ISO Focus, October 2008.Pdf

ISO Focus The Magazine of the International Organization for Standardization Volume 5, No. 10, October 2008, ISSN 1729-8709

• WRI speaks on its cooperation with ISO • Progress on road safety management standard

WSD Poster 2008.indd 1 12.06.2008 13:47:47 ISO Focus The Magazine of the International Organization for Standardization Volume 5, No. 10, October 2008, ISSN 1729-8709 Contents

1 Comment Carole Le Gall and Yang Zeshi, Co-Chairs, ISO Strategic Advisory Group on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources 2 World Scene Highlights of events from around the world

• WRI speaks on its cooperation with ISO 3 ISO Scene • Progress on road safety management standard Highlights of news and developments from ISO members WSD Poster 2008.indd 1 12.06.2008 13:47:47

ISO Focus is published 11 times 4 Guest View a year (single issue : July-August). Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute It is available in English. Annual subscription 158 Swiss Francs 8 Main Focus Individual copies 16 Swiss Francs

Publisher ISO Central Secretariat (International Organization for Standardization) 1, ch. de la Voie-Creuse Building CH-1211 Genève 20 Switzerland the future Telephone + 41 22 749 01 11 Fax + 41 22 733 34 30 today E-mail [email protected] Web www.iso.org

Manager : Roger Frost Acting Editor : Maria Lazarte Assistant Editor : Janet Maillard • World Standards Day message Artwork : Pascal Krieger and • Constructing a sustainable tomorrow Pierre Granier • The three i’s in sustainability ISO Update : Dominique Chevaux • Built to last a lifetime Subscription enquiries : Sonia Rosas Friot ISO Central Secretariat • Building reliable structures Telephone + 41 22 749 03 36 • Making it simple – Earthquake resistant structures Fax + 41 22 749 09 47 • Second only to water – Cementing good environmental E-mail [email protected] practices for concrete • Touching ground with geosynthetics © ISO, 2008. All rights reserved. • Construction information to outlast generations The contents of ISO Focus are copyright and may not, whether in whole or in • Performing houses part, be reproduced, stored in a retrieval • Smart homes system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, Developments and Initiatives photocopying or otherwise, without 37 written permission of the Editor. Driving towards road traffic safety • Schedule for The articles in ISO Focus express the views implementation of accredited certification to ISO 9001:2008 • of the author, and do not necessarily reflect Colombia’s Environment Minister encourages ISO/TC 207 the views of ISO or of any of its members. 40 New on the shelf ISSN 1729-8709 Information security guidelines for the health sector Printed in Switzerland Cover photo : iStock and Fredrik Lewander. 41 Coming up ISO Focus October 2008 Comment Energy and the path to sustainability

he world’s population has more would highlight that the potential of of interesting initiatives, examples of than doubled since the 1950s. As a geothermal, cogeneration, wind, solar which are included in this issue of ISO Tresult, urbanization has increased and photovoltaic technology has yet Focus), and also to propose new stra- significantly, and the building and con- to be fully exploited. It is particularly tegies and ideas to help ISO optimize struction sectors have grown into one interesting that these can be used both its contribution. of the largest global industries. as large scale sources of power gener- If the energy performance of One of the most important fac- ation and combined heating for entire commercial and residential premises tors for making buildings more sustain- communities and as onsite applications is to be improved worldwide, everyone able is improving their energy perform- for individual buildings. The develop- needs to be involved – architects and ance, especially as buildings account ment of International Standards will designers, city planners, contractors, for a significant percentage of global help disseminate these emerging tech- owners and users. ISO’s multi-stake- energy use. This can be achieved by nologies on an international scale and holder and international platform is enhancing energy efficiency to lower increase their market penetration by clearly the right place to develop tech- the net energy input, i.a. by avoiding promoting their interoperability with nical solutions. losses and recuperating calories, and existing infrastructure and encourag- by increasing the use of energy taken ing consumer confidence. from renewable sources. “ One of the most today For new buildings, the thermal properties of its elements and products important factors – e.g. insulation, doors and windows – will have a key effect on overall energy for making buildings performance. The choice of component more sustainable is parts for heating, cooling and lighting improving their energy systems, and the observation of good practices for design layout and build- performance.” ing use will be equally important. This growing trend towards ener- International Standards can play gy efficiency and increased sourcing a key role here, by providing harmo- from renewables as the way to enhan- nized testing and calculation methods cing energy performance has promoted Carole Le Gall (left) Yang Zeshi (right) to enable the promotion of the most the perception of buildings as holistic. efficient solutions and underpinning Buildings are thus no longer seen as Co-Chairs, labelling schemes, which will help separate components of parts, but rather ISO Strategic Advisory Group the different operators involved in the as an ensemble of materials, systems, on energy efficiency and renewable construction process to make informed lifts, escalators, etc., working together energy sources choices. Indeed, International Stand- with specific goals in mind – a greater ards have long provided a medium for whole. Therefore, there is a need for disseminating technology and best International Standards that embrace practice across the world and across this holistic approach and facilitate the industries. overall calculation and assessment of Equally, existing buildings need building performance. to be retrofitted to bring them up to As Co-Chairs of ISO’s Stra- modern standards, and the principles tegic Advisory Group (SAG) on ener- here are the same as for new ones. For gy efficiency and renewable ener- example, older buildings can also ben- gy sources, we welcome the group’s efit from energy efficient innovations interest in sustainable buildings. SAG such as added thermal insulation and hopes to monitor ISO’s existing activ- energy saving lighting systems. ities related to energy and the build- So far as the use of renewable ing sector (several technical commit- sources of energy is concerned, we tees are already developing a number

ISO Focus October 2008 1 World Scene

standard (H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC) that substantially reduces the bandwidth needed to deliver high- quality video and the space to store it. This award, presented “ for developments in engi- First-place winning poster neering that are either so “Standards make the world go extensive an improvement on round” by Patricia Dind. existing methods or so innovative in nature that they Peru hosts regional materially affect the transmission, recording or ISO President at ACCSQ reaffirmation of the importance conference on standards of cooperation with regional reception of television ”, meeting in Vietnam and conformance was given at a ceremony in nd standardization entities was also Addressing the 32 meeting of great relevance to ACCSQ. The 7th edition of the Asia Hollywood, Los Angeles, in of the Association of South- Pacific Economic Cooperation August 2008. east Asian Nations (ASEAN) Whilst in Vietnam, Mr. Murby (APEC) Conference on tech- The Emmy was received by Consultative Committee on met the Prime Minister Nguyen nical standards and conform- Malcolm Johnson, Director of Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) Tan Dung as well as other key ance, which took place in ITU’s standardization bureau, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in Vietnamese officials. Cuzco, Peru, in August 2008, and Scott Jameson, Chair of August 2008, ISO President gathered more than 250 par- ISO/IEC Joint Technical Håkan Murby was pleased to ticipants from the 21 APEC IFAN announces winners Committee on Information note that all 10 members of member economies. ACCSQ were members of the of poster competition Technology (ISO/IEC JTC1), ISO family. The Board of the International The conference focused on alongside representatives of Federation of Standards Users various aspects of standardi- the Joint Video Team (JVT) He was also encouraged by the (IFAN) has announced the zation related to facilitating which developed the increase in active participation winners of the poster compe- trade in the region and standard. of ASEAN members in ISO’s tition it launched in 2007 on addressing global challenges In his acceptance speech on standardization programme over the importance and benefits involving public policies, behalf of the three organiza- recent years. Referring to the of standards and standardiz- such as the protection of the tions, Malcolm Johnson said : recent Olympic Games, he drew ation. The theme was “ Stand- environment and food safety. “ H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC is a an analogy between standards ards make the world go The inclusion of standardiza- jewel in the crown and the rules of sport, empha- round”. Fifteen posters were tion in higher education was of international sizing their importance and the received from eight partici- also addressed, as were studies standards collabora- “clear advantage for those who pants from Botswana, China, to quantify and promote the tion. This standard’s participate in international Colombia, France, Germany economic and social benefits versatility has been standardization when the and the Netherlands. The of standards. recognized and ‘rules’ are being agreed upon”. posters are available for ISO Secretary-General Alan applauded across an viewing at www.ifan.org. Highlighting ISO activities of Bryden made a presentation on amazing spectrum of particular interest to ACCSQ The winners of the contest the ongoing contribution of industry.” member countries, Mr. Murby ISO standards towards provid- are : ISO Secretary- drew specific attention to st ing metrics, disseminating new • 1 place : Ms. Patricia Dind General Alan Bryden standardization developments technologies and promoting (Germany) (photo top right) observed : “ This in the fields of energy, quality good practice with regard to nd second Emmy Award management, tourism, health • 2 place : Ms. Dagmar the inter-related challenges of in 12 years [illustrates] the care and road safety, among Aben (Netherlands) climate change, energy efficien- role played by international others. In matters of govern- • 3rd place : Mr. Luigi Prin- cy, water supply and nutrition. ance, the ISO Council’s recent cipi (France) standards in translating (photo left) innovation into useable Speakers at the 7th APEC technology.” Conference. IEC General Secretary and CEO Ronnie Amit also com- Hollywood presents mented, “ I would like to pay tribute to the industry experts Emmy Award to ITU, ISO [whose] leadership, energy and IEC and inspiration show what The US Academy of Televi- truly international standards sion Arts & Sciences present- can bring in terms of interop- ed the prestigious Emmy erability and benefits, and Award for Excellence to ITU, how they can touch the lives ISO and IEC for producing of billions of people around an advanced video coding the world.”

2 ISO Focus October 2008 ISO Scene

Working groups were established on terminology (lead by Germany), fuel specification and classes (Finland), quality A solid kick-off for assurance (United Kingdom), biofuels physical and mechanical test The first meeting of the newly methods (Canada), chemical established ISO/TC 238, Solid test methods (Netherlands) and biofuels, took place in Friiberghs sampling and sample preparation. Herrgård, near Stockholm, It was decided to investigate Sweden. existing standards and those Participants at the ISO/COMESA workshop in Lusaka, Zambia. The kick-off meeting was under development by its attended by Austria, Canada, participating members prior to Zambia hosts major Opening the way for the Czech Republic, Denmark, finalizing the work programme. standardization events developing countries Finland, France, the Republic The 2009 meeting will take In August 2008, Lusaka, Zam- The first ISO/ISIRI Seminar of Korea, Sweden, The Nether- place in the USA. bia, was the venue for several of Enhanced Participation in lands, the United Kingdom and standardization events. Firstly, the USA. Bright colours for International Standardization cosmetics ISO organized its first regional was held in Iran in July 2008 So far, the committee has 20 The eighth meeting of ISO/ workshop in collaboration with to promote participation of participating countries (plus six TC 217, Cosmetics, was held in COMESA, the Common developing countries in ISO observers), among them China, June 2008 in Amman, Jordan, Market of Eastern and Southern technical work. India and the USA. Sweden, hosted for the first time by Africa. The workshop focused provides the leadership of ISO/ Around 45 participants JISM, ISO member for the on standards relating to food TC 238 with Birgit Bodlund attended, including ISIRI country. It was attended by 26 safety management systems. (of the Vattenfall company) as (ISO member for Iran), com- participating members and 28 Chair and Lars Sjöberg (SIS, It was attended by participants observers from developed and prising standards developers Swedish member of ISO) as from 13 ISO members and developing countries. and delegates from industry, Secretary. will be followed by similar universities, consumers, min- collaborative workshops on istries and related national ISO/TC 238 will continue the other issues, as was confirmed organizations. work of the European commit- during a meeting held by the tee CEN/TC 335 (Solid biofu- ISO Secretary-General, Alan The seminar focused on the els) which has already generat- Bryden, with the top manage- ISO Strategic Plan 2005-2010; ed 30 standards on terminology, ment of COMESA. world trends and global rele- classification, sampling and test vance ; national adoption of Mr. Bryden also met the methods. ISO/IEC standards ; challenges Board of the Zambian Bureau The proposed scope is “ Stand- of Standards, as well as the faced with respect to a better implementation of Internation- ardization of terminology, speci- private sector representatives, fication and classes, quality and discussed enhanced al Standards ; efforts to align assurance, sampling and sample Progress was made on key Zambian involvement in national technical specifica- preparation and test methods in documents on microbiological standardization for the coun- tions with ISO standards ; the field of raw and processed standards and limits, which try’s key industries, such as standards, regulations and materials originating from arbo- included enumeration of yeast copper and other ore mining WTO technical barriers to riculture, agriculture, aquacul- and mould, and an important activities, agro-food products, trade agreement; and IT tools. ture, horticulture and forestry to horizontal document on guide- water services and tourism. The event was organized by be used as a source for solid lines for risk assessment and He also took the opportunity to ISO with the financial support biofuels. Excluded : areas cov- identification of microbiologi- take part in the 2008 edition of of the Swedish International ered by ISO/TC 28/SC 7, cally low-risk products. the Global Southern Africa Development Cooperation Liquid biofuels, and ISO/ The committee is also advancing International Dialogue, known TC 193, Natural gas.” Agency and ISIRI. on a standard to provide guid- as the “ Smart Partnership ance on the sun protection fac- Movement ”, attended by more tor (SPF), a subject of high than 500 participants from 29 consumer interest. With the countries, including several support of several cosmetics Heads of State and Prime Min- manufacturers, it is hoped that isters. One session, chaired by a standardized SPF rating H.E. Baledzi Gaolathe, Minis- system will soon be available. ter of Finance and Develop- ment Planning of Botswana, Chaired by the Netherlands, was dedicated to “ strengthen- with a Secretariat from Iran, ing the role of national and ISO/TC 217 has already regional standards organiza- published 11 International tions to support trade, private Standards, with another nine sector and consumers ”. under development.

