
take precedence.
NetVolume 46.25 cubicmeters Sum of all net
volumes of Spaces
(locations) enclosed
by the facility. It
excludes the
volumes of

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Table 8 – Recommended additional Facility Attributes (buildings and

infrastructure)
Name Example Value Example Unit Description
construction
Components within
the facility. In case of
inconsistencies, the
individual quantities
take precedence.
RefElevation 50000.0 millimeters Datum elevation
relative to sea level.
RefLatitude 51 , 30 , 0 n/a World Latitude at
reference point (most
likely defined in legal
description). Defined
as integer values for
degrees, minutes,
seconds, and,
optionally, millionths
of seconds with
respect to the world
geodetic system
WGS84.
TrueNorth 0.0 , 1.0 — Cartesian vector
indicating the
orientation of the
Facility against
geographic north.
UPRN 44010823 n/a The UPRN is the
persistent key
identifier providing
consistency across
the OS AddressBase
product range. All
historic, alternative
and provisional
addresses for a
Basic Land and
Property Unit (BLPU)
are recorded against
the same UPRN.
TOID osgb1000001134770 n/a The TOID is an OS
unique feature
identifier and comes
from the OS
MasterMap
Topography Layer.
The TOID is a 16
character number
that is prefixed with
“osgb” and will stay
the same throughout
the life of a feature.
NOTE 1 This table includes buildingSMART/BS ISO 16739 IfcBuilding, IfcSite, and
Pset_BuildingCommon properties. The UPRN and TOID are UK specific.
NOTE 2 The basis of area measurement is specified separately in COBie. See A.3

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The following Attributes in Table 9 should be used for building Facilities.

Table 9 – Recommended additional Facility Attributes (building)
Name Example Value Example Unit Description
BuildingID 1234-567801-1234- n/a A unique identifier
45 assigned to a
building. A temporary
identifier is initially
assigned at the time
of making a planning
application. This
temporary identifier is
changed to a
permanent identifier
when the building is
registered into a
statutory buildings
and properties
database.
IsPermanentID true logical Indicates whether
the identity assigned
to a building is
permanent (= TRUE)
or temporary
(=FALSE).
NumberOfStoreys 1 number The number of
storeys within a
building.
OccupancyType Prison n/a Occupancy type for
this object. It is
defined according to
the presiding national
building code.
NOTE This table includes buildingSMART/BS ISO 16739 IfcBuilding, IfcSite, and
Pset_BuildingCommon properties.

The following Attributes in Table 10 should be used for infrastructure Facilities.

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Table 10 – Recommended additional Facility Attributes (infrastructure)

Name Example Value Example Unit Description
Coordinate OS Grid n/a Name by which the
ReferenceSystem coordinate reference
system is identified.
The name should be
enumerated from the
list recognized by the
European Petroleum
Survey Group
(http://www.epsg.org/).
The description may
contain an informal
description.
GeodeticDatum WSG84 n/a Name by which this
datum is identified. The
geodetic datum is
associated with the
coordinate reference
system and indicates
the shape and size of
the rotation ellipsoid
and this ellipsoid's
connection and
orientation to the actual
globe/earth.
VerticalDatum Dover-1952 n/a Name by which the
vertical datum is
identified. The vertical
datum is associated
with the height axis of
the coordinate
reference system and
indicates the reference
plane and fundamental
point defining the origin
of a height system.
LinearReferencing chainage n/a Name by which the
Method LRM method is known,
for example: chainage,
stationing, reference
post, address,
unknown. An
associated Document
should confirm details.
PositiveLateral left n/a Left common in UK,
OffsetDirection right in US (default).

