VBIS - An Introductory Overview
Introduction
VBIS is an Australian developed, and Victorian Government funded, industry standard asset categorisation system and unified communication syntax.
VBIS is designed to facilitate the standardisation of asset categorisation particularly suited to unified searching of facilities management databases and linking a range of asset centric FM applications such as asset registers, service systems, life cycle analysis systems, O&M manuals, virtual reality systems and emerging cloud-based facilities.
It allows means of communication between 3D models, 2D drawings, facilities management systems and other asset management systems acting as repositories of project data in a standardised and consistent way. VBIS comprises:
Key aspects of VBIS are:
A standard Asset Object Classification Coding (tagging) convention to standardise in the way data is labelled or tagged and the introduction of logical parent/child relationship for data, independent of its use.
A VBIS Syntax which permits a call to a website and pass search parameters for the site to initiate a search and display results. The syntax works with VBIS tags as well as any other asset data parameters such as barcodes, equipment designations or other classification standards.
Asset Data Sets
VBIS Tags
VBIS tags provide an ontology for assets in the built environment.
Every built environment project will have an information model, often a mixture of structured and unstructured information repositories incorporating project, organisation and asset information requirements. However even if well structured, the structure is unlikely to be compatible with other projects, particularly older projects in the build environment, and whilst suitable for a particular clients requirements, may not be comparable with an organisation that acquires the project or at a later date, or in is contracted to maintain the project on completion.
Comparison of the new built projects with the existing built environment is also a critical aspect of effective facilities management.
The challenge is how to unify these repositories to be able to search them in a consistent way to recover information and mine for operational performance data to be input into asset management and upgrade decision processes.
The VBIS tags are comprised of a four-level structure which provides a unique alphabetic tags per type of asset:
Level 1
Disciplines
Disciplines are used to group design, construction and maintenance activities and are based on the traditional building services engineering & associated disciplines. A total of 70 discipline categories have been identified to date.
Level 2
Products
Products are created to serve a specific function. e.g. for pumps the product specific function is to generally move a fluid or in some cases compress a gas.
Level 3
Sub-Type
Provides the first level of categorisation of the product.
Level 4
Sub-Sub-Type
Provides the second level of categorisation of the product.
The tags are designed to facilitate searching in a unified manner for assets by type. An example is provided below (note that VBIS codes are mapped to Uniclass & Omniclass):
The tags above are designed to be unique within the mechanical discipline and permit searching of all levels using a search wildcard.
For example:
ME-PU* will find all mechanical pumps
ME-PU-CES* will find all mechanical centrifugal end suction pumps
They can be applied across an asset database:
*PU* will find all pumps regardless of discipline
*PU-CES* will find all centrifugal end suction pumps regardless of discipline
Or applied to another discipline category:
FS-PU-CES* will find all fire suppression centrifugal end suction pumps
Applying a VBIS code to an asset record also provides a standard categorisation structure. The codes can be applied to a range of asset records including BIM models, 2D drawings, documents, real-time performance information data.
Semantic Tagging
Semantic tagging is the process of associating an element from an ontology with an information object held in a database such as a drawing, report CAD file, etc. VBIS tags are the ontology.
The VBIS concept is broader in that the VBIS tags are applied to multiple types of databases and CAD files such as 3D models and 2D schematic drawings. Applying semantic tagging to the asset database and an online O&M manual has the effect of associating an element from an ontology with the asset record, associated asset documents and objects within a CAD model.
Application Linking
The VBIS Asset Object Classification Coding (tags) provides a basis of Standard for asset and data classification and information exchange.
The VBIS Syntax provides for interoperability of systems within the CDE (Common Data Environment) by facilitating embedded search and display instructions in CDE applications.
The Syntax supports data security by:
Obeying the access restraints put in place by the application
Permitting access to be restricted to a specific area or a specific document.
Application in Building Information Models (BIM)
VBIS tags can be applied to both objects in 2D schematic drawings and 3D Building Information Models. Both are applicable and part of a digital deliverable.
Revit is currently accepted as the primary model authoring tool for building services in Australia, and therefore considered a key platform required to achieve VBIS outcomes.
