Past, present and future of information and knowledge sharing in the construction industry: Towards semantic service-based e-construction

The paper reviews product data technology initiatives in the construction sector and provides a synthesis of related ICT industry needs. A comparison between (a) the data centric characteristics of Product Data Technology (PDT) and (b) ontology with a focus on semantics, is given, highlighting the pros and cons of each approach. The paper advocates the migration from data-centric application integration to ontology-based business process support, and proposes inter-enterprise collaboration architectures and frameworks based on semantic services, underpinned by ontology-based knowledge structures. The paper discusses the main reasons behind the low industry take up of product data technology, and proposes a preliminary roadmap for the wide industry diffusion of the proposed approach. In this respect, the paper stresses the value of adopting alliance-based modes of operation

A Shared Ontology Approach to Semantic Representation of BIM Data

Architecture, engineering, construction and facility management (AEC-FM) projects involve a large number of participants that must exchange information and combine their knowledge for successful completion of a project. Currently, most of the AEC-FM domains store their information about a project in text documents or use XML, relational, or object-oriented formats that make information integration difficult. The AEC-FM industry is not taking advantage of the full potential of the Semantic Web for streamlining sharing, connecting, and combining information from different domains. The Semantic Web is designed to solve the information integration problem by creating a web of structured and connected data that can be processed by machines. It allows combining information from different sources with different underlying schemas distributed over the Internet. In the Semantic Web, all data instances and data schema are stored in a graph data store, which makes it easy to merge data from different sources. This paper presents a shared ontology approach to semantic representation of building information. The semantic representation of building information facilitates finding and integrating building information distributed in several knowledge bases. A case study demonstrates the development of a semantic based building design knowledge base

A semantic graph database for the interoperability of 3D GIS data

none6siIn the last decades, the use of information management systems in the building data processing led to radical changes to the methods of data production, documentation and archiving. In particular, the possibilities, given by these information systems, to visualize the 3D model and to formulate queries have placed the question of the information sharing in digital format. The integration of information systems represents an efficient solution for defining smart, sustainable and resilient projects, such as conservation and restoration processes, giving the possibilities to combine heterogeneous data. GIS provides a robust data storage system, a definition of topological and semantic relationships and spatial queries. 3D GIS makes possible the creation of three-dimensional model in a geospatial context. To promote the interoperability of GIS data, the present research aims first to analyse methods of conversion in CityGML and IndoorGML model, defining an ontological domain. This has led to the creation of a new enriched model, based on connections among the different elements of the urban model in GIS environment, and to the possibility to formulate queries based on these relations. The second step consists in collecting all data translated into a specific format that fill a graph database in a semantic web environment, while maintaining those relationships. The semantic web technology represents an efficient tool of interoperability that leaves open the possibility to import BIM data in the same graph database and to join both GIS and BIM models. The outcome will offer substantial benefits during the entire project life cycle. This methodology can also be applied to cultural heritage where the information management plays a key role.openMalinverni E.S.; Naticchia B.; Lerma Garcia J.L.; Gorreja A.; Lopez Uriarte J.; Di Stefano F.Malinverni, E. S.; Naticchia, B.; Lerma Garcia, J. L.; Gorreja, A.; Lopez Uriarte, J.; Di Stefano, F

Supporting decision-making in the building life-cycle using linked building data

The interoperability challenge is a long-standing challenge in the domain of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC). Diverse approaches have already been presented for addressing this challenge. This article will look into the possibility of addressing the interoperability challenge in the building life-cycle with a linked data approach. An outline is given of how linked data technologies tend to be deployed, thereby working towards a “more holistic” perspective on the building, or towards a large-scale web of “linked building data”. From this overview, and the associated use case scenarios, we conclude that the interoperability challenge cannot be “solved” using linked data technologies, but that it can be addressed. In other words, information exchange and management can be improved, but a pragmatic usage of technologies is still required in practice. Finally, we give an initial outline of some anticipated use cases in the building life-cycle in which the usage of linked data technologies may generate advantages over existing technologies and methods

Document-Driven Design for Distributed CAD Services in Service-Oriented Architecture

Current computer-aided design (CAD) systems only support interactive geometry generation, which is not ideal for distributed engineering services in enterprise-to-enterprise collaboration with a generic thin-client service-oriented architecture. This paper proposes a new feature-based modeling mechanism—document-driven design—to enable batch mode geometry construction for distributed CAD systems. A semantic feature model is developed to represent informative and communicative design intent. Feature semantics is explicitly captured as a trinary relation, which provides good extensibility and prevents semantics loss. Data interoperability between domains is enhanced by schema mapping and multiresolution semantics. This mechanism aims to enable asynchronous communication in distributed CAD environments with ease of design alternative evaluation and reuse, reduced human errors, and improved system throughput and utilization

ASSEMBLY DIFFERENTIATION IN CAD SYSTEMS

This work presents a data model for differentiating and sharing assembly design (AsD) information during collaborative design. Joints between parts are an important aspect of assembly models that are often ambiguous when sharing of models takes place. Although various joints may have similar geometries and topologies, their joining methods and process parameters may vary significantly. It is possible to attach notes and annotations to geometric entities within CAD environments in order to distinguish joints; however, such textual information does not readily prepare models for sharing among collaborators or downstream processes such as simulation and analysis. At present, textual information must be examined and interpreted by the human designer and cannot be interpreted or utilized by the computer; thus, making the querying of information potentially cumbersome and time consuming.This work presents an AsD ontology that explicitly represents assembly constraints, including joining constraints, and infers any remaining implicit ones. By relating concepts through ontology technology rather than just defining an arbitrary data structure, assembly and joining concepts can be captured in their entirety or extended as necessary. By using the knowledge captured by the ontology, similar-looking joints can be differentiated and the collaboration and downstream product development processes further automated, as the semantics attached to the assembly model prepares it for use within the Semantic Web