Last edited 03 Sep 2020

Discoverable construction knowledge specification

The Discoverable Construction Knowledge specification was launched by the Construction Knowledge Task Group (CKTG) on 27 August 2020. It is a common standard for the way construction knowledge is described that makes it easier to identify the right knowledge in every situation.

The standard was developed by the CKTG with technical authoring by Barbal Limited. It was funded by the Lloyd's Register Foundation with the support of the Open Data Institute.

The standard can be used to identify construction knowledge resources, to define their type, subject and location, and to describe the circumstances in which they might be useful. Adopting the standard across the industry will allow the creation of tools that can search, filter and manage all construction knowledge, whatever its source, and to integrate it into project environments.

The standard includes 2 mandatory fields, 11 recommended fields, and 16 that are optional. It builds upon well-known and well-used open standards, such as the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) and Friend Of A Friend (FOAF), using the terms most applicable to construction knowledge. Other existing classification systems are also referred to and recommended for use, such as Uniclass 2015, Thema, Media Type and ONIX Product Form. Discoverable Construction Knowledge extends on these standards by including knowledge ‘types’ and a new vocabulary for classifying knowledge.

Anyone can adopt the scheme. It has been designed to be applied across the whole spectrum of knowledge for the construction industry. It can be used by formal and informal knowledge organisations, as well as any company that publishes content that it considers to be knowledge. The specification has been designed for both digital and physical resources.