GBRS Green Building Robust Specification

Robust Open Data is Everything

In order to design our way out of the Incompetency, Biodiversity and Climate Crisis as rapidly as possible we need robust data about:
- the products we use and how to use them competently,
- the assemblies we design and how the products are applied,
- the performance of the materials, products and buildings we assemble.
Green Building Calculator (GBC) knows what data it needs to be able to interrogate a building design, many of the calculators are implemented, more will follow, they are linked to the look-up tables
GBC now needs manufacturers, suppliers, installers to populate the look-up tables with their products, accessories, systems: their data and performances
An intelligent interactive spreadsheet has been developed by GBC to capture this information

Additional information will be collected to populate cells that become a specification which is an output of the calculator from the elemental assemblies and from Green Building Readymade Elemental Assemblies (GBREA)
The interactive part of the spreadsheet is to simplify the population of cells that are critical to the competent function of GBC
- Colour coded cells indicate:
  - Red = Choose from drop down lists (avoid typing and spelling errors, ensuring safe calculations)
  - Green = Type or paste in information
  - Blue = Uses data provided by user into cells to auto-calculate and fill other cells
  - Instruction sheets will progressively be integrated into worksheets and cells clusters
  - Videos will be added to explain the purpose of a worksheet and how to complete it
The intelligent part of the spreadsheet is to record where a product is invented to be used and GBC only offering it in that location within the calculators
- Choose a product by name and the adjacent cells autofill from the look up tables
- Providing some of the ‘Golden Thread of data’ called for post-Grenfell.
Data can be provided by GBC’s interactive spreadsheet, MS Excel or equivalent CSV tables, or inserted manually
But once a table is imported then the data provider needs to populate the intelligent cells for the product to appear, in the right location.
GBC already has agreements with other product database owners to capture their data asap

Grenfell enquiry has highlighted ‘a culture of incompetency’ runs from top to bottom of the construction industry affecting:
- Government, regulators, accreditors, assessors, accreditation and test houses, inspectors or test houses, insurers, advisory bodies, clients, agents, designers, constructors, installers, suppliers and manufacturers;
- from directors through to employees, marketing departments being highlighted as a problem
- “Reputable firms” have been found wanting, placing sales opportunities above life safety
Current and future information sources need to be part of the new ‘Culture of Competency’ (CoC) instilled in the Code of Construction Product Information (CCPI) and handled or interrogated within Product Information Management (PIM) systems and design and decision tools like GBC.
Existing test evidence, certificates, accreditations or assessments need to be refreshed within the new CoC to provide confidence to the users
GBC, GBPB, GBPDC & GBRS will seek ‘culture of competency’ data from CCPI signatories and from new evidence as it becomes available.
We will also look for Anti-greenwash campaign signatories

We all need better materials and product data to get out of this mess
We all need to build low carbon buildings without the ‘race to the bottom’
We all need robust data to feed Robust Specifications
Clients need robust competent data and specifications to protect their ambitions
Robust specifications include everything that is needed for a competent elemental assembly and whole building including:
- The reason the product was chosen (for specific performance targets)
- The priority given to any performance characteristic
- The basis for equivalency comparison
Green Building Calculator (GBC) needs better data to feed the calculations and specifications
Hence GBPDC is planned to feed GBC and other design and decision tools in the same boat
4 primary sets of information are being collected initially, to correspond to GBC development:
- GBC V1 Properties for U or R value calculations: Density, thickness, k value
- GBC V2 Embodied Energy, Embodied Carbon & Sequestered Carbon
- GBC V3 Life Cycle Assessment > Environmental Product Declaration
- GBC V2 Cost data is called for by Green Building Price Book (GBPB)
- GBC V4 Will aim to include Robuste Specification outputs
Initially GBC needs data in Excel worksheets
An intelligent worksheet has been developed and is available to download now

GBC anticipate manufacturers, suppliers and installers providing their data to get their products specified and used
GBC will priorities collecting data on low energy, low carbon, low plastic, low water, low chemistry materials and products and assemblies
Once populated GBC will merge in the worksheets so users have access to them
Drop down lists will be expanded to give access to new product added to worksheets

GBC anticipates quickly developing an online platform to capture:
- Green Building Product Data Collection (GBPDC)
- Including: Green Building Robust Specification (GBRS)
- Green Building Price Book (GBPB)
- They may be the same platform with two or more data entry portals
- It will feed GBC and it may also become a standalone data source
- All pieces of information are essential to Green Building Calculator
As GBC versions develop more datasets will be required to interrogate products