ISO Focus October 2008 3 Guest View Jonathan Lash

onathan Lash has served as WRI organizes its work around President of the World four key goals : Resources Institute since 1993. J • People and ecosystems – to reverse Under his leadership, WRI has the rapid degradation of ecosystems pioneered the use of digital and assure their capacity to provide technologies to solve environmental humans with needed goods and serv- problems, engaged the business ices. community to foster development that is sustainable, and created • Access – to guarantee public access new mechanisms to empower civil to information and decisions regard- society groups. ing natural resources and the environment. A frequent writer about issues of sustainability, his recent article in • Climate protection – to protect the Harvard Business Review, the global climate system “ Competitive Advantage on a from further harm due to Warming Planet,” distills more than emissions of greenhouse a decade of active engagement gases and help humani- with the private sector on ty and the natural world climate issues. adapt to unavoidable climate change. A former Co-Chair of President Clinton’s • Markets and enter- Council on Sustainable prise – to harness markets Development, Secretary and enterprise to expand of Natural Resources for economic opportunity the State of Vermont, and protect the environ- Peace Corps volunteer, ment. Federal Prosecutor and law professor, Mr. Lash To achieve these goals, serves on the Advisory WRI provides objective Board of Generation “ Carbon markets cannot information and practical proposals for Investment Management, the Board policy and institutional change that will of Directors of the Avina be effective without foster environmentally sound, socially Foundation, and the Advisory standardized approaches equitable development. Council of Viva Trust. Given the diversity of Interna- to quantifying greenhouse tional Standards developed through ISO, gas emissions.” the highly decentralized way in which ISO Focus : WRI has a number of they are developed, and the many con- projects addressing its overall goal of texts in which they are used, it is hard environmental sustainability. In what to generalize about how they support way can International Standards sup- find practical ways to protect the Earth WRI’s goals. ISO standards may have port the goals of WRI and what are and improve people’s lives. Our mis- any number of different effects on efforts WRI’s expectations in this regard ? sion is to move human society to live to achieve environmental and social sus- in ways that protect the Earth’s envi- tainability. It is our hope that ISO can, Jonathan Lash : The World Resourc- ronment and its capacity to provide for over time, screen its standards to avoid es Institute (WRI) is an environmental the needs and aspirations of current and any negative effects, and assure that think tank that goes beyond research to future generations. environmental sustainability becomes

4 ISO Focus October 2008 Jonathan Lash : The MoU is a move to build confidence among the growing number of companies seeking to understand and manage their GHG emissions. It aims to highlight that requirements and guidance contained in ISO and the GHG Protocol standards are consistent for corporate accounting, and have been designed to be used in a complementa- ry manner. The background behind the MoU is the recognition that credible GHG accounting and verification has become a critical issue in the establishment of climate change programs and related market-based policy Protecting the Earth, instruments. The three organizations have improving lives made a formal commitment to working The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people’s lives. Its mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect the Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Because people are inspired by ideas, empowered by knowledge, and moved to change by greater understanding, WRI provides – and helps other institutions provide – objective information and practical proposals for policy and institutional change expects that our partnership with ISO in towards consistency and, where appro- that will foster environmentally this area can help us further promote good, priate, harmonization of GHG account- consistent approaches to greenhouse gas ing and verification approaches in order sound, socially equitable accounting, which are needed if carbon to create greater confidence among users development. trading is to effectively help address glo- and to support the development of cred- bal warming. ible GHG markets. The MoU envisages technical cooperation, awareness raising, a “ standard criterion ” for good stand- ISO Focus : ISO, WRI and the World promotion and education, as well as train- ards development. Business Council for Sustainable ing and capacity building. In addition, there are some cases Development (WBCSD) have signed a where standardization is at the heart of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ISO Focus : In your view, in what way efforts to promote environmentally sound, to promote the ISO 14064 (GHGs) does the work of ISO and WRI comple- socially equitable development. Carbon standards and the WRI and WBCSD ment each other ? How do you see the markets, for instance, cannot be effective GHG Protocol standards. Can you collaboration between the organiza- without standardized approaches to quan- elaborate on this initiative and on the tions developing in the future, and what tifying greenhouse gas emissions. WRI advantages of this collaboration ? new joint initiatives do you foresee ?

ISO Focus October 2008 5 Guest View

Jonathan Lash : As a worldwide brand, ISO can promote the same standards as the GHG Protocol in a synergistic manner. In the future we see a number of possible developments between ISO and WRI, including the potential development of a table that would contain both organizations’ standards and how issues are treated within each one. Also, both ISO and the GHG Protocol have ongoing training and capacity- building activities, and are coordinat- ing these efforts and exploring possible collaboration.

Inside WRI’s “green” office.

the way for a next generation of environmentally-friendly buildings. But it also is important to remember that many of the environmental impacts of buildings result from maintenance decisions and building management strategies. For example, strategies such as regular retro-commissioning of building equipment can accrue significant energy savings over a building’s life. Greenhouse gas accounting standards like ISO 14064 can be helpful to building managers to track energy use and trends over time, which is an important tool in identifying opportunities to reduce emissions impact.

“ ISO, WRI and WBCSD ISO Focus : As we become increasing- imize the use of design elements that have made a formal ly conscious of our impact on the envi- use energy more efficiently and incor- commitment to working ronment, and with a perspective chang- porate renewable energy technologies. towards consistency.” ing in favor of long-term benefits, there They often include resource minimiza- is now growing support to create tion practices, sustainably harvested “ green buildings ”. Can you tell us materials and functions that improve WRI also supports third-party more about the concept of “ green air quality, climate and other environ- verification of GHG emissions report- buildings ” and how the ISO portfolio mentally-friendly features that improve ing. This is a good way to ensure the of standards for environmental man- occupant comfort. Given that buildings credibility of reported data and can agement, accounting and verification account for around 40 % of global elec- also improve stakeholders’ confidence tricity use and are a major consumer of carbon emissions, energy efficiency, in reported information. of resources, designing and operating renewable sources, sustainability in buildings with resource conservation in buildings, etc., can contribute to hav- mind is a critical component of long- ISO Focus : WRI has stated that it ing “greener” buildings? term sustainability efforts. learns and leads by doing, and has Consideration of the impact of hence established a “ green ” office Jonathan Lash : “ Green buildings ” is existing buildings as well as the long- space in their new headquarters. Can a catch-all phrase that describes build- term operations of newly constructed you elaborate on this initiative ? What ings that are designed and operated to green buildings is critical. The current advice do you have for other organi- minimize their environmental footprint. green building movement has tended to zations looking to establish “ green ” Generally, these types of buildings max- focus on new construction, which paves office spaces ?

6 ISO Focus October 2008 Jonathan Lash : “ Learning and leading One of the most prominent fea- our emissions from electricity use, busi- by doing” underscores many of WRI’s tures that visitors notice is our magnif- ness travel and employee commuting organizational activities. We strongly sup- icent barn door style conference room and we take steps to minimize those port and encourage environmental practic- doors. The doors are made from Virginia emissions sources. es that minimize resource use and elimi- heart of pine salvaged from structures Our green office has helped a nate waste. When WRI moved to its new that were being destroyed, and they are lot. We recently expanded the space office space, we made a conscious deci- hung from a steel beam rescued from a and ensured that it met a high environ- sion to build it in a sustainable manner. junk yard. The result is a professional mental standard – it achieved gold cer- We included design features that allow looking, but environmentally-friend- tification under LEED (Leadership in natural daylight to penetrate to as many ly office that all of our employees are Energy and Environmental Design) for office areas as possible, energy-efficien- proud of and one that promotes crea- commercial interiors – and an upgrade cy functions like motion sensor lighting tivity and interaction. in our communications equipment now and high efficiency lighting and applianc- We have taken our “ learning and enables staff to take advantage of in- es, and use of low or no Volatile Organic leading by doing ” philosophy one step house video-conferencing capabilities Compound (VOC) paint. further. Consistent with our goal to which we hope will reduce some of our We also were careful in our use “protect the global climate system from travel needs. For several years, we have of materials for doors, cupboards, trim further harm,” we made a commitment bought the equivalent of 100 % of our and furniture. For example, the cork and in 2000 to reduce our carbon dioxide electricity use from renewable sources bamboo in our lobby area was sustain- emissions as much as possible and to like wind and biomass and our newest ably harvested. The wood used in our take steps to ensure that we have a “zero project, now underway in conjunction open stairwell is low grade and would carbon balance ” each year. To that end, with our landlord, is to install a “ green ” have been discarded. Many of our cup- we follow boards are made from wheatboard and the GHG some countertops are actually a com- Protocol to posite of recycled newspapers and soy conduct an beans – we often say we have an “ edi- annual ble ” office ! inventory of “ Designing and operating buildings Thewith resourceAsian conservation Development in mind is Bank a critical component of long-term sustainabilityHeadquarters efforts.” Building A model “ green” building – the Asian Development Bank HeadquartersAn in Manila, Environment-Friendly Philippines (below). and Safe Workplace

or vegetated roof on our building. This initiative will help further reduce energy use in the building and will contribute to stormwater management efforts in our area. WRI is proud of the efforts that we have undertaken and we have proven that many of these types of initiatives can be achieved cost-effectively. I would strongly advise other organizations to go “ green.” In addition to the positive impact on the environment, other benefits can include higher staff productivity rates, increased morale, and a healthier workforce.

ISO Focus October 2008 7 WSD Poster 2008.indd 1 12.06.2008 13:47:47

About the artist : Fredrik Lewander

Fredrik Lewander is a Swedish art director and graphic designer Besides having a passion for whose work includes many award-winning projects in graphic powerful new ideas, and finding design, logos, corporate identity, packaging, advertising and the right packaging for them, the Web – in Sweden, Europe and North America. Fredrik is a keen angler. If he’s not laying down new floors in his Fredrik is a detail-oriented creative, a trait that earned him semi-detached house, or managing the nickname of “ Mr. Pixel ” among former colleagues. “ The his eldest son’s soccer team, the differences in genetic make-up of humans and chimpanzees best chance of finding him is in are less than 2 %,” he says. “ That in itself ought to make it calm and sun-silvered coves in the sufficiently clear that details are quite important.” Stockholm archipelago, where he In designing the World Standards Day 2008 poster, Fredrik’s will be trying tenaciously to make a sea trout take notice of his ambition was to eliminate detail. He comments, “ With a theme feathered, hooked creations. “ Come to think of it.., there’s not as complex as Intelligent and sustainable buildings, it is much difference between angling and how advertising and design essential to design a poster that is both simple and striking.” works,” says Fredrik.

8 ISO Focus October 2008 World Standards Day Message

14 October 2008 Intelligent and sustainable buildings

ur increasing- The internation- ly urban envi- al consensus between O ronment sees countries and among new construction forg- stakeholders, on which ing ahead in developed IEC, ISO and ITU stand- and developing coun- ards is based, encour- tries around the world. ages their worldwide The work is essential implementation. Inter- to meet the needs of a Mr. Jacques Régis, Mr. Håkan MURBY, Dr. Hamadoun TOURÉ, national consensus on world population that IEC President ISO President ITU Secretary-General standards for climate has more than dou- change mitigation, ener- bled since 1950. Not surprisingly, therefore, the building and gy saving, environmental terminology, environmental perfor- construction sector has grown into one of the largest global mance, environmental declaration of building products, energy industries with immense consequences for all three dimen- efficiency and greenhouse gas emission accounting and ver- sions of sustainable development – economic, social and ification provides a firm foundation for designers and archi- environmental. tects, engineers, owners and government authorities to develop sustainable buildings. With so much at stake, principles for sustainability need to be combined with a growing need for ICT connectivity for The work of IEC, ISO and ITU helps to link sustainable intelligent buildings that optimize energy efficiency, safety, and intelligent building through standards that facilitate the con- security, communication and sheer convenience. International nectivity of new buildings. Construction increasingly incorpo- standards developed by IEC, ISO and ITU provide the means rates more and more electronic devices that link to networks by which desirable principles and information and communi- distributing and using digital information and media. For exam- cation technology (ICT) connectivity are translated into prac- ple, the remote control of lighting, heating, appliance-use and tical application and implemented efficiently and effectively security systems are making the “ intelligent building ” a reali- on a global scale. ty. Given the various technologies involved, international standards that enable interoperability and security are key to bring- Today, new commercial, governmental and residen- ing value and choice to consumers, making possible the use of tial buildings may need to meet a multiplicity of demands: diverse products, services and sources, and therefore acceler- from resistance to fire and flood, natural disasters and terror- ating market development and take up. ist attack, through energy efficiency and a reduced environmental footprint, to ease of integration with ICT networks as International standards from IEC, ISO and ITU applic- well as accessibility for disabled or elderly persons. able to today’s buildings increase production efficiency, optimize resources, disseminate knowledge, facilitate free trade and fair Buildings represent a large share of the economic assets competition and simplify the design and planning of buildings. of individuals, organizations and nations. The sector is a major Among further benefits are competitively priced products and provider of employment ; construction materials and processes construction work, higher quality and safety, lower exploitation have an impact on the health and safety of both construction costs, reduced accidents and rapid dissemination of new tech- workers and the people who live or work in buildings, and the nologies for an improved quality of life for the user and occu- quality of buildings has a direct influence on the quality of life. pants of buildings. And from an environmental perspective, construction is both a huge consumer of natural resources and a generator of large International standards help to ensure not only basic amounts of waste and pollution. In addition, buildings are sig- quality and safety requirements, but also the incorporation of nificant users of energy, with its related emission of green- new technologies for the construction and operation of intelli- house gases. gent and sustainable buildings.

ISO Focus October 2008 9 Main Focus

ntelligent and sustainable buildings are not a new development – nor is the contribution that standards make to them. ISome of the earliest examples of such standardization at work are still with us in the form of architectural marvels from many different ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, or Inca structures like the ancient palace of Inca Roca in Cusco, Peru – famous for its 12-angle stone, which on the cover of this issue of ISO Focus provides a graphic background to the World Standards Day poster. Standardization of tools, materials, measurement and work practices must have been necessary to create these structures which are both durable and witness to great intel- ligence. For example, what secret did the Incas have for building structures which, made simply of superimposed stones, would survive numerous earthquakes and outlast generations ? Already at that time, building standards Hatunrumiyoc, 12-angle stone in Cusco, that deployed state-of- Peru, believed to be part of the ancient the art techniques on a palace of Inca Roca, now host to the large scale must have archbishop’s palace. played an important role in ensuring the durability and reliability of structures as well as their seismic resistance. No mortar holds the stones in these walls together, yet even the strongest earthquake cannot bring them down. Indeed, the Incas built in seismic-prone areas atop the Andes, but even today, when the earth shakes the stones in these walls “ dance ”, but do not collapse, eventually falling back together according to the original design. Although technology and architectural techniques have evolved since the Incas were building the capital of their empire, one objective remains the same : build structures that withstand the test of time and the threats that nature and human actions can pose. With awareness of climate change and our planet’s limited resources, it has also become crucial to think about and take action to protect the environment so that it can continue to meet the needs of today without compromising those of future generations. By establishing and disseminating best practice, Inter- national Standards can promote safe, accessible, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient buildings, with many functions optimized by information technology to meet the modern need for communication and interoperability. Today International Standards ensure that best practice and state-of-the-art technology is available to all everywhere in the world.

