Standards in OpenConstructionERP — what's actually wired in

Data flow · concept → priced BOQ → tender pack

How standards actually move through the platform.

read in (RVT, IFC, DWG, DGN, PDF, GAEB X83/X84) canonical JSON + Parquet (DDC cad2data) write out (GAEB X83, XLSX, PDF, BCF)

Category 01

Open BIM & geometry exchange

CAD/BIM intake is handled by our in‑house DDC cad2data pipeline. Four formats currently extract into the canonical JSON+Parquet structure that drives the BOQ. BCF is a recent addition for issue exchange.

IFC4 · 4.3

Global

Industry Foundation Classes — buildingSMART · ISO 16739‑1

We read IFC through DDC cad2data into canonical JSON. IFC 4.3 brings native infrastructure alignment, road, rail extensions — we extract them like any other element category. We do not use IfcOpenShell at runtime by design.

Status Readvia DDC cad2data Surfaces in BIM hub · BOQ · 3D element browser

RVT

Global

Autodesk Revit native — DDC RvtConverter

Native Revit handled the same way as IFC — DDC extracts elements, parameters and quantities into canonical JSON without round‑tripping through IFC. The Linux ddc-rvtconverter .deb is a packaged binary on our VPS apt repo.

Status Readvia DDC cad2data Surfaces in CAD explorer · BIM hub · BOQ binding

DWG · DGN

Global

AutoCAD DWG and Bentley DGN — 2D/3D geometry

The 2D world. DDC reads DWG and DGN for geometry, layers, blocks, and dimension strings. On vector‑clean files we extract quantities; on raster scans we route to the PDF takeoff path.

Status Readvia DDC cad2data Surfaces in CAD explorer · DWG takeoff module

BCF2.1 · 3.0

Global

BIM Collaboration Format — buildingSMART

BCF travels issues, viewpoints and validation findings between OCERP and external coordination tools. Pure XML over data — recently re‑allowed in 2026‑04 after the IfcOpenShell ban was clarified to BCF being separately implementable.

Status Read · Writenative, no IfcOpenShell Surfaces in Validation reports · clash & issue exchange

PDF takeoff

Global

PDF.js + canvas overlay + 5 annotation types

Drawings as PDFs go through a takeoff viewer with five measurement primitives: distance, area, count, polyline, volume — each with a 500‑char annotation field that persists per quantity. Defensible audit trail per measurement.

Status Read5 annotation types Surfaces in Takeoff module · BOQ binding · audit trail

DDC cad2data

In‑house

Canonical CAD/BIM conversion pipeline — DataDrivenConstruction

Not a public standard — our own pipeline. Reads RVT, IFC, DWG, DGN and emits the OCERP canonical JSON+Parquet. Linux .deb packages on signed apt repo (pkg.datadrivenconstruction.io); same binary set runs on Windows.

Status Read→ canonical JSON Authority DataDrivenConstruction (in‑house)

Category 02

Cost classification & validation rule packs

Validation pipeline registers 46 rules total across these classification systems. Rule packs aren't just labels — each ships executable validators that run on import and on BOQ release.

DIN 2762018‑12

DACH

Kosten im Bauwesen — cost groups in construction

The cost backbone of every German project. Rule pack covers cost group required, valid KG code, hierarchy correctness, completeness per stage. KG 100–700 with three drill‑down levels supported.

Status Rule pack · 4 rules Authority DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung

NRM 1 + NRM 2

UK · RICS

New Rules of Measurement — order of cost estimating & detailed measurement

UK pre‑contract cost planning (NRM 1) plus post‑contract BoQ (NRM 2). Rule pack covers classification required, valid element code, completeness. Element groups 1.x – 7.x of NRM 1 are taxonomy‑native.

Status Rule pack · 3 rules Authority RICS — Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

MasterFormatCSI

North America

Master list of construction work sections — CSI / CSC

50 divisions, Div 00 (Procurement) through Div 49. Rule pack covers classification required, valid division code, completeness per project stage. Trade‑shaped procurement language — pairs naturally with NRM 1 elemental for cross‑border bids.

Status Rule pack · 3 rules Authority CSI (US) · CSC (Canada)

DPGF

France

Décomposition du Prix Global et Forfaitaire — French BoQ structure

French marchés‑publics BoQ. Rule pack covers lot required and pricing complete — runs as a validation pass on imported French tender data. We don't currently emit DPGF as a native file format; export goes through the generic XLSX path with DPGF column structure.

Status Rule pack · 2 rulesXLSX export only Authority Code de la commande publique

GAEB rule pack

DACH

GAEB structural & pricing validators

Even before file export, the BOQ must pass the GAEB rule pack: ordinal format, LV section structure, trade section codes, Einheitspreis sanity, quantity decimal rules. Public works rejects malformed bids — these gates catch it before it leaves.

