FKB

FKB stands for Felles kartdatabase (common map database) and is Kartverket's central collection of high-detail map data for Norway. The database is coordinated through the Geovekst partnership, a cost-sharing arrangement between Kartverket, kommuner, county authorities, energy companies, Statens vegvesen and Statskog that has funded joint mapping since 1992. FKB is the dominant basis for public planning and private property analysis in Norway.

FKB consists of several sub-products, each with its own product specification published by Kartverket. The most important are FKB-Bygning (building outlines and roof surfaces), FKB-Veg (road and street resolution), FKB-Vann (lakes, rivers, watercourse boundaries), FKB-Arealdekke (land cover type: forest, cultivated land, open land, built-up), FKB-Høydekurver (contour lines), FKB-LedningVA (water and wastewater pipes), FKB-Bane (railways and metro) and FKB-AR5 (land cover classes in agriculture). Each product has its own registration requirements, data sources and update frequency.

The standards vary in accuracy and resolution. FKB has four standard classes: FKB-A (high accuracy, typically under 10 cm horizontally), FKB-B (around 25 cm), FKB-C (around 1 m) and FKB-D (around 2 m). Densely built-up areas are mapped in FKB-A or FKB-B; rural areas in FKB-C or FKB-D. Data capture happens through photogrammetry (aerial images), laser scanning (LiDAR), ground surveys and updates from building applications and municipal registers. FKB-Bygning is usually updated through notifications from municipal building cases, but slow update routines mean new buildings can be months or years behind in the database.

Distribution goes through Sentral FKB (sFKB), a real-time database where the kommuner enter changes directly. From sFKB, data is harvested into Norge digitalt and onwards into the matrikkel, Kartverket's WMS and WFS services, and commercial distributors such as Geodata. Open data is delivered through Geonorge in SOSI format (the Norwegian geodata standard) and GML, while closed Geovekst use runs in the same format under a licence agreement.

For the property industry, FKB-Bygning is by far the most used component. It gives building footprints, roof surfaces, number of floors (partly), building type and a linking key to the matrikkel (through the building number field). Combined with the matrikkel and Grunnboken, FKB gives the complete geometric and legal description of the property stock. FKB-Veg and FKB-Bane are used for accessibility calculations (infrastructure) and public transport analyses (public transport routes). FKB-Vann and FKB-Arealdekke feed into environmental assessments and analyses of water bodies. FKB-AR5 is used to assess cultivable land in land-use conversion.

The difference from the matrikkel is one of principle: the matrikkel is the legal property register that describes what a property is; FKB is the physical map base that describes how the landscape and buildings look. They are linked, but they are not the same. The difference from N50 (Kartverket's overview and hiking map at 1:50,000 scale) is the level of detail: FKB is the product for building cases and detailed analysis, N50 for overview and outdoor use. The difference from BIM is also one of principle: BIM is object models for the individual building with detailed local geometry, while FKB is georeferenced objects on the map surface. In large projects the two are integrated, among other things through ArcGIS.

Licensing and use are governed by the Geovekst agreement. Public bodies have contract-based access to all FKB data; private actors can buy a licence through Kartverket or from resellers such as Geodata and Norkart. Open parts of FKB are freely available on Geonorge under Norge digitalt terms.

In Placepoint, FKB-Bygning and FKB-Veg sit as base map layers in the map interface, and building data from them is shown in the building panel together with matrikkel data.

How it looks in Placepoint

In Placepoint you find this in the Map interface:

From Placepoint's glossary: FKB

More information: Kartverket: FKB product specifications, Kartverket: Sentral FKB, Kartverket: Geovekst

English: Common map database (FKB, Geovekst-maintained Norwegian base-map dataset).

Frequently asked questions

What is FKB?

Felles kartdatabase, Kartverket's central collection of high-detail map data for Norway. It is coordinated through the Geovekst partnership and is the dominant basis for public planning and private property analysis.

What kind of data does FKB contain?

Buildings, roads, watercourses, land cover, contour lines, pipes and railways, among other things. Each sub-product has its own product specification published by Kartverket.

What is the difference between FKB and the matrikkel?

The matrikkel is the legal property register (which property it is). FKB is the physical map base (how the landscape and buildings look). They are linked, but not the same.

How often is FKB updated?

FKB-Bygning is usually updated from municipal building cases through Sentral FKB, and changes can be available within days. Other sub-products have different update frequencies, from continuous to annual revision.

What is Geovekst?

A cost-sharing partnership between Kartverket, kommuner, county authorities, energy companies, Statens vegvesen and Statskog. It funds joint mapping and has managed FKB since 1992.