10 ISO Focus October 2008 ed in the built environment and from and ISO/TC 59/SC 16, Accessibility Constructing employment opportunities in construc- of the built environment, showed the tion, operation and maintenance. maturity of the construction sector in a sustainable Building and construction is one integrating new technologies and con- of the world’s largest industrial sectors, cepts to develop knowledge and best tomorrow with significant impacts on economic practices. and social conditions as well as on the In the 1990s, the work of the com- environment – in simplified terms, it mittee, in particular that of ISO/TC 59/ accounts for about 40 % of global car- SC 3, Functional/user requirements and by Jacques Lair, Chair of bon emissions, 40 % of natural resourc- performance in building construction, ISO/TC 59/SC 17, Sustainability es consumed and 40 % of waste gener- was principally focused on functional/ in building construction, and ated worldwide. user requirements and performance-relat- The sector is responsible for cre- ed issues. The first time a standardiza- Claire Cambours, Secretary ating the built environment, which rep- tion technical committee brought sus- of ISO/TC 59/SC 17 resents a significant share of the eco- tainability themes directly into sectoral nomic assets of individuals, organi- objectives was in 2003, with the estab- he built environment is a key ele- zations and nations, providing socie- lishment ISO/TC 59/SC 17, Sustaina- ment in determining quality of ties with their physical and functional bility in building construction. life, and contributes to cultural T environment. identity and heritage. Buildings and The building and construction civil engineering works, moreover, are sector, moreover, has considerable “ The built environment is an important factor to consider when potential for improvement in terms of striving for the objectives of sustain- key to determining quality its economic, environmental and social able development, defined in 1983 by impacts. of life, and contributes the World Commission on Environment and Development as growth that “ meets to cultural identity and the needs of the present without com- heritage.” promising the ability of future gener- The grand entrance ations to meet their own needs ”. The ISO technical committee This subcommittee is committed The building and construction on building construction (ISO/TC 59) to addressing sustainability within the sector is important to sustainability for addresses sustainability in construction building construction industry, incor- a number of reasons. The sector is key by aiming to deliver standards required porating the following principles : to most national economies, represent- by other ISO technical committees as • information transparency ; ing a value of some four trillion US basic reference documents. The intro- • a high level of data quality ; dollars and employing about 100 mil- duction of new areas of focus in the lion workers worldwide. late 1990s, including ISO/TC 59/SC • simple writing ; and It has a significant interface with 14, Design life (see page 16), ISO/TC • widespread capability of tools (e.g. poverty reduction, both through the basic 59/SC 13, Organization of information applicable in developing and devel- economic and social services provid- about construction works (see page 27), oped countries).

ISO Focus October 2008 11 Main Focus

A step towards true including the use of eco-labelling or sustainability self-declaration. For manufacturers it was more Sustainability building ISO/TC 59/SC 17 address- important to be able to deliver accurate standards es standardization related to the built information to their direct or indirect environment by considering environ- customers than to simply claim that a Published : mental, economic and societal aspects product was environmentally “ friendly”. of sustainability. The subcommittee Indeed, construction goods are interme- ISO 15392:2008 takes advantage of the ISO environ- diary products to be incorporated into Sustainability in building mental management standards, follow- construction works. The stake was the construction – General ing the lead of ISO/TC 207, Environ- environmental performance of buildings principles mental management. – which must be seen as systems. This The subcommittee’s projects were is an important first step towards true ISO/TS 21929-1:2006 driven by the market needs of manu- sustainability. Sustainability in building facturers (to facilitate information flow Surveys regarding environmen- construction – Sustainability regarding business-to-business construc- tal construction product information indicators – Part 1: tion products through Type III environ- have shown that manufacturers general- Framework for development mental declarations) and those of building ly started from the spirit of ISO 14001, designers (who need a common language Environmental management systems – of indicators for buildings for assessing environmental performances Requirements with guidance for use. ISO 21930:2007 of buildings, from lifecycle assessment Under pressure from customers, more – LCA – to design methods). dedicated tools emerged: lifecycle inven- Sustainability in building tory/LCA, eco-design (for example ISO/ construction – Environmental “ The building and TR 14062, Environmental management declaration of building – Integrating environmental aspects products construction sector into product design and development) represents a value of some and the use of Type III environmental ISO/TS 21931-1:2006 four trillion US dollars and declarations. Sustainability in building construction – Framework for employs about 100 million methods of assessment for workers worldwide.” “ Passing on the baton ” environmental performance of construction works – Part 1: Another recent success of ISO/ Once completed, ISO 21930, Buildings Sustainability in building construc- TC 59/SC 17 is the quick dissemination tion – Environmental declaration of of its work in related standardization In development : building products, was established committees. Two examples : and widely accepted as the right tool • the concrete industry decided to set ISO 21931-1 for communicating such information up a new subcommittee in ISO/ Sustainability in building in the industry and among businesses, TC 71 on environmental manage- construction – Framework for methods of assessment for environmental performance of About the authors construction works – Part 1: Jacques Lair Claire Buildings is Chair of ISO/ Cambours is TC 59/SC 17, Secretary of ISO/TR 21932 Sustainability ISO/TC 59/ Buildings and constructed in building SC 17, Sustain- assets – Sustainability in construction. ability in building construction – building A civil works Terminology contractor, he is construction. also a member Since 1994 she New proposal : of the executive has worked as a committee of technical officer Sustainability in building the French Building Contractor Federa- in the building sector for the French construction – Application tion (FFB) and vice president of the pro- standardization body AFNOR, ISO guidelines of general fessional contractors’ qualification body member for France, where she manages Qualibat. national, European and international principles of ISO 15392 committees.

12 ISO Focus October 2008 ment of concrete and concrete structures, based on the use of ISO 21930 and ISO/TS 21931-1:2006, Sustain- ability in building construction – Framework for methods of assessment for environmental performance of construction works – Part 1: Build- ings (see page 23) ; • the European Commission, aiming to encourage the European construction sector to improve environmental performance (through integrated product policy, energy conservation, The UN’s World Commission CE marking, energy performance The three “ i ” s in on Environment and Development (the building directives, etc.), requested “ Brundtland Commission ”) presented in that the European Committee for sustainability 1987 the concept of global sustainable Standardization (CEN) set up a new development and articulated its guid- technical committee (CEN/TC 350), ing principles. This commission’s report which is directly derived from ISO/ stated that development of the built envi- TC 59/SC 17 standards. ronment is sustainable “…if it meets the by Stephen Turner, needs of the present without compromis- Chair of ISO/TC 205, Building ing the ability of future generations to Seeds for future growth environment design meet their own needs ”. Given the profound impact of buildings on the exter- A fifth ISO/TC 59/SC 17 work- t is interesting to note that the word nal environment, ISO/TC 205’s stand- ing group was established in 2007 to “ sustainability ” contains three “ i ”s – ardization work is inextricably linked address sustainability in civil engineer- Iwhich lend themselves to represent- to sustainability. ing. Its work programme is current- ing the interactive, iterative, and inte- The unique opportunity created ly under discussion. The first tasks of grated aspects of sustainable design and by the technical committee’s work is to this group would be to study the con- performance in the built environment. integrate and align various aspects of sistency of building and product indi- These are principles that the ISO tech- building environment design into Inter- cators and the application of general nical committee ISO/TC 205, Building national Standards. These aspects are principles (ISO 15392:2008, Sustain- environment design, is engaged in with typically standardized at the national ability in building construction – Gen- the development of a group of standards and regional level in disparate technical eral principles). to address several aspects of building committees and standards. ISO/TC 205 Already much has been accom- design that help determine both the qual- has developed six related standards and plished in only six years. This success ity of the indoor environment and the continues to expand the coverage with could be attributed to the readiness with energy intensity of buildings. many more in preparation. which this work was adopted, result- The committee’s approach to the These comprise a coherent, growing from a phase of mutual technical design process helps to standardize building family of standards in several closely- exchanges, which encouraged stake- ing environment design in several key related subdisciplines. By treating these holders to work together to better sup- ways relating to building performance within one ISO technical committee, the port sustainability in the construction and overall sustainability. A framework resulting standards respect the individu- sectors. Looking ahead, there is still for articulating desired outcomes and al subdisciplines, while presenting them much more that needs to be done, but verifying that these are achieved during in a consistent framework that acknow- these efforts have already provided val- the design process is established. These ledges their interrelatedness. uable support and planted the seeds for key outcomes themselves are standard- future development. ized in several existing standards from ISO/TC 205, or are the subject of future Globally relevant standards in development. Stakeholders are widely represented with broad and diverse participation in the work of ISO/TC 205. Global Ensuring consistency participation ensures globally relevant From the start, the focus of the standards – in this case, with 22 partici- committee’s work has been consisten- pating members and 27 observing mem- cy within the family of standards for bers, six liaisons to other technical com- indoor environment, energy and build- mittees within ISO, and liaisons to sever- ing controls. al European Committee for Standardiza-

ISO Focus October 2008 13 Main Focus tion (CEN) committees working in disci- step called for at the end of each design Energy efficiency plines addressed by ISO/TC 205. In addi- stage ensures that all design targets are To support future global prosper- tion, liaisons are maintained with three met in an integrated way. ity, the impact of the built environment international organizations : International Failure to achieve targets, be they on the greater environment must be mini- Commission on Illumination (CIE), the energy efficiency, resource conservation, mized, neutralized or, ideally, made pos- European Insulation Manufacturers Asso- controllability, or indoor environmental itive in projects that provide safe, com- ciation (Eurima) and the World Health metrics, requires that the project design fortable and productive indoor environ- Organization (WHO). team reconsider all targets before proceed- ments. Energy efficiency alone is not a ing to the next design stage. The process worthy goal if it results in dissatisfied integrates the many interactive facets of and unproductive occupants. Instead of “ The focus of the indoor environment design to ensure that, buildings that attempt to suppress and for example, good energy performance committee’s work is overcome nature, why not design build- is not achieved at the expense of a com- ings that integrate with the environment consistency within the fortable and productive indoor environ- on every possible level ? family of standards for ment for building occupants. Working group WG 2, Design International standardization seeks indoor environment, energy of energy-efficient buildings, is devel- to lower trade barriers for engineering oping a significant and growing group and building controls.” design and to promote and facilitate the of standards intended to build on the design of high-performance buildings : important work done in Europe by the A truly international effort, the • higher performing as economic assets European Performance of Buildings convenorships of the committee’s eight for their owners ; Mandate pursuant to the Kyoto Proto- active working groups are distributed • higher performing as buildings that col, and in the USA on national ener- amongst Australia, Egypt, France, the provide an amenable indoor environ- gy standards. Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom ment for their occupants ; and For example, buildings in the and the USA. USA consume one-third of all energy The work of ISO/TC 205 recog- • higher performing with respect to and two-thirds of the electricity pro- nizes that architectural engineering cannot resource utilization and environmen- duced annually. The group is address- be undertaken separately from the overall tal impact. ing this significant aspect of buildings’ design of buildings. The system of stand- impact on the environment. Since 2004, ards under the aegis of ISO/TC 205 inte- a series of publications by the American grates horizontally across multiple engi- About the author Society of Heating, Refrigerating and neering subdisciplines, and helps to ver- Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), tically integrate architectural engineering Stephen has shown that reductions of one-third with the entire building design process. Turner, P.E., in energy intensity are achievable today With the standards developed by ISO/ has been Chair in many building types with readily TC 205 providing the proper framework, of ISO/TC 205, available technology and without undue in particular ISO 16813:2006, Building Building envi- capital investment. Using the general environment design – Indoor environment ronment design, principles framework, WG 2 provides – General principles, this integration can since 2005. In standards that facilitate such achieve- lead to built environments that both respect the USA, he ments while helping to ensure the qual- the greater environment and provide safe chairs the com- ity of the indoor environment for build- and comfortable indoor environments. mittee for the ing occupants. American National Standards Institute and the Higher performance American Society of Heating, Refriger- Building control systems ating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Coming back to the three “ i ” s Several parts of a planned (ANSI/ASHRAE) Standard 55:2004, in the word “ sustainability”, the design seven-part ISO 16484 series of stand- Thermal environmental conditions for ards on building automation and control process standard, ISO 16813, developed human occupancy. He is also the Chair by working group WG 1, General princi- of the Rhode Island State Building Code systems have already been published. ples, defines interactive, iterative design Commission. He specializes in building Developed by working group WG 3, stages to target and achieve integrated commissioning, sustainable buildings Building control system design, these performance targets. and campuses, and indoor air quality as standards provide an important unified The process is interactive to allow Managing Director of the Northeast framework for interoperable controls the many design goals, constraints, and USA regional office of CTG Energetics, in buildings. Such systems are credit- factors to come together at the appropri- Inc., a division of Constructive Technol- ed with the ability to deliver 15 % sav- ate balance point for each project (see ogies Group, Inc., based in Irvine, Cali- ings in energy consumption in build- Figure 1, opposite). Each stage of the fornia. He is a licensed professional ings, independent of individual com- design process is iterative, and the check engineer registered in New York state. ponent efficiency.

14 ISO Focus October 2008 Indoor air quality standards from around the world, the Radiant systems standard will allow universal application Designing for indoor air quality is while respecting the wide range of local In working groups WG 5, WG 6, the focus of ISO 16814, Building environ- practices and societal norms. and WG 7, dealing respectively with ther- ment design – Indoor air quality – Meth- Liaison with the WHO helps this mal, acoustic and visual indoor environment ods of expressing the quality of indoor working group to address the profound design, work items are being carefully con- air for human occupancy, developed by implications of indoor air quality on the sidered in close liaison with other ISO tech- working group WG 4, Indoor air quali- well-being of building occupants. In nical committees and with the CIE. Radi- ty. This work, currently nearing publica- conjunction with the general principles ant heating and cooling systems are being tion, represents a monumental effort by process, this document will help building addressed in working group WG 8, the participating experts to create a mean- designers ensure that energy and resource newest ISO/TC 205 working group. ingful framework for addressing indoor efficiency measures do not preclude occu- As the family of standards developed air quality. By assimilating the leading pant comfort and productivity. in ISO/TC 205 grows, the tools available to designers improve. For countries wishing to adopt Internation- al Standards that build on the available national and regional standards, this growing kit of building environment design standards is a valuable resource, which promotes optimal indoor environments whilst respecting the greater environment. To safeguard a sustainable future, international collaboration is essential. Hence, ISO/TC 205 welcomes increased participation and encourages countries and their experts not yet involved to contact the Chair or Secretary for more information 1).

1) The Chair can be reached at sturner@ctgenergetics. com, the Secretary, Mr. Douglas Tucker at Figure 1 – Flow diagram of design process (Extract from ISO 16813:2006). [email protected].