VBIS codes are added into Revit models (and other 3D modeling platforms) as an Object Parameter. Two parameters are added:
VBIS.Code
VBIS.Description
Autodesk provide a free tool that can access public databases to apply various standard classification values. E.g. UK Database (Uniclass), US Database (OmniClass). A separate VBIS database is available to apply the required codes to the VBIS project parameters.
In addition a VBIS URL can be added as an object parameter to enable linking to external lining from within the model to an external documentation repository such as and O&M Manual.
VBIS & The Internet of Things
Standards such as Haystack (https://project-haystack.org/) provides a means to standardise the identification of multiple data measurement points on assets, applications include automation, control, energy, HVAC, lighting, and other environmental systems. Applications gather and store this data together with data from a range of data sources such as asset records for analysis.
VBIS provides a means to group measurement points according to an industry standardised asset classification structure.
Using the earlier example of pump classifications, VBIS tags facilitate the searching of a Haystack or Brick database for measurement points associated with a particular asset type, independent of its project specific identifiers.
VBIS is in a collaboration partnership with Brick to align the developments. Details are here: https://vbis.com.au/brick-and-vbis
Alignment with Australian Standards
As far as practicable, the naming conventions used in Australian Standards have been utilised. In some instances, these standards have undergone significant updates in recent times to assure naming conventions across related standards are consistent and increasingly aligned with ISO standards.
ISO12006 Conformance
ISO 12006-2:2015 defines a framework for the development of built environment classification systems that applies to the complete life cycle of construction works, including briefing, design, documentation, construction, operation and maintenance, and demolition. It applies to both building and civil engineering works, including associated engineering services and landscaping.
The structure of the classification systems according to ISO 22274 can be enumerative, faceted, or a combination of enumerative and faceted with an entry class.
ISO 12006 recommends 13 classes of classification tables to cover the complete lifecycle of construction works. These include classes which can be roughly grouped into Resource, Process, Result and Property classes. VBIS asset classification tables aims to provide granular asset level detail specifically focused on Construction Products (a Resource class) to better support operational and planning activities required during the asset life.
VBIS is an enumerative classification system using subject-specific categories, that are combined to create the full classification entry. By following a level order of specialisation (classes and subclasses) with VBIS’s 4 level classification syntax, VBIS utilises one of the two proposed classification hierarchy structures specified in ISO 12006. It has specific application to the categorization of objects in 3D Building Information Models.
Alignment with BIM-MEP Aus
BIM-MEPAUS is a national ‘standard practice’ for BIM – specifically focusing on MEP services throughout the design process and operation of a building. They develop best practice virtual design to physical construction BIM MEP standards, for the Australian construction and building services industry.
They also publish specifications and supporting reference guidelines and notes which are intended to assist designers and modellers to create models which are fit-for-purpose. These include standards for the naming of parameters in 3D modelling object libraries and for the naming of plant and equipment.
The VBIS tags follow an identical structure for the classification and naming of equipment, and their specifications include standard parameters for the inclusion of VBIS tags.
The objective is to have VBIS tags embedded in all industry supplier provided object libraries, and the object libraries of Australia’s leading BIM practitioners from design firms and contractors and specialist sub-contractors.
Alignment with International BIM Classification Schemes
There are benefits to adopt either OMNI-Class or Uni-Class Product Classifications, however it was considered that a discipline-based structure was more appropriate to the FM related needs of designers, constructors and maintainers.
VBIS maps to building services products of the Uniclass and Omni-Class product tables. Where no matching product is identified a dash is noted. It co-exists in effect providing the implementation of all three systems.
ISO55000 Conformance
The ISO55000 suite of Standards does not mandate any particular way to managing assets, rather is similar to the approach taken for ISO9001 – QA, in that it requires you to have a system in place to manage the assets that incorporates core principles with a focus on managing the value and risk to stakeholders and alignment to business objectives.
The core principle of the asset management system is to facilitate “Actions that enable realisation of value from assets”.
In order to analyse assets there is a requirement to be able to consistently and reliably identify and group the asset records by type to varying levels of type detail, and be able to do this across different types of asset databases. VBIS facilitates this analysis of a range of facility databases including:
A life cycle analysis database which augments the asset information with detailed condition and replacement cost information and focused on predicting end of life and levelling projected capital expenditure
A service database, often spread across multiple support organisation where routine and breakdown data is recorded against assets.
A project documentation database project brief, design reports, fire engineering reports, building certification etc.