NRM 3 can provide data structure for the asset's entire life cycle

RICS has released the third edition of the new rules of measurement (NRM) 3 logic and level tables along with elemental structures, reporting templates and worked examples for cost estimating and cost planning.

This updated approach enables genuine whole life costing and value engineering using the Life cycle costing practice information.

The NRM 3 has the same group, element and sub-element structure as NRM 1, so it can provide a bridge between the construction, refurbishment and the operations, maintenance and renewals stages.

The original NRM 3 defined maintainable asset descriptions by mapping elements and sub-elements down to the lowest maintainable assets that linked to software solution SFG20 maintenance task schedules and to the CIBSE Guide M indicative asset life.

At that time, SFG20 did not have maintenance task schedules for some building fabric and engineering services maintainable assets.

The latest NRM 3 revision benefits not only from alignment with the current SFG20 and CIBSE classifications, but for the first time it also aligns with the Uniclass classification system, creating the basis for interoperability over the entire asset life cycle.

• a common data structure for the entire asset life cycle, through to disposal or reuse
• a common language for all maintainable asset descriptions, such as chiller, boiler or air handling unit
• alignment with operations and maintenance tasks – providing the basis for standardised asset registers
• an asset breakdown structure, to enable quantification and extraction of cost and carbon data from BIM reports
• creation of a robust asset register that can be used for multiple life cycle activities, such as planned maintenance, net-zero carbon interventions and asset renewals and
• procuring relevant packages of work, such as fire and life safety systems, electrical works or lifts.

Adopting NRM 3 as your common data standard will bridge the capital and revenue divide, and support effective data transfer at project handover – which is needed to retain the 'golden thread' of information and facilitate the creation of a standard asset register that can be used for multiple life cycle activities.

This has significant implications for how all future projects are designed and handed over into RIBA stages 6 and 7, preventing the loss of project data that is currently all too common across the industry.

This has provided the mechanism to define, capture and share project information for procurement, facilities management and operational life cycle purposes, which is key to transferring the 'as-built' level of information at project handover, as well as enabling the digitalisation of asset management.

Many asset owners want to make this happen at capital project handover and are incorporating the NRM 3 data structure with links to other standards, into asset information requirements and exchange information requirement documents in their future contracts.

NRM 3 has also become widely used for the condition surveying of existing estates. Albeit for affordability reasons, typical surveys are undertaken based on the NRM 3 element and sub-element levels, e.g. the NHS Estatecode and Education Condition Data Capture surveying standards, not surveyed down to the maintainable asset component level.

Based on its utility for building surveying, and in response to the 2024 National Audit Office report on backlog maintenance that highlighted a £49bn problem across government, with consequent impact on public services, the Cabinet Office's Office of Government Property (OGP) has adopted the NRM 3 elemental structure in its revised standards, including in the Facilities Management Standard 002: Asset Data.

This will help government departments to standardise physical condition assessments, which will in turn help them to contain, control and reduce backlog maintenance, and provide the basis for standardising location spatial referencing and asset registers across the public sector.  

The structure of NRM 3 enables component-level data to be linked to elements within a single asset register, which can also be used in CDEs and the configuration of computer-aided facility management systems.

In this way NRM 3 is compatible with ISO 19650 and plays a key role in facilitating information management initiatives.

Using NRM 3 can enable the quantifying and extraction of costs and carbon data from BIM and will transform life cycle cost management by providing better whole life information for designers, developers and asset owners.

However, the impact of NRM 3 is much wider than cost management. Its use should become the new norm in project handover, to transfer accurate 'as-built' asset information from new builds and refurbishment projects for whole life carbon management, and in a wide range of operational activities.

Going forward, RICS plans to develop a common alignment language for cost and carbon in the built environment. This will enable professionals to assess carbon data from BIM reports using consistent data structures.