Technological system: classification and terminology (UNI 8290)
Summary
TAV. 00UNI 8290 is the Italian standard providing an ordered classification and terminology for the technological system of a building: it breaks the building down into a hierarchical tree of parts, giving each a shared name and code. It is the reference framework used — in state exams and in practice — to organise the "percentage breakdown of work categories": every item of work maps to a cell of the scheme. A voluntary technical standard published by UNI: its logic is described here, its text is not reproduced.
Scope of application
TAV. 01Description, classification and measurement of the parts of a building; terminological basis for specifications, bills of quantities and the work-incidence table required in the professional exam.
How this standard works
TAV. CIt organises the technological system into nested hierarchical levels: at the top the CLASSES OF TECHNOLOGICAL UNITS (the major functions of a building — structure, external closure, internal/external partition, services, internal/external equipment); below, the TECHNOLOGICAL UNITS (e.g. foundation structure, vertical closure, upper closure); finally the CLASSES OF TECHNICAL ELEMENTS (the concrete components). Each level carries a code, so any work item maps uniquely onto the tree. It is a taxonomy, not a set of performance requirements: it fixes no values, only the ordered way to NAME and GROUP the parts — which is exactly what makes it the backbone of measurements and incidence tables.
Key points
TAV. K- Classifies the building into a tree: classes of technological units → technological units → classes of technical elements.
- Provides shared names and codes: it is a terminology, not a set of performance requirements.
- It is the scheme used to build the percentage work-incidence table (also required in the state exam).
State-exam tracks that call it into play
TAV. EWhere this rule shows up in past architect qualification exams — study the rule, not just the theme.
Frequently asked questions
TAV. QWhy does UNI 8290 keep appearing in exam tracks?
Because the tests often ask for the "percentage breakdown of work categories": UNI 8290 provides the categories (classes of technological units and technical elements) into which the project's works are split and weighted.