Classification - 'Type of' or 'Part of'

Every few months there is a conversation on Social Media about what element or system classification code should be given to a pipe or a brick.

"Can a brick be classified 'Ss_25_13_50 Masonry wall systems' or 'EF_25_10 Walls'?"

"Can a pipe be classified 'Ss_60_40_37_81 Solar heating systems' or 'EF_60_40 Space heating and cooling'.

The answer to both questions is 'no'.

Classification deals with 'types of' things. Modelling is what defines what is 'part of'.

So a brick may be a type of 'Pr_20_93_52_15 Clay bricks' and the pipe may be a type of 'Pr_65_52_63_17 Copper pipelines'.

A modelling tool is what then determines whether that type of brick is part of a particular type of wall system. A modelling tool determines whether that type of pipe is part of a particular type of heating system.

This may not just be the modelled relationship between a product and a system, but any 'part of' relationship. Further examples would be:

• A digital projector (Pr) is part of a classroom or meeting room (SL)
• A security system (Ss) is part of health club or doctor's surgery (En)

The job of a classification system is limited to grouping types of similar items. A construction professional will then use modelling tools to link objects together to represent the physical built asset.

More advanced modelling tools may suggest relationships to help the construction professional do this modelling. For example, a design tool may allow the user to easily show which space type a door opens into and out from. Equally a specification tool may suggest suitable systems when a product is added to a job - 'would you like to add this ceramic tile to a wall tiling system or floor tiling system?'. But that is the job of the modelling tool, not the classification system.