Status Rule pack · 5 rules Authority GAEB e.V. / DIN

BOQ quality (universal)

All regions

Universal BOQ structural & pricing validators

The 20 universal rules that run regardless of regional pack: missing quantities, zero prices, duplicate ordinals, invalid units, scope completeness, classification consistency. Every project passes through this set on every BOQ release.

Status Rule pack · ~20 rules Authority In‑house · OCERP core

Category 03

Tender exchange & BoQ formats

GAEB is the only structured tender exchange format we ship today. Other regions (Spain, France) export through generic XLSX templates that match the destination structure; see the roadmap for native BC3 / DPGF on the way.

GAEB X83

DACH

Angebotsabgabe — bid submission · DA XML 3.3

The big one in German‑speaking public works. Read and write — round‑trip a tender from import through pricing through export, with the GAEB rule pack as a gate. Validates structurally against the published schema before allowing export.

Status Read · Write Authority GAEB e.V. / DIN

GAEB X84

DACH

Nebenangebote — alternative bid handling

Read‑only today. Lets the platform consume X84 alternative bids alongside X83 main bids for comparison. Write side is on the roadmap — most workflows submit alternatives back as X83 with a metadata flag, which already works.

Status Read Authority GAEB e.V. / DIN

DA XML legacy

DACH

Legacy GAEB DA XML import — pre‑3.3

Some firms still send tender data in older GAEB DA XML structure. Read‑only path keeps ingestion working without forcing the customer to upgrade their export pipeline.

Status Read · legacy Authority GAEB e.V. (legacy schema)

XLSX · CSV

All regions

Generic spreadsheet export — region‑shaped column profiles

For regions without a structured native format wired in, OCERP exports XLSX/CSV with column profiles that match local conventions: NRM 2 (UK), DPGF (FR), CSI section (US), Pliego template (ES). Honest answer: it's spreadsheet‑shaped, not a parsed exchange schema.

Status Writecolumn profile only Authority In‑house templates

Category 04

Contract templates & commercial structure

What ships today: VOB‑family contract templates inside the DACH regional pack. Other contract forms (FIDIC, NEC4, JCT, AIA) are not currently provided as platform templates — partners bring those in as customer‑specific wrappers.

VOB/BDACH pack

DACH

Vergabe‑ und Vertragsordnung für Bauleistungen — Teil B

The general contract conditions side of the VOB. DACH regional pack ships templates for Einheitspreisvertrag, Pauschalvertrag and Stundenlohn — three contract forms covering most German construction work. Validation rules align with VOB/B claim windows.

Status Templates · 3 Authority DVA — Deutscher Vergabe‑ und Vertragsausschuss

VOB/CDACH pack

DACH

VOB Teil C — Allgemeine Technische Vertragsbedingungen (ATV)

The technical specifications side of VOB — DIN 18299 through 18459. Referenced by the DACH pack templates for trade‑specific spec wording. Lets customers point to the right ATV without re‑typing the clause every time.

Status Reference catalogue Authority DIN · DVA

Category 05

Cost data & seed catalogues

What ships: CWICR open core, ~55,000 priced positions spanning UK and DACH catalogues. Honest: we do not have live API connectors to RSMeans, BCIS, BKI, Sirados, Spon's, ENR or Destatis. Customers bring those in as XLSX/CSV imports today.

CWICRopen core

Open

Construction Works Index of Composed Rates — DataDrivenConstruction

The open foundation. ~55,000 priced items in total, covering both UK (NRM‑aligned, with BCIS regional indices baked in) and DACH (DIN 276‑aligned, with BKI regional benchmarks) classifications. Multi‑language; ships as the seed catalogue on every fresh OCERP install. Author: Artem Boiko.

Status Native seed Surfaces in Costs module · BOQ unit‑rate suggestions · per‑project catalogue binding (v2.8.2+)

External pricebook import

All regions

XLSX / CSV / GAEB X81 import path

No API connectors today. Customers import their RSMeans, BCIS, BKI, Sirados, Spon's extracts as XLSX / CSV / GAEB X81 STLB. Rates land in the per‑project catalogue with source provenance preserved on every line. See roadmap for native API integrations.

Status ReadXLSX · CSV · GAEB X81 Surfaces in Costs module · per‑project catalogue · vectorised search

Per‑project catalogue binding

All regions

v2.8.2+ feature — region‑aware catalogue selection

Each project binds to one or more cost catalogues with provenance, currency code, vectorisation flag. The platform auto‑picks a region‑matching catalogue on fresh installs (v2.8.5 fix). Every rate keeps its source ID — Sirados stays Sirados; CWICR stays CWICR.