ISO Focus October 2008 15 Main Focus

of the construction and building opera- The subject area was rightly con- Built to last tion process is fragmented and sequen- sidered to be of international relevance, tial, with multiple deliveries within the and the establishment of the ISO working a lifetime chain. group was based on the Vienna Agree- Few industrial sectors are in such ment on cooperation between CEN and need of International Standards to support ISO. Subsequently, the subcommittee efficient processes and to ease trade of ISO/TC 59/SC 14, Design life, was cre- products and services, as underlined by ated to take over these activities. sustainable construction requirements, The scope of ISO/TC 59/SC 14 by Prof. Dr. Christer Sjöström, demand for energy-efficient buildings is to document the steps to be taken at Chair of ISO/TC 59/SC 14, and the need to reduce resource con- various stages of the building life cycle Design life sumption in building construction. to ensure that the resulting building (or other constructed facility) will last for he critical role of the building its intended life without incurring sub- and construction sector in socie- Durability of building stantial unexpected expenditures. The ty can hardly be overestimated. It subcommittee also takes environmen- T products is universally a major industrial sector, a tal consequences into account. main contributor to gross domestic prod- The activities of ISO technical The work of ISO/TC 59/SC 14 uct and a dominant employer. Its prod- committee ISO/TC 59, Building con- and its specific relevance to sustaina- ucts are crucial for social and economic struction, began in 1993, when a working ble building and to energy consumption development and for improving the liv- group was established through a Euro- has been previously discussed in earlier ing environment. pean initiative with the aim of develop- issues of ISO Focus 1). The products of the construction ing standards for design life. Guiding industry – buildings and infrastructure concepts were needed regarding durabil- 1) “ Built to last, service life planning ”, ISO Focus, – are normally long-lived works which, ity of building products to help imple- Sustainable Building, December 2005 ; “ Lifetime over time, are subject to changes in per- ment the European Construction Prod- performance of buildings ”, ISO Focus, “ Fuelling formance expectations. The value chain ucts Directive (CPD). the future ”, December 2006/January 2007.

16 ISO Focus October 2008 Performance thinking The ISO 15686 standards, under the general title Buildings and constructed assets – Service life planning, produced by The ISO 15686 standards are per- ISO/TC 59/SC 14, includes the following parts : formance based and address the life cycle aspects of building and construction with Standard Subject a focus on service life planning and sustainability. The chair of ISO/TC 59, Åge ISO 15686-1, Provides general design principles and procedures for Hallquist, commented in the December General principles planning the service life of buildings and constructed 2005 issue of ISO Focus on the history, assets. development and requirements of the performance approach in building and ISO 15686-2, Describes a procedure that facilitates service life construction. However, adoption of per- Service life prediction predictions of building components. formance thinking in the construction procedures sector has been slow. The fragmented ISO 15686-3, Describes the approach and procedures to be applied to and sequential value chain in the sector Performance audits pre-briefing, briefing, design, construction and the lifelong offers some explanation for this delayed and reviews management and disposal of buildings and constructed adaptation of a conceptual approach that assets. is far more widely implemented in other major industrial sectors. ISO/AWI 15686-4, Technical specification describing the data requirements Data requirements needed to carry out service life planning, taking into account Today’s increasing attention on various service environments and other in-use conditions. end-user orientation, sustainability and In cooperation with the International Alliance for Interoper- lifetime performance of buildings is likely ability (IAI), the aim is also to describe Industrial Founda- to offer an opportunity for change. There tion Class compliance for the ISO 15686 series. is today a pronounced paradigm shift, ISO 15686-5, Provides guidance for developing models of capital and where buildings are being valued more Life-cycle costing running costs of projects, so that overall costs can be for the services they offer than for their assessed. Also covers application of this data for financial mere existence as physical objects. The appraisal. ISO 15686 standards should be evalu- ISO 15686-6, Provides guidance on assessing the relative environmental ated from this perspective. Procedures for impacts of alternative service life designs, and identifying considering environ- the interface between environmental life cycle assessment mental impacts and service life planning. “ Building and construction products are crucial ISO 15686-7, A generic basis for performance evaluation and feedback for social and economic Performance evalu- of service life data from existing buildings and constructed development and ation for feedback works. of service life data for improving the living from practice environment.” ISO 15686-8, Describes how to provide, format and extract reference Reference service service lives of components, etc., to establish the service A communication life and service-life life for a particular usage. Also provides the factor method challenge estimation to carry out such estimations. The first ISO 15686 standards ISO/TS 15686-9, Guides construction product manufacturers and were published in the beginning of the Guidance on standard writers on addressing durability and service life year 2000. The set of standards has been assessment of declarations in product standards. The work is performed in positively received, but the market uptake, service-life data cooperation with CEN TG on durability supporting European measured for instance in sales of stand- product standards. ards or documented use of the approach- ISO 15686-10, Provides process guidance for managing the capability of es in construction schemes, is still lower Levels of function- a constructed asset through the service life of that asset to than expected. al requirements and meet the stated levels of requirements. The work is carried There are some positive signals levels of servicea- out in close coordination with ISO TC 59/SC3. that this is changing. For example, the bility – Principles, interest being shown in the newly pub- measurement and lished standard on life cycle costing use (ISO 15686-5), is stimulating. Never- theless, ISO/TC 59/SC 14 has identi- fied that communication and marketing

ISO Focus October 2008 17 Working life – works Main Focus  of the standard is a core issue that must Working life – product But what about more intelli- be addressed in the immediate future. gent buildings ? This has been the focus The marketing challenge is also a dis- of research and development for many cussion topic at the level of the ISO/TC Durability years, and a number of techniques based 59 Advisory Group. on sensor systems as well as advanced + robotics are available on the market. Sim- ple and obvious examples are lighting Defining “ normal ” Maintenance that turns on and off when people enter A building planned for service life or leave rooms, automatic sun shading, is comprised of building products declared  and sensor governance of heating and for service life. Guidance on how to declare cooling systems. service lives of products is provided by Product repair/ ISO 15686, parts 8 and 9 (see Box, pre- replacement ceeding page). Such reference service “ The ISO 15686 lives often presuppose that the product standards are performance Figure 1 shows the view on working life of is subject to a minimal or normal main- construction works as illustrated in the CPD based.” tenance during the service period. guidance paper on durability. A possible new work item pres- ently under discussion by ISO/TC 59/ There are also interesting pos- SC 14 is a process standard providing An ultimate goal in the area of sibilities to develop sensor systems for guidance on how to define the normal operation of ISO/TC 59/SC 14 is to surveillance and governance for build- maintenance of products for reference in allow designers and other actors into the ing technology and maintenance manage- specific situations. If such a work item design process preceding new construc- ment purposes. Obvious examples here proposal receives support, the work will tion, planning of facility management or are surveillance of moisture loading on most likely be conducted in cooperation refurbishment, to integrate long-term per- or ingress in building parts. Sensor sur- with CEN TC 319/WG 7, which has a formance aspects, lifecycle costing and veillance of key technical performance work task on criteria for design, manage- environmental lifecycle analysis into the aspects in buildings will no doubt be ment and control of maintenance servic- decision making. further developed, and in the long term es in support of the requirements of the there will be a more pronounced need European Union’s Construction Products for market instruments such as stand- Directive (CPD) (see Figure). “ Few industrial sectors are ards to support the industry. Information and communication so in need of International technology deployment, customer orien- Into all hands tation and sustainability are key drivers Standards to support for a vitalized and improved building To conclude, I would like to high- and construction sector. The idea is that efficient processes and light the importance of communication new manufacturing processes based on ease trade.” and marketing to encourage the uptake Industry Foundation Classes standards of standards in the building and con- will greatly improve the construction struction sector. An innovative approach sector’s potential for cost reduction and Gifted structures could include the promotion of database productivity increases, thereby improv- standards over that of paper documents. ing the competitiveness of the building As a first step, ISO 15686-4 will Micro, small and medium enterprises in and construction industry. be a technical report, produced in coop- particular – which in the EU constitute eration with International Alliance for some 97 % of all the sector companies – Interoperability (IAI), describing data might find this an appealing option. requirements in service life planning and Valuable material has been pro- the IFC compliance of such data. It is About the author duced in the form of all these standards. easy to see the need for continuing this Now our goal is to ensure that the tech- line of work to reach a stage where per- Dr. Christer nical know-how can reach all its inter- formance requirements and performance Sjöström is a ested stakeholders so that they can start over time are fully managed and visu- professor at the to benefit from the important support Centre for Built alized in a building information mod- these standards can offer. Environment of el. To proceed along this line requires the University of continued interaction between ISO/ Gävle, Sweden. TC 59/SC 14, ISO/TC 59/SC 13, Organi- He is Chair zation of information about construction of ISO/TC 59/ works, and IAI. This will make building SC 14. and building operation processes more intelligent.

18 ISO Focus October 2008 ing building reliability as the ability of More than safety Building reliable a structure or structural element to fulfil Safety and structural strength specified requirements throughout its serv- requirements developed over the centu- structures ice life, for which it has been designed. ries, emerging as standards and building In simple terms, the structure should be codes in different parts of the world. But strong, stable and ready for use. the addition of serviceability to safety Building safety has undoubtedly standards took place only in recent dec- been a consideration since humans began ades, requiring builders to ensure that by Andrzej M. Brandt, Chair of constructing shelters sometime in our buildings performed throughout the entire earliest pre-history. The first known for- ISO/TC 98, Bases for design of lifetime of the structure. structures, and Chair of ISO/TC 98/ mal code for building safety – engraved on the sides of a stone that is now on SC 2, Reliability of structures display in the Louvre Museum in Paris eliability is a powerful term. – was issued nearly 4 000 years ago by Whether using it to describe a facil- the Babylonian King Hammurabi. Ham- ity, a piece of equipment, a proce- murabi’s building code placed responsi- R bility for structural safety clearly on the dure, an information source or even a person, it generally denotes an expectation builder, and prescribed harsh punishment that certain performance standards are met. for shoddy work : if a building collapsed When we attribute it to something or some- and killed its owner, the builder would one, we expect a low risk of failure. be put to death. ISO 2394:1998, General principles on reliability for structures, follows this widely accepted definition, describ- The dome of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy – durability and reliability proven over 20 centuries.

The Eiffel tower in Paris, France – an example of structural optimization and rational reliability.

This means for instance that defor- mation and deflection from various types of loads that the building is subject to must be kept within defined limits. Fur- ther, cracking of structural and even non- structural elements, as well as discolora- tion or degradation from chemical or biological processes, must not occur. Simi- larly, the structure must not experience excessive vibration, even if there is no actual risk of structural collapse. These requirements are considered as Serviceability Limit States (SLS) under the precepts of the structural engineering design methodology known as Limit State Design (LSD). Ultimate Limit States (ULS), on the other hand, dictate that a structure

ISO Focus October 2008 19 Main Focus must not collapse when subjected to the Several International Standards have includes reliability considerations − an peak design load or stress for which it been published under the ISO technical issue addressed by the ISO standard ISO was designed. A structure is deemed to committee ISO/TC 98, Bases for design 15686, Buildings and constructed assets satisfy the ULS criteria if all factored of structures, using that format, starting – Service life planning. bending, shear and tensile or compres- with the basic standard ISO 2394:1986, ISO/TC 98 has developed several sive stresses are below the factored resist- General principles on reliability of struc- standards on the reliability of structures ance calculated for the section under tures, and its revised version published in recent years, including : consideration. in 1998. This standard is now generally • ISO 23469:2005, Bases for design of accepted around the world and provides structures – Seismic actions for design- the basis for standardization in different ing geotechnical works ; regions and countries. • ISO 10137:2007, Bases for design of The most common structures – Serviceability of buildings and walkways against vibrations ; failure • ISO 21650:2007, Actions from waves It should be noted here that the and currents on coastal structures. reliability of a building or a bridge does not depend exclusively upon safety and Other standards in this field are serviceability, but can be affected by other under preparation. factors as well. For example, a malfunc- A new standard, ISO 13823:2008, tioning heating system in a building or General principles on the design of struc- A spider’s web, an extremely reliable failure of the pipes that evacuate rainwater tures for durability, includes durability as structure comprised of multiple elements. from a bridge may render these structures a third limit state together with ULS and unusable. Here, reliability is considered SLS. This work, carried out in ISO TC 98/ A ULS failure of a structure means only with respect to load-bearing struc- SC 2, Reliability of structures, appears to that it cannot perform its intended function tures, i.e. to the complete structure and to be an important complement to the other because of some form of a collapse. SLS its structural elements, excluding all other ISO standards mentioned above. failures do not include structural collapse, types of equipment in the facility. but rather the inability of the structure to The most common causes of perform its intended functions. structural failures are human errors during Building on solid ground Both SLS and ULS requirements the building process, usually involving a It is not possible at this point for are included in the generally adopted coincidence of multiple errors and their a single standard, no matter how careful- approach to LSD for structures, in which cumulative result. LSD includes methods ly and competently elaborated, to solve reliability is a central consideration. and procedures for detecting and elimi- all questions related to standardization nating these sources of errors, or at least and the reliability of building and civ- reducing their effects. il engineering structures. However, the About the author The probability that errors do occur requirements for durability introduced in in the building process may be significant- 2008 are an important step in the right Andrzej M. ly reduced by the intelligent and efficient direction, and relate closely to the con- Brandt is a application of various procedures such as cept of sustainable development. retired Profess- inspections, monitoring and controlling Buildings and other construct- or of Technical at all stages. ISO standards indicate how Science at the ed facilities will require less energy and these procedures should be applied for resources if they perform adequately Institute of Fun- different building and civil engineering damental Tech- throughout their designed lifetime and do facilities and under different uses. nological not require early replacement. Converse- Research of the ly, frequent repair and restoration lead to Polish Academy Long lasting additional energy inputs, financial losses of Sciences in and inconveniences for the public. The issue of durability is not con- Warsaw. His main research interests are The principles of sustainable in optimization and design of building sidered directly in ISO 2394, although development are closely tied to the eco- structures, in mechanical behaviour of general recommendations are specified nomics of energy and other resources to cement-based materials and testing for four design classes relating to building be left for generations to come. Stand- methods of their properties. He has pub- lifetime. Still, the importance of durability ardization provides a powerful approach lished over 110 research papers, over 20 of structures has been widely recognized to support humans in meeting their needs books and coordinated several research in recent years, driven by the high costs while preserving the environment for projects on these subjects. He has lec- of repair and replacement of substand- the future. tured at technological universities in ard buildings. Durability has therefore Canada, France, Japan, the United King- become an inherent part of construction dom, the USA and other countries requirements, and lifecycle design now

20 ISO Focus October 2008 comprised buildings of no more than Making it simple – three stories. One could expect that this construction distribution is representa- Earthquake tive of any year and almost any place resistant in the world. These facts point to a paradox : structures codes that regulate the entire building industry are configured for the needs of a minority of actual construction. But there is more to this picture. by Josef Farbiarz, Chair of ISO/TC 71/SC 5, Committee Simplified design standard for concrete structures Definition of the structure hen the first reinforced concrete building codes were published Win the early 20th century, they Definition of the loads were small booklets amounting to no more than 50 pages. Current codes have hun- dreds of pages, in some instances even Floor slabs several volumes, full of requirements, specifications, procedures and guidelines. These documents can be difficult Girders to follow during design and construction processes, leading some critics to say that these might be unnecessarily complex. Such a statement warrants careful Columns consideration.