PositiveVertical up n/a Up is default, down

OffsetDirection used for boreholes.
NOTE This table includes buildingSMART/BS ISO 16739 properties. The last three properties
implement BS ISO 19148:2012 Geographic information – Linear referencing best practice

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7.6.2 Space (location) Attributes

Space (location) Attributes should include identification, any distinct quantities and
positional information. Any other consistent attributes should be applied or promoted
to the Space’s (location’s) Zone or Floor (region).
The following Attributes in Table 11 should be used for internal and external Spaces
(locations).
Table 11 – Recommended Attributes for internal and external Spaces
(locations)
Name Value Unit Description
Benefit 1 client Beneficial measure.
FloorCovering None n/a Label to indicate the
surface material or
finish of the Space
(location) flooring.
GrossPerimeter 11546.8 millimeters Gross perimeter of
this Space (location).
It includes all sides
including those parts
of the perimeter that
are created by virtual
boundaries and
openings (like doors).
InteriorOrExteriorSpa Internal enumeration Interior or exterior
ce Space (location).
NetPerimeter 11546.8 millimeters Net perimeter of this
Space (location). It
excludes those parts
of the perimeter that
are created by virtual
boundaries and
openings (like doors).
It is the
measurement used
for skirting boards
and may include the
perimeter of internal
fixed objects like
columns.
OccupancyNumber 1 each Number of people
required for the
activity assigned to
this Space (location).
Utilisation 0.95 ratio Planned Availability
as a fraction of
24/7/52.

The following Attributes in Table 12 should be used for internal Spaces (locations).

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Table 12 – Recommended Attributes for Internal Spaces (locations)

Name Value Unit Description
CeilingCovering None n/a Label to indicate the
material or finish of
the space ceiling.
The label is used for
room book
information and often
displayed in room
stamp.
Concealed False boolean Concealed
FinishCeilingHeight 2500.0 millimeters Height of the
suspended ceiling
(from top of flooring
to the bottom of the
suspended ceiling).
To be provided only if
the space has a
suspended ceiling
with constant height.
FinishFloorHeight 0 millimeters Height of the flooring
(from base slab
without flooring to the
flooring height). To
be provided only if
the space has a
constant flooring
height.
GrossCeilingArea — squaremeters Sum of all ceiling
areas of the space. It
includes the area
covered by elements
inside the space
(columns, inner
walls, etc.). The
ceiling area is the
real (and not the
projected) area (e.g.
in case of sloped
ceilings).
GrossVolume — cubicmeters Gross volume
enclosed by the
space, including the
volume of
construction
elements inside the
space.
GrossWallArea — squaremeters Sum of all wall (and
other vertically
bounding elements,
like columns) areas
bounded by the
space. It includes the
area covered by
elements inside the
wall area (doors,
windows, other
openings, etc.).

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Table 12 – Recommended Attributes for Internal Spaces (locations)

Name Value Unit Description
NetCeilingArea — squaremeters Sum of all ceiling
areas of the space. It
excludes the area
covered by elements
inside the space
(columns, inner
walls, etc.). The
ceiling area is the
real (and not the
projected) area (e.g.
in case of sloped
ceilings).
NetVolume — cubicmeters Net volume enclosed
by the space,
excluding the volume
of construction
elements inside the
space.
NetWallArea — squaremeters Sum of all wall (and
other vertically
bounding elements,
like columns) areas
bounded by the
space. It excludes
the area covered by
elements inside the
wall area (doors,
windows, other
openings, etc.).
WallCovering None n/a Label to indicate the
material or finish of
the space walling.
The label is used for
room book
information and often
displayed in room
stamp.

7.6.3 Component Attributes

Component Attributes should include identification, any distinct quantities and
positional information. Any other consistent attributes should be applied or promoted
to the Component’s Type or System(s).
The following Attributes in Table 13 should be used for existing and new
Components.

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Table 13 – Recommended Component Attributes

Name Example Value Example Unit Description
Area 5.74 squaremeters Area
Length 4627.5 millimeters Length
IsExternal False boolean IsExternal
ElementalQuantity 5.74 squaremeters Elemental Quantity
(unit varies)
Mounting Height 1200.0 millimeters Mounting Height
IsLoadBearing False logical Loadbearing
Criticality high enumeration The operational
criticality to the
Owner/Operator (see
BS8544):
Very low,
Low,
Normal,
High,
Very High
Volume 0.86 cubicmeters Volume
NOTE Many properties and quantity measures are specified in buildingSMART/BS ISO 16739 for
specific Components, Types and Systems.