Status Native Surfaces in Costs module · Project settings

Multi‑currencyper region

All regions

Single‑currency per project — region‑defaulted

Honest framing: projects today carry a single currency code (EUR / GBP / USD typical, region‑defaulted). Live FX conversion and multi‑currency aggregation are not currently shipped — converting between currencies happens manually at import time.

Status Single currency per project Surfaces in ProjectBudget · BOQ totals

Category 06

On the roadmap, not in the codebase yet

The standards customers ask for that haven't been merged yet. Listed openly so nobody buys on a promise. Issues track on GitHub at datadrivenconstruction/OpenConstructionERP.

Tender formats — planned, not shipped

BC3 (FIEBDC‑3) · DPGF native · GAEB X85 · X86 · X87

BC3 (Spain) and a native DPGF reader/writer (France) are the most‑requested missing tender formats. GAEB X85 (Auftragserteilung) and X86/X87 (Schlussrechnung) round out the GAEB family. Today these route through XLSX templates; native parsing is roadmap.

BC3 · FIEBDC‑3DPGF nativeGAEB X85GAEB X86ÖNORM B 2063

Sustainability — planned

BREEAM · LEED · DGNB · Level(s) · EU Taxonomy · EN 16627 · COBie · IDS

Demo projects reference BREEAM/LEED at the docs level. None of these have validation rule packs or evidence exports today. COBie write and IDS validation are tracked but not merged. ISO 19650 CDE state machine is partial. We won't claim "native support" on these until the rules are registered.

BREEAM rule packLEED rule packDGNB rule packEU TaxonomyCOBie writeIDS validationISO 19650 CDE

Cost data connectors — planned

RSMeans · BCIS · BKI · Sirados live API integrations

Today: customers import as XLSX/CSV/GAEB X81. Roadmap: live API connectors so updates flow continuously. ENR CCI / Destatis BAU‑Index / Spon's index time series for indexation clauses are also tracked, not shipped.

RSMeans APIBCIS APIBKI liveSirados liveENR CCI seriesDestatis BAU

Contract forms — partner‑provided today

FIDIC · NEC4 · JCT · AIA

Not shipped as platform templates — partners working on international, UK, US private projects bring these as customer‑specific wrappers. We don't pretend they're native, and we'd rather ship VOB properly than half‑ship five contract forms.

FIDIC profileNEC4 profileJCT profileAIA SoV

Concrete examples

What these formats actually look like.

The four formats below are what a developer or estimator will actually see when integrating with OCERP. Real shapes, real codes, real DA XML 3.3 / canonical / IFC structures — not pseudocode.

GAEB X83 DA XML 3.3

Read · Write

<!-- A priced position inside an LV section -->
<Award>
  <BoQBody>
    <BoQCtgy RNoPart="01">
      <LblTx>Erdarbeiten</LblTx>
      <Itemlist>
        <Item RNoPart="0010">
          <Qty>120.500</Qty>
          <QU>m3</QU>
          <Description>
            <CompleteText>
              Mutterboden abtragen, lagern
            </CompleteText>
          </Description>
          <UP>8.45</UP>
          <ItemAmount>1018.23</ItemAmount>
        </Item>
      </Itemlist>
    </BoQCtgy>
  </BoQBody>
</Award>

▸ gaeb.de · DA XML 3.3 spec DACH · public works statutory

Canonical JSON DDC cad2data

Pipeline output

// Output from RVT/IFC/DWG/DGN → DDC pipeline
{
  "format_version": "1.0",
  "source": {
    "type": "rvt",
    "converter": "ddc-rvt-converter/1.x"
  },
  "elements": [
    {
      "id": "elem_001",
      "category": "wall",
      "classification": {
        "din276": "331",
        "masterformat": "04 20 00"
      },
      "geometry": {
        "length_m": 12.5,
        "height_m": 3.0,
        "thickness_m": 0.24,
        "area_m2": 37.5,
        "volume_m3": 9.0
      },
      "properties": {
        "material": "concrete_c30_37"
      }
    }
  ]
}

▸ datadrivenconstruction.io · cad2data In‑house · canonical for all CAD/BIM intake

DIN 276 KG codes

Rule pack · 4

# Real KG hierarchy — Bauwerk Baukonstruktionen
300   Bauwerk Baukonstruktionen
310   ├─ Baugrube
320   ├─ Gründung
330   ├─ Außenwände
  331     ├─ Tragende Außenwände
  332     ├─ Nichttragende Außenwände
  333     ├─ Außenstützen
  334     ├─ Außentüren und ‑fenster
  335     ├─ Außenwandbekleidungen
340   ├─ Innenwände
350   ├─ Decken
360   ├─ Dächer
370   ├─ Baukonstruktive Einbauten
390   └─ Sonstige Maßnahmen