Need to reduce Earthquake ? complexity No On one hand, it is undeniable Yes that today’s structural engineer has to Structural walls deal with a dramatically different world from that in which modern building codes emerged. Ever-increasing dimensions (such as the length of spans in bridges Foundation and roofs, height of buildings and overall project size), the development of new Change member materials and tools, and the appearance Are section No of computers for analysis, design and dimensions or add OK ? drafting all contribute to increased com- structural plexity. This is reflected in the size and members Yes content of building codes. On the other hand, the quality and Structural drawings detail of current building codes worldwide are mostly controlled by the complex structural challenges presented by Construction high-rise buildings, long-span roofing structures and long-span bridges, while the amount of actual construction might Figure 1 – not mirror the same priorities. For exam- Design process flow chart. ple, according to the Portland Cement Association, more than 90 % of all construction in the United States during 2002 Photo : Emaar ISO Focus October 2008 21 Main Focus

Specialists hard to find With this in mind, subcommit- The document was based on the tee SC 5, Simplified design standard criteria that simplified design : Design and construction of struc- for concrete structures, was created in tures under certain types of loading, for • must not be confused with a simplified 1998 under ISO technical committee example seismic loads, dynamic wind and or schematic standardization docu- ISO/TC 71, Concrete, reinforced con- wave loads, etc., require specialized knowl- ment ; crete and pre-stressed concrete. edge and expertise that sometimes exceeds • accounts for undesirable side effects The new committee’s challenge basic college training. However, specialized through acceptable strength models that was to create a document based on state- personnel might not be readily available otherwise would require sophisticated of-the-art knowledge on reinforced con- in rural areas or in some urban areas with analysis and design procedures ; crete behavior – result of a century’s specific demographic, social and economic experimentation and experience – aimed • is based on materials and construction characteristics. And computerized structural at harmonizing the differences between guides assuming site-mixed concrete modeling is particularly prone to miscon- needed specifications and requirements and steel of the minimum available ceptions and misinterpretations. and the simplicity of a vast number of strength grades. Standardization is generally accept- specific structures. This document would ed as an appropriate means of harmoniza- Also included were the criteria need to serve as a stand-alone Interna- tion, but it meets a rather stiff challenge that : tional Standard, while guaranteeing earth- under this scenario. It is clear that techni- • earthquake resistance is based upon the quake resistance and compliance with cal specifications should be based on Inter- employment of structural concrete walls more detailed building codes. national Standards, because when they that limit the lateral deformations of are dealt with locally, the variations from the structure and provide for its lateral country to country could result in unwar- Simple and practical strength ; ranted protectionism. It is also clear that • it should be applicable to low-rise con- By 2002, a draft was developed standardization helps reduce basic struc- crete buildings with little asymmetry ; and put forward for discussion and com- tural modeling misconception and mis- and pletion. The International Standards ISO interpretation. However, it might not be so 15673, Guidelines for the simplified design • it would apply to buildings other than clear how to harmonize the gap between of structural reinforced concrete for build- theatres, stadiums, coliseums, hospitals the complexity of modern buildings and the ings, was published in 2005. and other special occupation struc- sheer volume of complex structures. tures. A quick reality check may show that φ Mbn full use, both in terms of applicability and h understanding of its principles, of a world class current building code [the Eurocode, φ Mbn d' the American Concrete Institute (ACI) code h and the Japanese code, among many others] b is possible mainly in areas where appropri- ately trained engineers, as well as state-of- the-art technology, are available. dc

d' Ass dc Ase Ass A The result is a clear and straight- About the author se forward stand-alone document, written in Josef Farbiarz mandatory language. The goals achieved has served as s through its publication go far beyond the Director for the document itself. Indeed, this is not an Center for Proj- s alternative standard; on the contrary, its ects and Investi- goal is to ensure that engineers using this gations on Seis- ISO document around the world will com- micity at the ply with internationally recognized, fully Universidad h fledged building codes in a simplified and Nacional of straightforward manner. Colombia since 1995. A graduate (Master of Science in Civil Engineering) Innovation of the University of Texas in Austin, he s < 10 h s < 4 m for a new generation has chaired ISO TC 71/SC 5 since 2002, distribution rib and is a member of ACI 318 and ACI 314 Furthermore, the simplified design and of Colombia’s code writing body, document represents several innova- AIS-100. Josef Farbiarz has also worked Figure 2 – Examples of illustrative figures tions as compared to conventional build- as an independent consultant since 1993. accompanying the standard. ing codes : 22 ISO Focus October 2008 • it is organized in the same sequence used during the analysis and design processes, as shown in the flow chart in Figure 1, page 21 ; • it contains many explanatory and descrip- tive figures, as shown in Figure 2, an innovative feature in itself, as tradition- ally codes seldom carry graphic illustrations ; • it allows the designer to complete the process without the need for structural analysis software ; • it presents alternatives available to the designer together with explanatory notes pointing to their qualities and limita- tions ; • it provides ample information for the designer to be able to calculate loads and forces ; • it includes guidance on foundation design and construction and on required construction supervision.

Making it accessible Although it must be granted that designs following ISO 15673 are conserva- tive and that some economic savings might result from applying the more detailed design procedures contained in major build- φ Mbn d' ing codes, the scope of its application, in h terms of size and simplicity of the target oncrete is essential to the creation structure, implies that cost differences Second only of the infrastructure and buildings are not significant in comparison with the to water – Cthat form the basis of human socio- assurances of clarity and thoroughness of economic activity. It is an extremely sim- dc the established design process. Cementing good ple material consisting of aggregate, cement, A The potential for ISO 15673 as water and admixtures, materials that are A ss se a tool in structural engineering exceeds environmental naturally found in great abundance – one its value in the commercial phase of the of the main reasons why concrete is such construction industry, because its layout practices for an important construction material. makes it a powerful training tool not only However, the quality of concrete for young and inexperienced practicing concrete is not always easy to maintain, as it is structural engineers, but also for engineer- the result of a chemical reaction between ing students who can benefit from its flow cement (itself a product of the high-tem- charts, guidance and illustrations. perature combustion of limestone and As soon as ISO 15673 was pub- by Prof. Koji Sakai, clay) and water. The aggregate (sand lished, ISO/TC 71/SC 5 established a work- and gravel), which makes up 70 % of ing group assigned to monitor its use and Chair of ISO/TC 71/SC 8, the volume may be of uneven quality, to revise and update this useful document Environmental management for and as concrete is produced in facto- within a period not longer than five years, concrete and concrete structures ries before being transported as a semi- as mandated by ISO Directives. finished product to construction sites, The subcommittee is currently devel- quality control may be limited. oping two other standards on simplified Global production of cement in design of concrete structures which will 2007 was 2,77 billion tons. From this, address the seismic rehabilitation of exist- the current annual production of con- ing reinforced concrete buildings, and small crete is estimated to be approximate- reinforced concrete bridges respectively. ly 15 billion tons (although no precise

ISO Focus October 2008 23 Main Focus statistical data are available), making it agement, include ones that provide basic A solid approach the second-most used material on the requirements for environmental product ISO 15686-6 presents procedures Earth after water. labels and declarations, and for carrying for the assessment of environmental The environmental impacts related out lifecycle assessments. impacts, while ISO 21930 provides rules to concrete are considerable. In cement In a similar vein, and follow- for the implementation of environmental production, large amounts of carbon ing on this lead, ISO/TC 59, Building declarations for building products. The dioxide are emitted from the material’s construction, SC 14, Design life, and concrete sector realized their value, par- compound elements and fuel sources. SC 17, Sustainability in building con- ticularly given the industry’s consider- The transportation of these compound struction, have respectively developed able use of resources and energy. It was elements and concrete products also con- ISO 15686-6, Buildings and construct- clear however, that the sector needed to sumes large amounts of energy, gener- ed assets – Service life planning – Part 6: develop their own environmental stand- ating still more carbon emissions and Procedures for considering environmen- ards, in order to ensure that these would other pollution. tal impacts, and ISO 21930, Sustainabil- apply to the practicalities of this specific ity in building construction – Environ- industry. The aim was thus to assess the mental declaration of building products environmental impacts caused by con- “ Concrete is essential (see page 11). to the creation of the struction projects and to work continu- ously towards their reduction. infrastructure and buildings ISO/TC 71, Concrete, reinforced that form the basis of concrete, and pre-stressed concrete ; thus decided to establish subcommittee SC 8, human socioeconomic Environmental management for concrete activity.” and concrete structures (EMCC). The subcommittee was approved by ISO in February 2008 and its first meeting was Production of concrete is expect- held in Los Angeles, USA in March 2008, ed to increase several-fold in the future. where it was agreed to develop standards Considering the unlikelihood of any on the following topics : new construction material emerging to replace it, the construction sector must • general principles ; ascertain the extent of the environmen- • preparation of inventory data and sys- tal impacts it poses and develop tech- tem boundaries ; nologies to reduce these. • constituents and concrete production ; ISO has already produced the ISO 14000 family, which is one of the most • environmental design of concrete struc- widely used series of environmental man- tures ; agement standards. The standards, devel- • execution of concrete structures ; oped by ISO/TC 207, Environmental man- • operation of concrete structures ; • end-of-life phase including recycling of concrete structures ; About the author • labels and declarations.

Koji Sakai is a professor of Kagawa Univer- “ Concrete is the second- sity, Japan. He chairs ISO/ most used material TC 71/SC 8, on the Earth after water.” Environmental management for concrete and The standards will provide a plat- concrete struc- form and a set of common rules for the tures, and the evaluation of environmental impacts International Federation for Structural and benefits of concrete and concrete Concrete (fib) Commission 3 on envi- structures in an objective and transpar- ronmental aspects of design and con- ent manner. Existing ISO environmen- struction, and the Japan Concrete Insti- tal standards will naturally provide the tute Committee on minimization of basis of these EMCC standards. global warming substances and wastes in the concrete sector.

24 ISO Focus October 2008 (Geosynthetic barriers) Figure 1 – Touching ground Examples of Close-up geosynthetics. with geosynthetics ISO technical committee ISO/ TC 221, Geosynthetics, had its beginnings under ISO/TC 38, (Geocomposites) Textiles, becoming a full ISO • geocomposites, which are composite by L. David Suits, Chair of committee in 2000. The committee is made up of four materials made up of two or more mate- ISO/TC 221, Geosynthetics rials, at least one of which is a geosyn- technical working groups, plus thetic. he best place to begin an article one working group which acts about geosynthetics is probably with as a liaison to the comparable Worldwide annual sales of geo- the question : “ What exactly are we committee of the European synthetic products exceed a billion US T dollars, which amply illustrates the need talking about ? ” The accepted ISO defini- Committee for Standardization, tion for geosynthetics is a “ generic term CEN/TC 189 (geosynthetics). for standards for the evaluation of these materials. describing a product, at least one of Membership currently whose components is made from a syn- comprises 27 participating and thetic or natural polymer, in the form of 11 observer countries. The Work of a critical nature a sheet, a strip or a three-dimensional technical working groups are structure, used in contact with soil and/ The range of civil engineering or other materials in geotechnical and • WG 2, Terminology, applications in which these products civil engineering applications.” 1) identification and sampling, can be used is wide and includes, for example, waste management, erosion A number of materials (see Fig- • WG 3, Mechanical properties, ure 1) come under the general umbrella control, drainage, and reinforcement in of geosynthetics, including • WG 4, Hydraulic properties, railways, waterways and roadways (see • WG 5, Durability. Figures 2 – 6 2)). Given all the various • geotextiles ; uses, the work taking place within ISO/ • geogrids ; There are currently 27 TC 221 is critical – as illustrated by the • geonets ; standards under the following excerpt from the committee’s committee’s responsibility. business plan : • geosynthetic barriers, which include the subgroups bituminous geosynthet- Much of the groundwork for ic barriers, polymeric geosynthetic bar- ISO/TC 221 was carried out 1) ISO 10318:2005, Geosynthetics – Terms and riers and clay geosynthetic barriers ; when the group was operating definitions. • geocells ; within ISO/TC 38. 2) Author’s personal photographs.

ISO Focus October 2008 25 Main Focus Figure 2 – Geotextile separator. “ In most projects, the cost of the Lifetime performance geosynthetics applied forms only a very In the majority of applications, limited part of the total project cost, Figure 3 – geosynthetics are expected to perform usually between 3 % and 5 %. The most Railway for the design life of the project. This important driving factor of the market, reinforcement. could be anywhere from 25 to 75 years and of standardization, is, however, eco- or more. In some applications, geosyn- nomical. For a number of projects, final thetics may be exposed to harsh envi- savings of 30 % in total project costs ronments such as chemicals, waste by- have been reported, although the actual Figure 4 – products, high temperatures, and long- cost of the geosynthetics used is only a Geosynthetic term stresses, any of which may have an small fraction of them. reinforced wall. effect on long-term performance. Hence “ The risk of subsequent damage the need to provide geosynthetics that and its consequences due to wrong mate- Figure 5 – can perform in such environments. The rial selection are substantially higher – Geosynthetics in drainage. working group on durability has devel- up to 100 %. This figure does not even oped guide documents for the evaluation take safety risks for people or neighbour- of properties such as chemical resisting buildings into account, as could be Figure 6 – Polymeric ance, biological clogging, and oxida- the case in reinforced retaining walls or geosynthetic barrier- 3) tion resistance. tunnelling, for example” . lined canal.

