COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) is a structured way of handing over information about a building's spaces and equipment to its owner and operator. It records what is in the building, where it is, what type it is and who made it, in a fixed layout that facilities management systems can import. COBie does not carry geometry.
At a glance
| Origin | US Army Corps of Engineers, from 2007 |
| Standardised as | US National BIM Standard; in the UK, the code of practice BS 1192-4:2014 |
| Common form | An Excel workbook with one sheet per table |
| Also exists as | A subset of IFC (the COBie MVD) |
| Used at | Handover, and often at earlier data drops for checking |
The main sheets
| Sheet | Holds |
|---|---|
| Contact | People and companies referenced elsewhere |
| Facility | The building or site, its units and project |
| Floor | Levels, including roof and site |
| Space | Rooms and areas, each on a floor |
| Zone | Groups of spaces (fire zones, lettable areas, circulation) |
| Type | Product types: manufacturer, model, warranty, expected life |
| Component | Each installed item: its type, its space, serial and tag numbers |
| System | Groups of components that work together (a heating circuit) |
| Spare, Resource, Job | Spare parts, maintenance resources and tasks |
| Document, Attribute, Coordinate, Connection, Issue | Supporting information |
Every row is linked to others by name, so names must be unique and consistent. A component points to its type and space; a space points to its floor.
- 1Asset requirementsWhat operations needs
- 3Data in the modelsFilled as design develops
- 4COBie exportSpreadsheet or IFC
How it is used
- The client's asset information requirements say which asset types need COBie data and which attributes.
- Designers fill in spaces and types; contractors add installed components, serial numbers and warranties.
- COBie is checked at agreed milestones, not only at the end, so gaps surface while people can still fix them.
- The operator imports it into a computer-aided facility management (CAFM) system.
Common problems
- Broken links: a component referring to a type or space name that does not exist.
- Placeholders such as "n/a", "TBC" or "0" in required fields.
- Duplicate names, which make links ambiguous.
- Everything included: listing every door handle as a component when the operator maintains only plant and equipment. COBie should follow the client's requirements, not the model's contents.
- Produced at the last minute, when the people who know the answers have left site.
Where to read more
The COBie guidance from buildingSMART and the national standard used on your project define the sheets and rules. The client's asset information requirements decide which parts apply.