Phase Considerations

COBIE

3.5 PHASE CONSIDERATIONS

The scope of a construction project can be small, such as changing a filter in a building, or enormous, such as constructing a twelve-mile-long subway. Construction projects are temporary endeavors that take place over time and are composed of phases. The Construction Specification Institute (CSI) recommends nine (9) phases and defines them in OmniClass Table 31 (dated 30th October 2012 and found at http://www.omniclass.org/). CSI lists the phases in order of a traditional construction project life cycle; however, work activities may occur in more than one phase simultaneously. For example, the Design Phase may be revisited to modify construction drawings due to unforeseen conditions while the remaining work continues in the Implementation Phase. In this example, an update may be required from the people responsible for the Design Phase and the people responsible for the Implementation Phase.

The table below indicates which COBie tables will likely be updated at each phase of construction and the following is a guide to help select which fields to update at each phase.

		Construction Project Phases
Table Groups	Tables	Inception Phase	Conceptualization Phase	Criteria Definition Phase	Design Phase	Coordination Phase	Implementation Phase	Handover Phase	Operations Phase	Closure Phase
General	Company	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Space	Facility		o	o	o					o
	Level		o	o	o					o
	SpaceType		o	o	o					o
	Space			o	o			o		o
	Zone			o	o					o
Product	Type			o	o	o	o	o	o	o
	Component				o	o	o	o	o	o
	System				o	o				o
Operational	Resource							o	o	o
	Job							o	o	o
	Event							o	o	o
	Package							o	o	o
Supplementary	Risk					o			o	o
	Document	o	o	o	o	o	o	o		o
	Attribute				o	o		o		o
	Coordinate				o	o	o	o		o

Inception Phase

Definitions:
Phase for establishing the project vision and means to satisfy the client’s business or public service requirement, including site selection, planning considerations, establishment of timeline, method of delivery, budget, and which identifies necessary resources (design, legal, financing, insurance, etc.).
Aliases:
1) Inception of a project, 2) Preparation and brief, 3) Strategy, and 4) Requirement Constraints.

During the inception phase, the Company and Document tables may need updating. The Company table requires information in the Name, Company, and Phone fields, and the Document Table requires information in the name and path fields. Prescribe which of the remaining fields to update for the deliverable within the inception phase. For example, prescribe that the engineering firm develop a project charter and additionally complete the COBie.Document.Table field and COBie.Document.TableName field to capture them as the creators of the document. In this scenario, COBie.Document.Name field is the project charter’s title, COBie.Document.Path field is the relative path to document from the COBie file location, COBie.Document.Table field is the Company table, and COBie.Document.TableName field is the engineering firm’s name. Also indicate who will review the COBie deliverable for the Inception Phase, such as the owner or internal staff, and who will assume responsibility of the COBie data after approval.

Conceptualization Phase

Definition:
Phase to identify the major design ideas in the context of programmatic objectives, facility performance, and activity parameters, to define spaces, and to initiate basic project element considerations.
Aliases:
1) Concept and 2) Outline solution.

The Company, Facility, Level, SpaceType, and Document tables may need updating during this phase. It is recommended to consult with staff when determining what fields to prescribe, because it may be necessary to provide more guidance to the person who will perform the updates. For example, the space manager may require the COBie.Space.RoomTag field to follow a naming convention, or the COBie.Space.NetArea field to conform to a specific measurement standard, such as from the Building Owners and Manager Association (BOMA) International. These unique requirements are not part of the COBie Standard, they will need to be specified. Indicate who will review the COBie Deliverable and who will assume responsibility for the COBie data after approval.

Criteria Definition Phase

Definition:
Phase to create and refine schematic diagrams of the basic project elements (substructure, shell, interiors, equipment, services, furnishings, special construction and demolition, and building sitework) that fully establish project spatial and element criteria as the Basis of Design.
Aliases:
1) Development, and 2) Definition.

The Company, Facility, Level, SpaceType, Space, Zone, Type, and Document tables may need updating during the Criteria Definition Phase. It is recommended to consult with staff when determining what fields to prescribe and check for any additional requirements when capturing COBie data. For example, the facility manager may only need COBie data for a few assets, such as HVAC units, power transformers, water pumps, etc., and may want the COBie.Type.WarrantyDescription field for all of them.

Design Phase

Definition:
Phase in which the project team establishes means of satisfying project Basis of Design requirements with technical solutions, evaluates alternatives through value analysis or similar processes, and completes.
Aliases:
1) Technical Design, and 2) Construction Information.

In addition to the tables indicated in the Criteria Definition Phase, the Component, System, Attribute, and Coordinate Tables may need updating during the Design Phase. Consider what values to update in the Attribute table for each asset.

Coordination Phase

Definition:
Phase that bridges the design effort with implementation by integrating constructability and feasibility evaluations of the design to further develop spaces, elements, products, and materials necessary for the procurement and execution of the work, irrespective of the method of delivery.
Aliases:
1) Construction, and 2) Build.

Many pre-construction efforts occur during the Coordination Phase, such as the submission of safety plans, shop drawings, product data, etc. The designer or owner typically evaluates, coordinates, and approves the submissions which could provide more detailed information about the built environment before implementation. For example, identifying additional equipment implicit to the design. Specify a COBie deliverable that captures this information during the Coordination Phase, and the tables that may need updating are Type, Component, System, Document, Attribute, Coordinate, and Risk.

Implementation Phase

Definition:
Phase to implement the coordinated design through construction planning, prefabrication, and field execution characterized by constructor ‘means and methods’, and Basis of Construction strategies, controlled by quality assurance and control protocols.
Aliases:
1) Construction, and 2) Build.

More detailed information will become available during the Implementation phase when the constructor installs equipment, such as the equipment serial number, installation date, and precise location. There may also be product submissions received for review and approval during this phase. As such, the tables Type, Component, Document, and Coordinate may need updating.

Handover Phase

Definition:
Phase to evaluate the completed work through testing, inspection, and commissioning activities, including for any owner-furnished equipment, to ensure that design/performance criteria are met while conforming to applicable codes and standards, and transfer project knowledge from the design/construction team to the owner/facility management team via demonstrations, training, and documentation.
Aliases:
1) Closeout.

The Operations Phase typically consists of small projects, such as replacing or repairing equipment, that result in updating the Type and Component tables. Consequently, maintenance activities and new risks associated with the equipment replaced or repaired may need to be updated in the Resource, Job, Event, Package, and Risk tables.

Operations Phase

Definition:
Phase in which owner or a designated agent occupies, uses, manages, and maintains a facility, which may also include partial or whole facility renovation, repair, reconditioning or remodeling activities as part of the project use lifecycle.
Aliases:
1) In Use, 2) Operations and Maintenance, and 3) Renovation.

Closure Phase

Definition:
Phase which includes facility closure, preparation for unknown future use, demolition in whole or part, foreclosure, sale, or similar dispensation initiated by the decision that the facility no longer meets the needs of the owner and cannot be feasibly reconfigured for continued use by that owner.
Aliases:
1) Decommissioning, 2) End of Life, and 3) Renovation.

Demolishing a building in whole or in part may result in updating essentially all tables, depending on the project’s scope. It is recommended that partial demolitions are diligently captured to ensure the COBie deliverable reflects the built environment for the next project.

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