3) ISO/TC 221 Business plan, 2004-11-01. Long-term environment protection “ Geosynthetics are The geosynthetics industry is relatively new and constantly evolving. expected to perform for the The growth of the industry continues to design life of the project.” be dynamic, new applications are being Collaborative effort found, and new products and product In the early years of geosynthet- variations are constantly emerging. The ics, depending on the region of the world nature of geosynthetics production is such that almost all companies export a About the author you were in, and the particular organization that you were working with, the high percentage. International Standards assist L. David Suits various products were known by many is retired from different names. For example, among public authorities and other users both in the New York other terms, geotextiles were called fil- evaluating whether specific geosynthet- State Dept. of ter fabrics, civil engineering fabrics or ics meet their requirements and in com- Transportation filter cloth. Through the collaborative paring the characteristics of the products, (NYSDOT) in efforts of the terminology groups with- even if their source varies. the US, and cur- in ISO/TC 221, CEN/TC 189, ASTM Geosynthetics are difficult or rently serves as D35 and the International Geosynthet- impossible to degrade and their inert the Executive ics Society, a single common, descrip- nature means that the waste or surplus Director of the tive term has been developed for each product can be disposed of without North American category of geosynthetics. danger of contamination. This quality Geosynthetics Society, a chapter of the The working group on mechani- makes geosynthetics useful in environ- International Geosynthetics Society cal properties develops standards which mental protection, where they are often (IGS). He is the first and current chair- determine or describe properties such as used as a containing barrier for toxic person of ISO/TC 221, Geosynthetics, thickness, mass per unit area, joint/seam materials. and was previously chairperson of the strength, wide width strength, compress- Another environmental aspect ASTM International Committee D35 on ive creep, installation and impact dam- of geosynthetics is that their envisaged Geosynthetics and of the Geosynthetics functional lifetime is extremely long – Committee of the US National Academy age, and abrasion resistance. Standards which determine or in many cases over one hundred years. of Sciences’ Transportation Research Or, put another way, geosynthetics can Board. Mr. Suits has authored or co- describe properties such as pore size open- be expected to continue gaining ground authored many papers and articles, as ings, water flow characteristics both normal and are clearly here to stay. well as chapters for several text books to and parallel with the plane of a geosyn- related to geosynthetics. He has received thetics material, gas flow through a geo- awards from the NYSDOT, ASTM Inter- synthetics clay barrier, and water absorp- national, and the IGS for his work in tion of bentonite fall within the working geosynthetics. group on hydraulic properties.

26 ISO Focus October 2008 Construction information to outlast generations

by Kjell Ivar Bakkmoen, Chair of ISO/TC 59/SC 13, Organization of information about construction works and Torer Berg, Convenor of ISO/TC 59/SC 13/WG 7, Process management ISO/TC 59/SC13/ WG 8, Building information models – Information delivery manual tee ISO/TC 59, Building construction, nomical tools which improve the qual- s is the case in many industry sec- created the subcommittee ISO/TC 59/ ity of design and specifications. tors, information flow in construc- SC 13, Organization of information about There has also been a shift from Ation projects is a critical compo- construction works. information push (traditional drawings nent. But in comparison with most other sent out along the value chain) to information pull (all the actors may seek industries, the implementation of new infor- The rise of 3D modelling mation technology tools in the construc- information in the BIM when they need tion industry is lagging behind. Added to When the subcommittee was estab- it). As a consequence, traditional draw- this, a number of high profile reports have lished, only the most advanced compa- ings become views of the model. Plans, documented low productivity and disap- nies in the construction industry were sections, elevations and 3D models may pointing levels of innovation. using the new computer-aided design be produced anytime, anywhere and at A 2004 study in the USA, commiss- (CAD) systems to make drawings. Even any angle. ioned by the National Institute of Stand- so, because it copied the traditional way When software for running and ards and Technology (NIST), estimated of doing things, the new CAD software operating facilities also learns to “ under- the annual costs of inadequate interoper- simply gave the architects and engineers stand ” the BIM, this model will car- ability in the US capital facilities indus- a new tool with which to draw lines. ry data throughout the lifecycle of the try at USD 15,8 billion per year. However, creative users soon envisioned facility – from planning and construc- Studies in Sweden and Norway more advanced applications of CAD tech- tion to operation. have concluded that savings of between nology, thus giving rise to a real game- 10 % and 50 % could be made on con- changer: 3D virtual modelling. Classification vs. Now implemented throughout struction projects by simply ensuring reference libraries that all information is correct and avail- the industry, the breakthrough of 3D able for key actors when needed. modelling has evolved to encompass A traditional way of making Other studies have shown that, building information models (BIM) information interoperable is to classify typically, the same information is input of any type of constructed work. BIM it so that it is easy to store and retrieve. seven times during the course of a con- includes building geometry, spatial So it was that ISO/TC 59/SC 13 start- struction process, so it is no surprise that relationships, geographic information, ed its work with classification tables. information is often erroneous or missing and quantities and properties of build- Its first output, a technical report, ISO/ at critical points of the process. ing components. TR 14177, Classification of information A group of visionaries from the With a BIM, it is possible to add in the construction industry, was pub- architecture, engineering and construc- all kinds of information directly to the lished in 1994. tion industry foresaw that more structured computerized representation, which However, it soon became evident data was needed in order to get the full makes it easy to extract the data when that because of strong national traditions benefits of information and communica- needed. This has led to the development and differences in approach, agreement tion technology. In 1988, as a response of new software, such as rule checkers to establish certain tables as Internation- to this need, ISO technical commit- and crash detection – efficient and eco- al Standards was not possible. Thus, the

ISO Focus October 2008 27 Main Focus

BIM demystified Even though the term Building Information Model (BIM) is new, it is not necessarily more mysterious than standard drawing files on your computer. The difference is that the files mainly consist of virtual building objects, not lines and graphical objects, as you would expect in drawings. The BIM software allows you to define data objects out of building elements like rooms (spaces), walls, doors, windows, columns and beams. Everything you want to visualize is “ built ” with those objects. The objects themselves – or templates or styles for scaleable objects – are established in 3D in a central object library for the entire project. They have to be assessed in a quality assurance procedure before they are distributed to the project team. Thus, the individual user does not really have to understand all aspects concerning 3D and object modelling in order to “ draw ” in 3D. The team members normally work in a 2D plan view of the model, dragging and dropping 3D objects into the model and adjusting them. However, this makes it possible to build a complete model, from which it is possible to extract information or view it in 3D.

committee concluded that the best solu- tion was a framework for classification tables that would at least make it easy to communicate which classification tables the different national organizations were Akershus University Hospital – Extract from 3D BIM model : wire frame. using, and to spur them on to establish their tables based on the same criteria. Moving away from struction entity. The agent organizations The result of this approach was the traditional paper-filing are normally simultaneously engaged publication of ISO 12006-2:2001, Build- in a number of parallel projects, each ing construction – Organization of infor- cabinets with its own requirements. mation about construction works – Part 2: Project organization is faced with The project activities are car- Framework for classification of informa- a great number of requirements from var- ried out within a construction process tion. This International Standard has been ious stakeholders, with regard to func- in which inputs such as customer needs, important for major classification initiatives tion, quality, environment, health and information and resources are trans- in a number of countries, among them, Den- safety and much more. Other important formed into outputs (for example, in the mark (DBK), the United Kingdom (Uni- factors to consider are building regula- form of technical solutions) to meet the class) and the USA (Omniclass). tions and time and cost restraints. The project requirements. A key function of However, with the development of key function of project organization is both project and agent organizations is BIM came the necessity to have machine- project management, which includes the management of the different parts readable information, which classification planning, organizing, monitoring and of the construction process. tables cannot provide, as well as a need for controlling the project work so that all Another important function of unique and unambiguous names for all project requirements are fulfilled. the project organization is to transfer objects and their properties. And so work Though the project organization relevant information about the con- began on reference libraries for object-ori- itself is of a temporary nature, its mem- struction entity to other processes in its ented information, leading to the develop- bers represent a number of permanent lifecycle, such as facility management, ment of ISO 12006‑3:2007, Building con- “ agent ” organizations that cooperate maintenance, use and possible later construction – Organization of information on the basis of contractual agreements, struction projects. Easy access to such about construction works – Part 3: Frame- with the joint task of producing, alter- information will clearly benefit the per- work for object-oriented information. ing, rebuilding or demolishing a conformance of all these processes.

28 ISO Focus October 2008 Growing demand for BIM and open standards During the last two years some major public actors have started to demand the use of building information models. In Denmark it has actually been made part of the law for public building (www.ebst.dk). In the United States, GSA (General Services Administration – www.gsa.gov) demands the use and delivery of building information models for all new building projects. In Norway and Finland, the corresponding public building authorities, Statsbygg (www.statsbygg.no) and Senaati (www.senaatti.fi) respectively, have started to implement similar requirements. All those actors have made BIM manuals with their requirements; they also demand the models to be delivered on the open format of the IFC standard. Akershus University Hospital – 3D illustration. This actualizes the need for an international BIM manual or guideline and information delivery manuals for specific business processes and has led to a new ISO work item Whereas traditional paper-based proposal for guidelines for BIM manuals, which is currently filing systems do not allow comprehensive out for vote. overviews and multidimensional inter- linking of information, modern information management by interoperability and product models offers new possibilities for integrated handling of all types of information. It follows therefore that stand- A framework for organizing the ardized data-based tools for the manage- “ The annual cost of process is provided by ISO 22263:2008, ment of project information benefit eve- inadequate interoperability Organization of information about con- ryone involved in the construction proc- struction works – Framework for man- ess – and in the building lifecycle as a in the US capital facilities agement of project information. In most whole – in pursuing the required qual- industry is estimated at projects this functions as a common ref- ity of the construction entity. USD 15,8 billion per year.” erence more than a detailed “ process map ”. Annex A of the standard lists the construction processes and sub-process- About the authors es. The main processes are inception, brief, design, production and demoli- Kjell Ivar Torer Berg is a tion, but some national and proprietary Bakkmoen, senior research- ways of organizing the process can also architect er at SINTEF, be mapped through this standard. MNAL, has Byggforsk, Nor- served as the way. He was Chair of ISO/ responsible for TC 59/SC 13 developing the Open and transparent since 2006. He BIM manual for exchange is a project Statsbygg in The International Alliance for leader and Norway (The Interoperability (IAI) was established design manager Directorate of in parallel with the work of ISO/TC 59/ for large projects in Scandinavia’s C. F. Public Construction and Property). SC 13 to develop an industry standard Møller Architects. For the last seven Mr. Berg is currently working on aspects years he has been working with the new of the new Plan and Building Act in for the exchange of BIM. International 136 000 m2 Akershus University Hospi- Norway and on industrialization of the Foundation Classes (IFC), a standard tal project outside Oslo, Norway, and house building process, an R&D project. developed by IAI, has been brought the new 160 000 m2 National Hospital in Holder of an MSc. in Project Manage- into the ISO system and published as Reykjavik, Iceland. He holds an MSc. of ment from the University of Reading, ISO/PAS 16739:2005, Industry Foun- architecture from the Norwegian Univer- he is Convenor of both ISO/TC 59/ dation Classes, Release 2x, Platform sity of Science and Technology SC 13/WG 7, Process management, Specification (IFC2x Platform), under (NTNU). responsible for ISO 22263, and WG 8, the responsibility of ISO/TC 184/SC Building information models – Informa- 4, Automation systems and integration/ tion delivery manual. Industrial data.

ISO Focus October 2008 29 Main Focus

The IFC standard enables the exchange of building information mod- ules between construction industry actors in an open and transparent format. This, in turn, enables the use of various software packages within a single project team, through different processes and throughout the building’s lifecycle. The building owner’s traditional demand for delivery of files in a specific software format (normally without any specification of the information content) will be replaced by a demand for delivery in a standardized and open format. When comprehensive object models become available from the earliest possible phase in the design value chain (the architects), they may be used for specific business purposes by Akershus University Hospital : 3D illustration. other members of the design team – “ Plans, sections, for instance, in calculating energy use, design life planning, lifecycle cost ana- elevations and 3D models lysis, electronic building permits, ten- may be produced anytime This will establish an interface dering, contractor bidding and produc- from anywhere and between the information technolo- tion planning, as well as for subsequent gy world represented by the IFC and facility management. at any angle.” ISO/PAS 16739 and the practical AEC industry. IDM will consist of a large number of information sets for different Information delivery purposes, such as calculation of ener- manual Glossary and resources gy use, of building structure, or of the environmental impact of the construc- To support such specific business AEC – architecture, engineering purposes, there is a need for definitions tion, design life planning, lifecycle cost and construction of subsets of the information required analysis, electronic building permits, for specific processes. This is called an BIM – building information checking of conformity with building codes, tendering, contractor bidding information delivery manual (IDM). model IDM unites the description of and production planning, and for sub- business processes with the specifica- CAD – computer-aided design sequent facility management. tion of information within the AEC/FM The number of information sets in project lifecycle to enable realization of FM – facility management IDM will increase as the building indus- the full benefits of process improvement try sees the possibilities in increased and information sharing. IDM – information delivery reuse and sharing of the BIM. Those The mission of IDM is to pro- manual information sets will partly be based vide : upon standards from other ISO/TC 59 IFC – international foundation subcommittees, such as ISO/TC 59/ • a comprehensive reference to informa- classes SC 14, Design life, or ISO/TC 59/ tion requirements for the AEC/FM SC 16, Accessibility and usability of the industry by identifying the processes IFD – international framework built environment, securing the imple- that require the exchange or sharing of for dictionaries mentation of these important standards information between project partici- for the building industry. pants, and the information required for Uniclass – www.thenbs.co.uk In order to establish such infor- and resulting from the execution of mation sets in a consistent way, there these processes ; Omniclass – www.csinet.org is a new work item, ISO/CD 29481-1, • a basis for agreement between project DBK – www.detdigitalebyggeri.dk Building information models – Infor- participants about the information that mation delivery manual – Part 1: Meth- can reasonably be expected to support International Alliance odology and format. a project-specific process ; for Interoperability – www.iai-international.org • a basis for the consistent development of project-specific process models. IFD library – www.ifd-library.com

30 ISO Focus October 2008

Akershus University Hospital : Building site.

An example – Akershus University Hospital For the last seven years, the Chair of ISO/TC 59/SC 13 has been involved in a large new hospital project (Akershus University Hospital, outside Oslo, Norway) where BIM technology has been tested and successfully implemented. The project consists of a 116 000 m2 new building and 20 000 m2 renovation, and has a budget of approximately EUR 1 billion. The project has approximately 4 000 rooms for hospital functions and 1 500 rooms for communication and technical purposes. Within those rooms there are approximately 60 000 articles of medical equipment, furniture and Multilingual library Three pillars fixtures, of which To make information machine In summary, to facilitate a free flow approximately half are readable, it is necessary for it to be of information, three factors will provide represented in the Building detailed more deeply than the gener- a smart way of working with BIM : Information Model. al level of the IFC standard. For example, when the architect supplies infor- 1) the format for information exchange The challenge of keeping track mation about the types of materials – IFC (ISO/PAS 16739:2005) ; of all the rooms and articles – in the beams and columns, it must be 2) specification of which information to and of information connected done using a plain text string. Even if exchange and when to exchange it – to them – illustrates the need it is correctly spelled, there is no guar- IDM (ISO/CD 29481-1) ; for good organization of antee that the receiving application information. It also illustrates will understand exactly what this text 3) a standardized understanding of the great potential of doing it string means. The international frame- what the information you exchange once, and doing it right. work for dictionaries (IFD) library will actually is – the IFD library When all this information is define all concepts and their relation- (ISO 12006-3:2007). available to all the actors in ships, and establish unique identifiers These three items form the basis the construction process in a to be used in the BIM. of the “ Building Smart ” mission of the clear and unambiguous way ISO 12006-3:2007, Building International Alliance for Interoperability. (and punched in once instead construction – Organization of infor- Having them in place will allow for true of multiple times), enormous mation about construction works – Part computerized interoperability between savings are realized both 3: Framework for object-oriented infor- two or more information parties. directly in reductions in effort mation, is the basis for a major inter- and cost, and indirectly through national effort, led by the Netherlands, fewer misunderstandings and Norway and the USA to establish this conflicts. multilingual object library. All illustrations from Akershus University Hospital Project, courtesy of C.F. Møller Architects (www.cfmoller.com).

