This is the latest in our quarterly updating programme for Uniclass. It includes updates to eight tables, and the first publication of two new tables, Materials and Properties & characteristics. The other major development in this update is the inclusion of codes which are no longer in use in the search functionality on the website.
Previously used codes
We aim to minimize changes to existing codes and classifications, but we always take feedback from users into account. Any changes are the result of this input, combined with our own ongoing review, and sometimes mean that a code is moved to another location in the tables or deleted completely.
Following feedback from government department users of Uniclass, we have made every code that has been used since Uniclass was first published in 2015 available, together with information on the code that they have been replaced by, where appropriate. Deleted and revised codes are now included in the site search facility, and a separate Excel file is also available, listing all the withdrawn codes.
Water industry
Throughout the last three years, we have been working with members of the Water Industry Classification and Hierarchy Standards (WICHS) group, and the Water Services Australia Association (WSAA), to include and amend codes for both wastewater and water supply utilities. This update includes the codes that we have added to the ‘Systems’ table, and amendments to the ‘Complexes’ and ‘Entities’ tables. In conjunction with these new codes, a guide to using the Uniclass tables in the water industry is being launched by BIM4Water on 15 February 2023.
New tables
Following public consultation, we are now publishing the ‘Properties and characteristics’ and ‘Materials’ tables. These tables are as described in ISO 12006-2, and provide new codes to help – particularly with heritage objects and with embodied carbon data.
Updates to existing tables
New codes have been added to the ‘Project management’ table, following requests from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Futures Trust. Other changes are a result of feedback from users; full details of these changes are detailed in the revisions sheets and the Excel change log.
Continuing input and feedback
Between updates, we regularly liaise with a growing number of individuals and organizations using the tables in order to provide support, and to evaluate requests for new codes. We are grateful to all of the organizations that we have worked with for their input. As we share details of this activity, industry professionals can learn more about who else is using the tables, what purposes they are using them for, the range of changes to expect and the reasons for those changes.
The work of maintaining and enhancing Uniclass to continually support the needs of those operating in the built environment is an ongoing exercise. We welcome comment and input from all sectors in the construction industry via the website.
Changes to published versions
Status and revision information is available alongside each Uniclass table. Each information sheet (PDF) provides a summary of the changes made, as well as code-by-code details. A full list of all changes is also available in the Excel change log.