Remaining or economic life should be documented using buildingSMART/

BS ISO 16739 Pset_ServiceLife.
The following Attributes in Table 14 should be used for Components in existing
Facilities.
Table 14 – Recommended Component Attributes (existing facilities)
Name Example Value Example Unit Description
AssessmentDate 2014-03-11 n/a Date on which the
overall condition is
assessed.
AssessmentDescription Broken pane n/a Qualitative
description of the
condition.
AssessmentCondition AsNew enumeration The overall condition
based on an
assessment of the
contributions to the
overall condition
made by the various
criteria considered.
Very poor,
Poor,
Adequate,
Good,
AsNew.
NOTE This table is based on buildingSMART/BS ISO 16739 Pset_Condition

The following Attributes in Table 15 should be used for actively managed

Components typically in infrastructure Facilities.

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Table 15 – Recommended Type Attributes (infrastructure)

Name Example Value Example Unit Description
RFIDTagRequired true logical Clarification whether
a Radio Frequency
Identification Tag is
required.
TagNameplateRequir true logical Clarification whether
ed a Tag Nameplate is
required.

The following Attributes in Table 16 should be used for Components where phased
refurbishment or handover is undertaken.
Table 16 – Recommended Component Attribute (phased refurbishment or
handover)
Name Example Unit Description
AssetStatus enumeration Design Being designed, but not yet
approved for construction.
Manufactured Has been manufactured/
Fabricated but has not
entered the logistics supply
chain.
Logistics In transit to/from its place of
manufacture but has not
arrived in the site depot.
OnSite In the local storage facility
and is ready for use in
construction.
Construction Being procured, built and
installed but not yet under
formal testing or
commissioning.
TestAndCommissioning Under formal test and
commissioning programme,
but not commissioned.
Commissioned Has passed testing and
commissioning but is not
under control of the
Infrastructure Manager.
Operational Has been commissioned and
is under control of
Infrastructure Manager.
StrategicSpare Available for use, but is not
installed.
Temporary Supporting a programme of
works but will not be handed
over to an Infrastructure
Manager.
Decommissioned InSitu Decommissioned, but
remaining on site.
Decommissioned Decommissioned and
Removed removed from site.

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Annex A (informative)
Example COBie entries
A.1 General
The presentation of COBie as a spreadsheet uses colour to convey the type of field.
a) Expected: This field is expected (yellow).
b) Reference: This field expects the name or email found on a COBie sheet
(salmon).
c) Pick: This field expects the value from the associated Pick list. (salmon).
d) Application: This field may be filled by the generating application (purple).
e) Requirable: This field may be required by the EIR or chosen dPoW (green).
f) Additional: This field is user-defined (light blue).
A COBie workbook is made up of the tabs described in A.2 to A.21.
NOTE Tables A.3 to A.21 transpose rows and columns to aid legibility.

A.2 Instruction
Instruction Example Notes
Title COBIE expected, fixed
Version 2 expected, fixed
Release 4 expected, fixed
Status ifc2x3 expected
Region en-UK expected, fixed

A.3 Contact
Contact Example Notes
Email [email protected] expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2009-02-12T11:00:00 expected
Category C12 : Quality management pick
Company Company name expected
Phone 01 1111 1111111 expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcPersonAndOrganisation application
ExtIdentifier application
Department Standards requirable
OrganizationCode Company name requirable
GivenName First name requirable
FamilyName Surname requirable
Street Address Road requirable
PostalBox n/a requirable
Town New Town requirable
StateRegion County requirable
PostalCode AA11 1AA requirable
Country Country requirable

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A.4 Facility
A.4.1 Building example
Facility Example Notes
Name Some School expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category D713 : Secondary schools pick
ProjectName SchoolExtension expected
SiteName SchoolPark expected
LinearUnits millimetres pick
AreaUnits squaremeters pick
VolumeUnits cubicmeters pick
CurrencyUnit Pounds pick
AreaMeasurement RICS BCIS expected
ExternalSystem BIM Authoring Application application
ExternalProjectObject IfcProject application
ExternalProjectIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpG$lx7Lx application
ExternalSiteObject IfcSite application
ExternalSiteIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpG$lx7Lv application
ExternalFacilityObject IfcBuilding application
ExternalFacilityIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpG$lx7Lw application
Description Single storey secondary school requirable
ProjectDescription New build secondary school. requirable
Some school, Address Road, New Town, requirable
SiteDescription County, AA11 1AA
Phase CIC 6 : Handover pick