ISO Focus October 2008 31 Main Focus

A typical single-family house (left) (under construction, below) in Queensland, purchased from a project builder off a standard plan with the requirement that its performance rating in terms of wind resistance was W50 (designed to resist wind speed of 50 m/s). Although regulations required a minimum of W42, the higher performance level was requested due to the exposed nature of the site. This increased security only constituted an addition of about 2 % of the total building cost.

Performing houses

by Dr. George Walker, Chair Vessels of tradition Changing needs of ISO TC 59/SC 15, There are reasons for this situa- With improvements in technol- Performance criteria for single tion. Single-family dwellings have been ogy, changing needs as a result of an family attached and detached around for much longer and are far more evolving society and demographics, dwellings widely distributed geographically than and developments in the availability other forms of construction. This has and costs of material resources, this resulted in the widespread development traditional approach to the construc- ntil little more than 100 years ago, of distinctive regional forms of construction of single-family dwellings is most of the world’s population, tion arising from the unique combina- becoming less and less sustainable. Uapart from those leading a nomad- tions of climate, topography, access to This is reflected in the increasing mass- ic lifestyle, lived in what are colloquially materials, and socio-economic and cul- production of houses to standardized known as single-family dwellings, rang- tural factors. designs and in the supply of houses ing in size from one-room shanties to large These forms of construction large- assembled from sub-assemblies manu- palaces and stately homes. With increas- ly developed over long periods of time factured off-site. ing urbanization, many now live in large as a result of trial and error in meeting multi-story apartment buildings, but the local needs and resisting local hazards. “ Design and construction single-family dwelling remains the domi- When modern technical approaches nant form of housing in many countries were developed for newer, larger types of single-family homes is outside of the central business districts of of buildings, there was resistance to one of the least controlled major cities. applying these to single-family dwell- Despite their importance in pro- ings, as they did not rely on traditional aspects of the construction viding a home to a large proportion of solutions. This was partly because com- industry.” the human population, the design and munities saw nothing wrong with their construction of single-family homes is traditional forms of construction, and International trade of such manu- one of the least controlled aspects of the partly because their low value did not factured houses is growing, particularly construction industry. seem to justify large expenditures on where demand exceeds local capacity design and the associated inspection of to deliver, for example following dis- design and construction. asters, as a result of rapid local popula-

32 ISO Focus October 2008 tion growth, or arising from local short- ages of building materials. This trend has been accompanied by an increase in regulatory standards to ensure that construction meets the minimum acceptable standards of the community for which they are intended, as well as of non-regulatory product standards for use by construction specifiers. Initially, many of these standards were prescriptive, reflecting regional common practice. This both restrained trade in housing between different regions and slowed down innovation. However, standards are now being written in terms of performance. It is to underpin these standards that ISO/TC 59, Building construction, SC 15, Performance criteria for single family attached and detached dwellings, is developing the ISO 15928 series for the description of performance of houses.

Common language Damage caused by Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, Australia, on 25 December 1974. Tracy was Wide variations in required speci- responsible for convincing Australian authorities that the traditional approach to housing was fications for houses have led to a need not appropriate. Reconstruction was delayed until suitable performance standards for wind for a common language to express these resistance could be developed, and the performance approach now forms the basis for housing requirements in relatively simple, user- design Australia-wide. friendly terms. The ISO 15928 series provides this common language by stand- “ ISO 15928 is designed Cyclone Tracy ardizing the parameters used for describ- to provide a common One of the models used for the ing the performance of houses in terms development of the ISO 15928 standards of their various attributes. language by standardizing was the system of specifying the perform- It is important to stress that the the parameters used for ance of houses under wind forces adopt- ISO 15928 series of standards is not con- describing performance.” ed in Queensland, Australia, in the ear- cerned with specifying the required lev- ly 1980s. The widespread destruction of els of performance or the details of the single-family houses in the northern Aus- methods of evaluation. The specification adopt these standards, it would remove a tralia city of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy in of performance levels is the prerogative major restraint to the international trade 1974 was the catalyst for the move toward of regulators and specifiers, while the of manufactured houses. establishment of performance-based stand- detailing of evaluation methods is the For specifiers working with the ards for houses in Australia. role of other ISO standards – or other procurement of single-family dwellings, In Queensland, this led to the national or regional standards if there the ISO 15928 standards will provide an specification of wind resistance perform- are no relevant ISO standards. internationally standardized system speci- ance as W33, W42, W50 and W60, where fying the required performance levels for the numbers indicate the design wind different attributes of houses which they speed in metres per second and relate to Specifying performance may wish to control through both regu- the regulatory requirements for differ- The primary users of the ISO latory and non-regulatory instruments. ent wind zones and levels of exposure 15928 standards are expected to be reg- For manufacturers of single-family hous- in terms of terrain and topography. It ulation writers, specifiers and manufac- es, the ISO 15928 standards will provide was a simple but very effective method turers of houses. For writers of regula- standardized parameters for describing of specifying wind performance, and it tions on single-family dwellings, the the performance of their products. Other was readily accepted by regulatory offi- ISO 15928 standards will provide ter- potential users of the ISO 15928 stand- cials, manufacturers and purchasers. The minology and parameters to be used ards include designers, certifiers, tech- challenge was to develop a comprehen- for specifying minimum required lev- nical assessment organizations, lend- sive system of parameters to cover all els of performance. If regulators of sin- ers, insurers, researchers and product attributes of housing, both structural and gle-family dwellings worldwide were to developers. non-structural.

ISO Focus October 2008 33 Main Focus

Implementation of adequate housing standards is crucial for ensuring the well-being of the majority of the world’s population.

No longer too hard plementary (see page 16), it breaks new About the author ground in regard to building standards The initial focus was on structur- which historically have put durability in Dr. George al attributes, but because there were no the “too hard” class. A guide for users has Walker is Chair precedents in the building sector for such also been published as a publicly avail- of ISO/TC 59/ standards, the development of a format able specification ISO/PAS 22539:2007, SC 15. He is which could be used for all attributes User guidance to ISO 15928 – Houses – Senior Risk took considerable time due to national Description of performance. Analyst, Aon variations on the meaning of perform- Re Asia Pacific. Current activities are focused on ance standards, and respective termi- fire protection, sustainability and energy Now working in nologies. the reinsurance usage. ISO/TC 59/SC 15 welcomes the The first standard, ISO 15928-1, participation of interested parties in the industry, he has Houses – Description of performance – an academic development of the ISO 15928 stand- Part 1: Structural safety, was published and research background in wind and ards on the descriptions of perform- in 2003, followed by Part 2, Structural earthquake engineering. He played a ance parameters to cover the attributes serviceability, in 2005. Part 3, Structural major role in the development of wind of single-family dwellings, or indeed resistant housing and the associated durability, which will complete the series of other attributes yet to be addressed, standards and building regulations in dealing with structural attributes, is due such as acoustics, lighting and indoor Australia following the destruction of for publication end of 2008. air quality. Darwin by Cyclone Tracy in 1974. He This last part in particular is holds a PhD in earthquake engineering regarded as a significant achievement as well as an Honours Bachelor of Engi- as, together with the ISO 15686 stand- neering and Master of Engineering from ards recently produced by ISO/TC 59/ the University of Auckland, New Zealand. SC 14, Design life, with which it is com-

34 ISO Focus October 2008 • daily chores in the kitchen are sim- Reaping mutual benefits Smart homes plified by the help of coffee machines, This is where standardization dishwashers, ovens, cookers and any proves its value: as far back as the ear- number of other timesaving applianc- ly 1990s, manufacturers began to real- es powered by electricity. ize that it would be impossible to reap Although these innovations the benefits of the smart home concept by Joost Demarest, Director, greatly simplify daily life, technical unless they banded together. System, Administration and improvements remain isolated islands, Three European associations Certification, KNX Association operating independently of one anoth- saw the light, and manufacturers from er. In some cases, our home applianc- different trades joined forces to create omes have undergone a stunning es might even work against each other, common technical solutions for smart metamorphosis in recent decades, as when exhaust heat from a refriger- homes and buildings. These associa- Hthanks to fast-moving technical ator counters the cooling effect of air tions, including BatiBUS Club, the innovations. conditioning. European Installation Bus Association As recently as 50 years ago, the This inefficiency provides the and the European Home Systems Asso- electrical system in a home was usual- impetus for the development of smart ciation, would greatly influence the ly limited to some light bulbs operated homes and buildings : bridging inde- future of standardization in this by mechanical switches and a small pendent systems and integrating them domain. number of sockets – in many cases, into a comprehensive Home or Build- these were not even in every room. ing Electronics System (HBES). In most houses, heating and cool- As technical innovations in “ Manufacturers have ing were restricted to a central area such homes and buildings typically origi- realized that it is as the kitchen. Links to the outside world nate from a variety of industries, it is impossible to reap the and communication would be limited to not reasonable to expect that a single post, telephone, radio and, since the 1960s, manufacturer will be able to provide benefits of the smart home the ever-popular TV set. solutions for universal integration. Nei- concept unless they band ther is it reasonable to expect that integration can be achieved by convention- together.” The modern house al means or that gateways will be able to combine intrinsically incompatible By the mid-1990s, the associa- Today’s home has become a vast products into complete systems. tions understood that another level of collection of systems: organizational integration was required, • lighting control has been extended leading them to join and establish KNX beyond the walls of the home to Association. A common industry stand- reach even into our gardens, ard, also called KNX, was subsequent- with traditional switching giv- ly elaborated, standardizing a ing way to dimming systems number of transmission media as and light scenes ; well as a common language (or protocol) for communication • heating and cooling systems between HBES devices. now adapt to the outside tem- In view of its importance perature, and decentralized in the market, KNX Association heating and cooling elements was awarded cooperating partner can be operated in each room ; status in CENELEC, the European • windows are equipped with Committee for Electrotechnical electrically operated shutters ; Standardization. The various transmission media and the KNX pro- • communication possibilities tocol became a European stand- have exploded, thanks to mobile ard in December 2003 as part of telephones and personal com- the EN 50090 standard series, and puters connected to a virtually as EN 13321-1 in 2006. unlimited source of information via the Internet ; In view of their importance in the global marketplace, the • the TV set has become a home control protocol and media cinema, accompanied by deluxe described in EN 50090 were also sound systems that can distrib- put forward by some European ute digitally stored music indi- countries for international stand- vidually per room ; ardization in the joint ISO/IEC

ISO Focus October 2008 35 Main Focus

(International Electrotechnical Com- Energy efficiency in homes with • a panic button near the bed switch- mission) technical committee JTC 1, HES systems is considerably higher than es on the lights not only in the bed- Information technology, subcommit- in those with conventional installations, room but also downstairs and around tee SC 25, Interconnection of informa- since the control equipment can better the house, scaring off unwanted vis- tion technology equipment. The result inform the central heating and cooling itors ; of these efforts was the ISO/IEC stand- systems about conditions and require- • a personal digital assistant with ard, ISO/IEC 14543-3, on home elec- ments. The Bremen University of Applied integrated mobile phone becomes a tronic systems (HES) architecture com- Sciences demonstrated that HES con- remote control that allows the user munication layers in 2006. trol systems could achieve energy sav- to move blinds up and down and ings of up to 50 % compared to conven- transmits text messages in case of tional heating systems. A Trento Uni- technical faults. Via the Internet, vis- Making it all work versity study similarly concluded that ualization systems can keep an eye together HES lighting systems could result in on what is happening in and around savings of up to 60 % compared to con- With ISO/IEC 14543-3, providers the home 24 hours a day and notify ventional systems. In addition, with worldwide can render their products HES the owner anywhere in the world ; HES, comfort and security are signifi- compatible and integrate them into sys- cantly improved compared to conven- • when the home owner is absent, a tems using products from other HES pro- tional installations. presence simulation gives unwel- viders. The benefits are numerous. Cus- come visitors the impression that the tomers, for instance, can now choose from house is occupied by replaying record- a multitude of manufacturers. Standard- Intelligent multitaskers ed actions such as switching lights ized protocols also allow smaller compa- on and off, moving blinds ; etc. nies to develop niche products, boosting Products that previously had original equipment manufacturer (OEM) only a single use can now perform a • the lock system admits the owner trade. Manufacturers can establish shared variety of tasks : into the home, and also triggers a elements of a market infrastructure, such • the window contact is not only part desired temperature profile in the as common HES training for electrical of the alarm system, warding off living area ; contractors and integrators. unwanted visitors, it also informs • fire protection devices report on when windows are opened to venti- smoke or fire and ensure that all exits “ Energy efficiency in late rooms, so that radiator valves or are opened and emergency lighting homes with HES systems fan coils are automatically closed, is activated to ensure an easy escape limiting energy use by heating and from the building. is considerably higher than cooling systems. Residents are also in those with conventional informed of open windows when “ International Standards installations.” leaving the house ; • presence detectors in a security sys- play an important Overall, the flexibility of home tem can also be used to automatical- role in enabling the installations is considerably increased, ly adapt the temperature profile in interoperability of HES allowing them to adapt to the changing the room ; systems.” needs of inhabitants. Electrical installers • the weather station measures light can even make modifications remotely. intensity, allowing blinds to auto- International Standards play an matically move into certain positions, important role in enabling the interop- and also detects rain to know when erability of such systems which over- About the author to close rooftop windows ; all improve performance while pro- Joost Demarest • movement detectors automatically moting sustainability. In this context, is Director, switch on lights in the corridor while International Standards are driving System, Admin- keeping an eye on the movements of innovation by encouraging the propa- istration and elderly occupants, informing family gation and implementation of the lat- Certification of members or emergency personnel in est technological developments, while the Brussels- case of a lack of activity ; making way for new developments and based KNX improvements. Association. • a central off button activates the He is Secretary alarm system while also switching of the KNX off all lights, kitchen appliances and Technical other equipment that would other- Board, KNX Certification Group and wise unnecessarily remain in stand- KNX Executive Board, and a member of by. At the same time, blinds can be the KNX Working Group Interworking. moved to a desired position ;