# Validation rules (registered in core)
✓ din276.cost_group_required
✓ din276.valid_cost_group
✓ din276.hierarchy_correct
✓ din276.completeness_per_stage

▸ din.de · DIN 276:2018‑12 DACH · cost backbone

BCF 3.0 markup

Read · Write

<!-- A single issue (markup.bcf) -->
<Markup>
  <Topic
    Guid="a3c1..."
    TopicType="Clash"
    TopicStatus="Open">
    <Title>
      Pipe runs through structural slab
    </Title>
    <Priority>High</Priority>
    <CreationAuthor>
      OCERP validation pipeline
    </CreationAuthor>
    <CreationDate>
      2026-05-07T09:14:22Z
    </CreationDate>
    <Labels>
      <Label>MEP-vs-STRUCT</Label>
    </Labels>
  </Topic>
  <Comment Guid="b4d2...">
    <Comment>
      Reroute east of grid line C
    </Comment>
  </Comment>
</Markup>

▸ buildingsmart.org · BCF Global · issue exchange

▸ Source authorities — go straight to the publisher

buildingSMART

buildingsmart.org

IFC · BCF · COBie · IDS

GAEB e.V.

gaeb.de

GAEB X81 / X83 / X84 / X85

DIN

din.de

DIN 276 · DIN 277 · ATV (VOB/C)

RICS

rics.org

NRM 1 / NRM 2 / NRM 3 · BCIS

CSI

csiresources.org

MasterFormat · UniFormat II · OmniClass

DVA

dva.de

VOB/A · VOB/B · VOB/C

FIEBDC

fiebdc.es

BC3 (FIEBDC‑3) · ES tender exchange

OCERP roadmap

github · issues

Track planned format / rule‑pack work

Decision aid

Which standard do I actually need?

Pragmatic shortlist by job. Reflects what's wired today — not aspirational.

If your job is…	Reach for first (shipping)	Honest gap
UK private building	NRM 1 + NRM 2 rule packs · CWICR seed (~55K total, UK + DACH)	BCIS live feed not wired — extracts via XLSX
German Hochbau public	DIN 276 · GAEB X83 round‑trip · VOB/B templates · CWICR seed (~55K total, UK + DACH)	BKI live feed not wired — extracts via XLSX
US commercial new‑build	MasterFormat rule pack · XLSX export with CSI columns	RSMeans connector not wired; AIA SoV not native
Spanish public works	BOQ quality rules · XLSX export with Pliego columns	BC3 native — on roadmap, not shipped
French marchés publics	DPGF rule pack · XLSX export with DPGF columns	Native DPGF reader/writer — on roadmap
Cross‑border bid	IFC 4 · DDC cad2data · canonical JSON · BCF for clash	Per‑country contract template — partner brings

How we treat standards

Five rules we won't compromise on.

If it's not in the codebase, it's not on the page

Every standard listed has a registered validator, a reader, a writer or a template that ships in v2.9.x. Roadmap items live in their own section, clearly marked.

ii.

Round‑trip beats one‑way

If we read it, we aim to write it back identically. GAEB X83 is the gold standard — same shape going out as came in.

iii.

Provenance over neatness

Every imported rate keeps its source ID. CWICR stays CWICR; a customer's Sirados extract stays Sirados. We don't melt them into one anonymous library.

iv.

A standard isn't supported until it's validated

Saying "we read X" without a rule pack is not support — it's hope. Every standard above ships either rules or a tested reader/writer.

No vendor lock — by clause

Customer can leave at any time and walk away with their data in IFC, GAEB X83, BCF, CSV and Parquet. AGPL community licence, dual‑licensed commercial — same code path.

Where this lands in your firm

Standards are the rulebook. Practices are the work.

The standards above are how OCERP speaks to the rest of construction. Practice areas describe how a partner takes those standards into a real customer engagement.

See the practice areas Take the maturity assessment

The construction standards we actually support today.

How standards actually move through the platform.

Open BIM & geometry exchange

Cost classification & validation rule packs

Tender exchange & BoQ formats

Contract templates & commercial structure

Cost data & seed catalogues

On the roadmap, not in the codebase yet

BC3 (FIEBDC‑3) · DPGF native · GAEB X85 · X86 · X87

BREEAM · LEED · DGNB · Level(s) · EU Taxonomy · EN 16627 · COBie · IDS

RSMeans · BCIS · BKI · Sirados live API integrations

FIDIC · NEC4 · JCT · AIA

What these formats actually look like.

Which standard do I actually need?

Five rules we won't compromise on.

Standards are the rulebook. Practices are the work.