A.4.2 Infrastructure example

Facility Example Notes
Name J expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category D115 : Permanent way and track pick
ProjectName INSP2012 expected
SiteName Site1 expected
LinearUnits meters pick
AreaUnits squaremeters pick
VolumeUnits cubicmeters pick
CurrencyUnit Pounds pick
AreaMeasurement Approximate expected
ExternalSystem BIM Authoring Application application
ExternalProjectObject IfcProject application
ExternalProjectIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpG$lx7Kx application
ExternalSiteObject IfcSite application
ExternalSiteIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpG$lx7Kv application
ExternalFacilityObject IfcBuilding application

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WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

ExternalFacilityIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpG$lx7Kw application

Description Queensbury to Kingsbury Metro Grey Line requirable
ProjectDescription Inspection 2012 requirable
SiteDescription Queensbury to Kingsbury requirable
Phase CIC 7 : Use pick

A.5 Floor (region)

A.5.1 Building example
Floor Example Notes
Name Level 0 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category Floor pick
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcBuildingStorey application
ExtIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpGyG4uky application
Description Entrance level requirable
Elevation 0.0 requirable
Height 4000.0 requirable
A.5.2 Infrastructure example
Floor Example Notes
Name B086 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category Region pick
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcBuildingStorey application
ExtIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpGyG4uky application
Track between Queensbury and
Description Kingsbury requirable
Elevation n/a requirable
Height n/a requirable

35 © The British Standards Institution 2014

WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.6 Space (location)

A.6.1 Building example
Space Example Notes
Name 101 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
D7181 : General purpose
Category classrooms pick
FloorName Level 0 reference
Description Classroom expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcSpace application
ExtIdentifier 3PbU3I0k5FVO3gc98VQGZm application
RoomTag CL 101 requirable
UsableHeight 2955.0 requirable
GrossArea 24.837 requirable
NetArea 24.837 requirable
A.6.2 Infrastructure example
Space Example Notes
Name B086-J expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category D115 : Permanent way and track pick
FloorName B086 reference
Metro Grey Line between
Description Queensbury and Kingsbury expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcSpace application
ExtIdentifier 3PbU3I0k5FVO3gc98VQGZm application
RoomTag n/a requirable
UsableHeight n/a requirable
GrossArea n/a requirable
NetArea n/a requirable
A.7 Zone
Zone Example Notes
Name Teaching expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2013-04-15T00:00:00 expected
Category Circulation Zone pick
SpaceNames 101, 102, 104 reference
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcZone application
ExtIdentifier application
Description Basic teaching spaces requirable

36 © The British Standards Institution 2014

WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.8 Type
Type Example Notes
Name White Board expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2013-04-15T00:00:00 expected
Category L76134 : Presentation systems pick
Description Short Throw Projector expected
AssetType Fixed pick
Manufacturer [email protected] reference
ModelNumber 587 expected
WarrantyGuarantorParts [email protected] reference
WarrantyDurationParts 5 expected
WarrantyGuarantorLabor [email protected] reference
WarrantyDurationLabor 5 expected
WarrantyDurationUnit Year pick
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcFurnitureType application
ExtIdentifier application
ReplacementCost 2760 requirable
ExpectedLife 15 requirable
DurationUnit year pick
Onsite warranty and advanced
WarrantyDescription replacement warranty requirable
NominalLength 2105 expected
NominalWidth 50 expected
NominalHeight 1329 expected
ModelReference Short Throw Projector requirable
Shape n/a requirable
Size 2105mm x 1329mm requirable
Color white requirable
Finish n/a requirable
Grade n/a requirable
Material n/a requirable
Constituents remote controller requirable
Features n/a requirable
AccessibilityPerformance n/a requirable
CodePerformance n/a requirable
SustainabilityPerformance n/a requirable