36 ISO Focus October 2008 Developments and Initiatives Driving towards road traffic safety

by Claes Tingvall, Chair of ISO/PC 241, Road-traffic safety management system

oad traffic is one of the world’s zations using the road transport system. Focusing on life most hazardous environments, Although it is commonly considered and health R with more than 1,2 million that road safety is an issue for society deaths per year. It is predicted that as a whole, organizations in particular The first meeting of ISO/PC 241 within a few years road accidents will can control many risks through system- was held in Sweden in June 2008, and be the third or fourth most common atic safety programmes. The choice of enjoyed wide participation from a number cause of injury and death. While the routes, vehicles and drivers, as well as of countries and organizations. The first figures present a bleak picture, there the way vehicles are used and driven, draft of the management standard is cur- is also a brighter side: the fact that can significantly reduce such risks. rently being developed, with the expec- most serious events can be prevent- This is the starting point for the tation that it will become a fully-fledged ed by systematic and evidence-based development of an ISO management management standard for traffic safety intervention. standard for traffic safety. within four years. Such a carefully prepared Inter- national Standard, in full alignment with Safe system approach A standard for all players other management standards, will save The old paradigm that all crash- The standard, to be prepared by many lives. It is expected that wide- es are caused by human error and the the project committee, ISO/PC 241, spread use of the standard will gradu- problem should therefore be resolved Road traffic safety management system, ally change people’s mindsets and by educating drivers, has been replaced should be usable for any organization actions, and result in a reduction of seri- by a far more sophisticated view where wishing to reduce death and serious ous injury and death caused by the glo- the challenge is to create a system that injury related to road travel. In order to bal road transport system. minimizes errors and absorbs human achieve this, organizations should use mistakes in critical situations and crash- a number of established safety indica- es. The majority of accidents and their tors, such as speed, vehicle condition About the author negative impact could be eliminated by and driver awareness. this safe system approach to road safe- Similarly, organizations involved Claes Tingvall is Chair of ISO/ ty. Furthermore, the components of a in designing and operating the road trans- PC 241, Road- safe system, such as road infrastructure, port system will be supported by a man- traffic safety vehicles, speed and the use of seat belts agement standard that defines their own and helmets, must be aligned to protect management contribution to a safe road transport sys- system. He is road users. tem while communicating with other currently Direc- To create a safe system, it is suppliers of products and services. This tor of traffic essential that all users share a common is equally true for road infrastructure safety, at the understanding of their responsibilities providers such as road administrations Swedish National and act accordingly. By users we mean and local governments. Vehicle manu- Road adminis- both individuals and organizations, but facturers and suppliers to the automo- tration. Since 2001 he has been adjunct the latter especially should promote safe tive industry will also be supported in Professor, at the Monash University use as a part of their operations. a new way where interfaces to the rest Accident Research Centre. He has Indeed, accidents with serious of the road transport system can be a doctorate in medicine from the outcomes are a great risk to all organi- understood and defined. Karolinska Institute.

ISO Focus October 2008 37 Developments and Initiatives Schedule for implementation of accredited certification to ISO 9001:2008 by Roger Frost, Manager, Periodic review ISO 9001 certification is fre- quently used in both private and public Communication Services, Like all of ISO’s more than 17 000 sectors to increase confidence in the standards, ISO 9001 is periodically Marketing & Communication, products and services provided by cer- reviewed to ensure that it is maintained ISO Central Secretariat tified organizations, between partners at the state of the art and a decision taken in business-to-business relations, in the to confirm, withdraw or revise the docu- selection of suppliers in supply chains SO (International Organization for ment. and in the right to tender for procure- Standardization) and the IAF (Inter- ISO 9001:2008, which is due to be ment contracts. I national Accreditation Forum) have published before the end of the year, will agreed on an implementation plan to replace the year 2000 version of the stand- ensure a smooth transition of accredit- ard which is implemented by both busi- Encouraging good ed certification to ISO 9001:2008, the ness and public sector organizations in 170 practice latest version of the world’s most wide- countries. Although certification is not a ly used standard for quality manage- requirement of the standard, the QMS of ISO is the developer and publish- ment systems (QMS). The details of the about one million organizations have er of ISO 9001, but does not itself carry plan are given in the joint communiqué been audited and certified by independent out auditing and certification. These by the two organizations (see Box). certification bodies (also known in some services are performed independently of countries as registration bodies) to ISO ISO by certification bodies. ISO does 9001:2000. not control such bodies, but does develop voluntary International Standards to encourage good practice in their activities on a worldwide basis. For example, Joint IAF-ISO communiqué ISO/IEC 17021:2006 specifies the requirements for bodies providing auditing and Implementation of accredited certification to ISO 9001:2008 certification of management systems. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and the IAF (International Certification bodies that wish to Accreditation Forum) have agreed an implementation plan to ensure a smooth provide further confidence in their serv- migration of accredited certification to ISO 9001:2008, after consultation with ices may apply to be “ accredited ” as com- international groupings representing quality system or auditor certification petent by an IAF recognized national bodies, and industry users of ISO 9001 certification services. accreditation body. ISO/IEC 17011:2004 specifies the requirements for carrying ISO 9001:2008 does not contain any new requirements out such accreditation. IAF is an interna- They have recognized that ISO 9001:2008 introduces no new requirements. tional association whose membership ISO 9001:2008 only introduces clarifications to the existing requirements of includes the national accreditation bodies ISO 9001:2000 based on eight years of experience of implementing the of 49 economies. standard world wide with about one million certificates issued in 170 countries to date. It also introduces changes intended to improve consistency with ISO14001:2004 Support documents The agreed implementation plan in relation to accredited certification is ISO technical committee ISO/ therefore the following : TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, which is responsible for the Accredited certification to the ISO 9001:2008 shall not be granted ISO 9000 family of standards, is prepar- until the publication of ISO 9001:2008 as an International Standard. ing a number of support documents explain- Certification of conformity to ISO 9001:2008 and/or national equivalents shall ing what the differences are between only be issued after official publication of ISO 9001:2008 (which should take ISO 9001:2008 and the year 2000 version, place before the end of 2008) and after a routine surveillance or recertification why and what they mean for users. Once audit against ISO 9001:2008. approved, these documents will be post- ed on the ISO Web site – probably in Octo- Validity of certifications to ISO 9001:2000 ber 2008. One year after publication of ISO 9001:2008 all accredited certifications issued (new certifications or recertifications) shall be to ISO 9001:2008. Twenty four months after publication by ISO of ISO 9001:2008, any existing certification issued to ISO 9001:2000 shall not be valid. Colombia’s Environment Minister encourages ISO/TC 207 by Kevin Boehmer, The Developing Countries Con- Dr. Page has served for the Gov- Secretary, tact Group (DCCG) passed resolutions : ernment of Canada in international to formalize regional co-operation net- negotiations on the Conference of the ISO/TC 207, Environmental works for Southern Africa, Northern Parties for the Kyoto Protocol, the management Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacif- North American Free Trade negotia- ic ; to increase capacity to apply ISO/ tions, and trade and the environ- TC 207 stand- ment. olombia’s Minister of Environ- ards with a focus ment, Housing and Territorial on climate C Development, Mr. Juan Lozano, change applica- and the Executive Director, Mr. Fabio tions : to con- Tobón, of ICONTEC, the ISO member tinue support for for the country, performed the official the translation opening of the June 2008 15 th plenary of documents to meeting in Bogotá of ISO technical Spanish, Arabic, committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental Chinese and oth- management. Approximately 200 rep- er languages. resentatives 37 ISO member bodies and The Ad five liaison organizations participated hoc Group on in the meeting, which was hosted by Desertification ICONTEC. recommended Mr. Lozano encouraged dele- development of gates to continue ISO/TC 207’s con- an ISO stand- tribution to fighting climate change ard specifying principles, requirements and to encouraging the dissemination and performance indicators for com- of environmental management and sus- bating desertification. The group is tainable development. encouraging of the national standards Among 26 resolutions passed bodies of Egypt, China and Spain to and work progressed, a decision was consider submitting a new work item taken to set up a new Chair’s NGO proposal on this work. Contact Group to explore opportuni- Dr. Robert Page (above) has ties to enhance the participation of been confirmed as the new Chair of nongovernmental organizations in ISO/ ISO/TC 207, in succession to Mr. Dan- TC 207 work at national and interna- iel Gagnier. Dr. Page is currently the tional levels TransAlta Professor of Environmental The needs of small and medium- Management and Sustainability, Ener- sized enterprises were addressed by gy and Environmental Systems Group, the SME Task Group which agreed to Institute for Sustainable Energy, Envi- focus short-term work on : the promo- ronment, & Economy, University of tion of ISO 14001 (environmental man- Calgary, Canada where he is also an agement systems) for certification and Adjunct Professor in the Haskayne School other forms of recognition; understand- of Business. He is also the acting Chair ing of auditing time guidelines ; build- of the Government of Canada’s National ing capacity within ISO/TC 207 to ena- Round Table on the Environment and ble SME experts to participate more the Economy (NRTEE). effectively ; inviting SME experts from He is known nationally and inter- the International Council for Small nationally for his work on energy and Business and regional affiliates to par- the environment in areas such as cli- ticipate in ISO/TC 207 work ; explor- mate change, emissions trading, bio- ing the possible use of sectoral guid- diversity and protected spaces, envi- ance in implementing ISO 14000 stand- ronmental impact assessment, and pol- ards by SMEs. icy and regulation.

ISO Focus October 2008 39 New on the shelf

ty management in health using ISO/IEC Further, the increasing use of wire- New 27002. less and Internet technologies in healthcare ISO 27799:2008 applies to health delivery, and the consequent growth of elec- ISO standard information in all its aspects – whatever tronic exchange of personal health infor- form the information takes, whatever means mation between health professionals, not provides are used to store it and whatever means are only makes the need for effective IT secu- used to transmit it. The standard specifies rity management in healthcare all the more information a set of detailed controls for managing health urgent, but also implies a clear benefit to information security and provides health adopting a common reference for informa- security information security best practice guide- tion security management in healthcare. lines. By implementing this International As indicated by its title, ISO 27799: guidelines for Standard, healthcare organizations and oth- 2008 is a companion to ISO/IEC 27002:2005, er custodians of health information will be Information technology – Security tech- the health able to ensure a minimum requisite level of niques – Code of practice for information security that is appropriate to their size and security management. Professionals from sector circumstances. the health sector have contributed their Health informatics systems must expertise to defining guidelines to specifi- meet unique demands to remain operation- cally support the interpretation and imple- by Janet Maillard, Assistant al in the face of natural disasters, system mentation of ISO/IEC 27002 in health infor- Editor, ISO Focus failures and denial-of-service attacks. At matics. An important consideration was the the same time, the data they contain is con- adaptability of the guidelines, bearing in he highly sensitive area of person- fidential and its integrity must be preserved. mind that many health professionals work al health information and how best Because of these critical requirements, and as solo health providers or in small clinics T to protect its confidentiality and regardless of their size, location and model that lack dedicated IT resources to manage integrity while assuring its availability for of service delivery, all healthcare organiza- information security. healthcare delivery is the issue addressed tions need to have stringent controls in place Although all of the security control by the newly published ISO 27799:2008, to protect the health information entrusted objectives described in ISO/IEC 27002 are Health informatics – Information securi- to them. relevant to health informatics, some controls require additional explanations with regard to how they can be used to best protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of health information. Also, there are some additional requirements that are specific to the health sector. This Interna- tional Standard therefore provides additional guidance in a format that persons responsible for health information security can readily understand and adopt. ISO 27799 contains a practical action plan for implementing ISO/IEC 27002 in a health environment. Taken together, these two standards define what is required in terms of information security in healthcare. Three informative annexes are included in the new standard, covering respectively, the general threats to health information ; tasks and related documents of the information security management system ; and the advantages of support tools as an aid to implementation. ISO 27799:2008, Health informatics – Information security management in health using ISO/IEC 27002, was developed by technical committee ISO/TC 215, Health informatics. It is available from ISO national member institutes and from the ISO Cen- tral Secretariat through the ISO Store (www.iso.org/isostore) or by contact- ing the Marketing & Communication department ([email protected]).

40 ISO Focus October 2008 Coming up

Development & Initiatives

International conference on e-business standards A landmark conference on the key role of e-business standards was organized in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2008 by ISO, the International Electro- technical Commis- sion (IEC), the International Telecommunica- tion Union Standardization Sector (ITU-T), the Organization

for the Advance- ment of Structured Information Standards, the UN Economic Commis- sion for Europe/UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, and the Universal Postal Union, supported by the Management Group of the Memorandum of Understanding on Main Focus e-business. E-standardization Read in the November issue of ISO Focus the highlights of this international meeting In a globalizing world driven by com- Because ISO’s products take the form of on advancing public-private partnerships munication and information technology, documents, developed by committees for e-business standards. electronic means of communicating, whose members are located all over the holding meetings, networking, transmit- globe, e-standardization allows them to The two-day conference aimed to foster a ting documents, and a host of other work together in real time, resulting in better understanding of public-private business activities have become a criti- shorter standards development time. partnerships through which stakeholders cal part of the day-to-day operations of collaborate to develop e-business stand- most organizations. E-tools such as the Global Directory, ards, focusing attention on : Livelink, balloting and document man- strengths and opportunities for enhancing Indeed, although some activities – • agement applications help to save the the voluntary consensus model of stand- such as meetings – may be referred to resources, both human and financial of ards development and implementation ; as “ virtual ”, their outcomes and the players in the standardization process. the importance of open, interoperable benefits are very real. They thus facilitate the participation of • standards that serve the needs of both all ISO members – be they large or Not only does it make good business public and private sector ; sense – cutting costs, allowing real-time small, anywhere in the world – in stand- instant transmission of documents ards development and decision-making. • steps forward that might be taken to across the world, and more – it also significantly enhance recent achieve- greatly helps the environment – Conscious of these potential all-round ments and work in progress as well as cutting down on travel and physical benefits, ISO has increasingly moved in to address emerging new requirements ; the direction of e-standardization. Find distribution and thus saving precious • how stakeholders can most effectively out more in the next issue of ISO Focus energy resources and contributing identify emerging needs for e-business about the wide range of tools and sup- to sustainability. standards, share in their development port that ISO has put at the service of and collectively implement the results In this context, widely used electronic its members and how these tools facili- to deliver the expected benefits. products and activities have given rise to tate the standards development process, a host of terms such as e-business, as well as add value to the users of Learn more in our next issue about how e-commerce, e-books, and e-learning. standards. The November issue will the benefits of e-business to industry, The November issue of ISO Focus in explore a number of the latest develop- government and consumers are strength- this spirit will take an innovative look at ments in this field and look at original ened in a context of sound governmental e-standardization, the growing trend in solutions that have been developed by policies, clear laws and regulations, solid the ISO community to use e-tools to its different stakeholders around the world. legal agreements and implementable tech- advantage, in order to add value to nical standards, and the unique challenge users, and promote standards develop- it presents, given the intrinsically global ment. scope of e-business.

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