37 © The British Standards Institution 2014

WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.9 Component
Component Example Notes
Name White Board:247849 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
TypeName White Board reference
Space 101 reference
Description WhiteBoard in room 101 expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcFurnishingElement application
ExtIdentifier 0lTs7iOoDD$830Kgut03mv application
SerialNumber S4567901 requirable
InstallationDate 2012-12-12T13:29:49 requirable
WarrantyStartDate 2012-12-12T13:29:49 requirable
TagNumber 247849 requirable
BarCode n/a requirable
AssetIdentifier 2f7761ec-6323-4dfc-80c0-52ae3703f410 requirable
A.10 System
System Example Notes
Name Circuit 1 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category G53 : Electric power pick
ComponentNames WhiteBoard:247849 reference
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcPropertySingleValue application
ExtIdentifier n/a application
Description Small power circuit 1 requirable
A.11 Assembly (optional)
Assembly Example Notes
Name Floor:Ground Bearing Concrete layer 01 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
AssemblyType Layer pick
SheetName Type pick
ParentName Floor:Ground Bearing Concrete reference
ChildNames Masonry - Concrete Floor Block reference
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcMaterialLayer application
ExtIdentifier n/a application
Description Masonry - Concrete Floor Block : 250. requirable

38 © The British Standards Institution 2014

WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.12 Connection
Connection Example Notes
Name Internet connections expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-02-12T11:00:00 expected
ConnectionType Data pick
SheetName Component pick
RowName1 WhiteBoard:247849 reference
RowName2 Server:21967 reference
RealizingElement reference
PortName1 IC5 requirable
PortName2 IC5 requirable
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject application
ExtIdentifier application
Whiteboards to education resource requirable
Description server 1
A.13 Spare
Assembly Example Notes
Name White Board Bulb expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-02-12T11:00:00 expected
Category SpareSet pick
TypeName White Board reference
Suppliers [email protected] reference
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject application
ExtIdentifier application
Description projection bulbs requirable
SetNumber 587-1 requirable
PartNumber 587-1 requirable
A.14 Resource

Resource Example Notes

Name White Board Upgrade USB expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-02T12:09:09 expected
Category Material pick
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject application
ExtIdentifier application
Manufacturer’s upgrade memory
Description stick requirable

39 © The British Standards Institution 2014

 WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.15 Job
Resource Example Notes
Name White Board Upgrade expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2013-04-15T00:00:00 expected
Category PM pick
Status Not Yet Started pick
TypeName White Board reference
Description White Board upgrade procedure expected
Duration 20 expected
DurationUnit minute pick
Start n/a expected
TaskStartUnit n/a pick
Frequency 1 expected
FrequencyUnit year pick
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcFurnitureType application
ExtIdentifier application
TaskNumber n/a requirable
Priors n/a reference
ResourceNames White Board Upgrade USB reference
A.16 Impact
Resource Example Notes
Name White Board Replacement expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2013-04-15T00:00:00 expected
ImpactType Cost pick
ImpactStage Replacement pick
SheetName Type pick
RowName White Board reference
Value 3000 expected
ImpactUnit currency pick
LeadInTime 15 requirable
Duration 0 requirable
LeadOutTime 0 requirable
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject application
ExtIdentifier application
Description Specialist replacement team requirable

40 © The British Standards Institution 2014

WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.17 Document
Document Example Notes
Name White Board Product Data expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2013-04-15T00:00:00 expected
Category Product Data pick
ApprovalBy Information Only pick
Stage Submitted pick
SheetName Type pick
RowName White Board reference
Directory n/a expected
File http://www.company.com/white board expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject application
ExtIdentifier application
Description Short throw White Board Handbook requirable
Reference Short throw White Board Handbook requirable
A.18 Attribute
Attribute Example Notes
Name Weight expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2013-04-15T00:00:00 expected
Category Submitted pick
SheetName Type pick
RowName White Board reference
Value 40.000 expected
Unit kg pick
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject application
ExtIdentifier application
Description Installed weight (excluding packaging) requirable
AllowedValues requirable

41 © The British Standards Institution 2014

WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.19 Coordinate
Attribute Example Notes
Name Level 1 point expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2012-12-12T13:29:49 expected
Category point pick
SheetName Floor pick
RowName Level 1 reference
CoordinateXAxis 0.0 expected
CoordinateYAxis 0.0 expected
CoordinateZAxis 4000.0 expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject IfcBuildingStorey application
ExtIdentifier 0NG5d_R6T8leptpGyG4uWz application
ClockwiseRotation 0.000 expected
ElevationalRotation 0.000 expected
YawRotation 0.000 expected
RelativeTo Block 1 point additional
RelativeToLateral n/a additional
RelativeToVertical n/a additional
A.20 Issue (optional)

Issue Example Notes

Name Fall1 expected
CreatedBy [email protected] reference
CreatedOn 2009-11-04T11:08:38 expected
Type Safety pick
Risk Very High pick
Chance Has Occurred pick
Impact Very High pick
SheetName1 Document pick
RowName1 Safety Policy reference
SheetName2 Component pick
RowName2 White Board:247849 reference
Description loose fixings expected
Owner [email protected] reference
Mitigation warnings relayed to operatives expected
ExtSystem Authoring Application application
ExtObject Pset_Risk application
ExtIdentifier application

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 WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

A.21 PickLists
The PickLists sheet is optionally provided to support the manual creation and review
of COBie deliverables. It includes the allowed values for all the fields marked “pick” in
the above tables.
PickLists Example Notes
AreaUnit squarefeet expected
AssetType Fixed expected
Uniclass Table D 1998 D : Facilities requirable
Uniclass Table D and F 1998 F : Spaces requirable
Uniclass G and H or RICS SFCA 1998 G : Elements for buildings requirable
Uniclass L 1998 L : Construction Products requirable
Uniclass C 1998 C : Management requirable
CoordinateSheet Component expected
ConnectionType Control requirable
CoordinateType point expected
DocumentType Preconstruction Submittals requirable
DurationUnit as required expected
FloorType Site expected
IssueCategory Change requirable
IssueChance Has Occurred expected
IssueImpact Very High expected
IssueRisk Very High expected
JobStatusType Not Yet Started expected
JobType Adjustment expected
objAttribute IfcPropertySingleValue application
objAttributeType BoundedValue application
objComponent IfcBeam application
objConnection IfcRelConnectsElements application
objContact IfcOrganization application
objCoordinate IfcBoundingBox application
objDocument IfcDocumentInformation application
objFacility IfcBuilding application
objFloor IfcBuildingStorey application
objIssue IfcApproval application
objJob IfcProcedure application
objProject IfcProject application
objResource IfcConstructionProductResource application
objSite IfcSite application
objSpace IfcSpace application
objSpare IfcConstructionProductResource application
objSystem IfcSystem application
objType IfcActuatorType application
objWarranty Pset_Warranty application
objZone IfcZone application
ResourceType Labor expected
SheetType Attribute expected

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WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

SpareType Part expected

StageType As Built expected
ZoneType Circulation Zone requirable
LinearUnit inches expected
VolumeUnit cubicfeet expected
CostUnit Pounds expected
AssemblyType Fixed expected
ImpactType Cost expected
ImpactStage Production expected
ImpactUnit currency expected
objAssembly IfcRelAggregates application
objImpact IfcPropertySet application
CIC Plan Of Works 2012 CIC 6 : Handover requirable

44 © The British Standards Institution 2014

 WARNING. THIS IS A DRAFT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED OR USED AS A BRITISH
STANDARD. THIS DRAFT IS NOT CURRENT BEYOND 28 MAY 2014.

Bibliography
Other publications/online resources
[1] buildingSMART Alliance and buildingSMART UKI: www.buildingsmart.org.
[2] US National Institute of Building Science “National BIM Standard v3” (NBIMS),
available at: http://www.nationalbimstandard.org.
[3] UK COBie Templates, available at: www.bimtaskgroup.org/COBie/
[4] Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Code of measuring practice. 6th
edition. Coventry: RICS, 2007.

45 © The British Standards Institution 2014