This document discusses using semantic web technologies to improve interoperability in the design and construction industry. It describes current interoperability issues and the use of building information modeling (BIM) and industry foundation classes (IFC) for information exchange. It proposes enhancing interoperability through a semantic web approach, including uploading IFC data to an IFC/RDF graph and developing parallel descriptions of building information in different formats like IFC/RDF, AIM/RDF, X3D/RDF, and STL/RDF to allow for querying, reasoning, and other applications. While this semantic web approach could help address interoperability challenges, more work is still needed.

1. INTEROPERABILITY FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY THROUGHSEMANTIC WEB TECHNOLOGY Pieter Pauwels Ronald De Meyer Jan Van Campenhout 5th International Conference onSemantic and Digital Media Technology Saarbrücken, Germany, 1-3 December 2010.

2. Interoperability issues in construction industry

3. Building InformationModelling (BIM) Information exchange: Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)

4. Current situation in construction industry

5. UGentMultiMediaLab http://multimedialab.elis.ugent.be/ Dr. Ir. Davy Van Deursen, Ir. Ruben Verborgh, Dr. Ir. Jos de Roo Prof. Dr. Ir. Rik Van de Walle UGentSmartLab http://smartlab.elis.ugent.be/ Ir. Arch. Pieter Pauwels, Ir. Arch. Ruben Verstraeten, Ir. Arch. Tine Jonckheere Prof. Dr. Ronald De Meyer, Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Van Campenhout

6. Possible enhancementsthrougha semantic web approach ?

7. Overview What have we made available? Using the information in applications Querying Reasoning Parallel descriptions of information

8. IFC/RDF graph ?

9. Upload IFC information into IFC/RDF graph http://ninsuna.elis.ugent.be/IfcRDFService

10. Browse IFC/RDF graph http://ninsuna.elis.ugent.be/rdf/page/ifc/IFC2X3_TC1/ifcBuilding_36

11. Architectural Information Modelling (AIM) graph ?

12. A schema for architecturaldesign information

14. Overview What have we made available? Using the information in applications Querying Reasoning Parallel descriptions of information

15. Querying

16. Gameengineinterface on IFC/RDF graph P. Pauwels, R. De Meyer, J. Van CampenhoutVisualisation of semanticarchitecturalinformationwithin a game engine environment 10th International Conference on Construction Applications of VirtualReality (2010)

17. Reasoning

18. Acoustic performance checking P. Pauwels, D. Van Deursen, R. Verstraeten, J. De Roo, R. De Meyer, R. Van de Walle, J. Van Campenhout A semantic rule checking environment for building performance checking, Automation in Construction 2010

19. Overview What have we made available? Using the information in applications Querying Reasoning Parallel descriptions of information

20. Parrallel descriptions IFC/RDF + AIM/RDF ?

21. Parallel descriptions of information :IFC/RDF graph + AIM/RDF AIM/RDF IFC/RDF

22. Conclusion Relying on semantic web descriptions canaddressinteroperability issues in construction industry more appropriately BUT: A lot of workstillneeds to bedone!

23. Parrallel descriptions IFC/RDF + X3D/RDF + STL/RDF ?

24. Parallel descriptions of information :IFC/RDF + X3D/RDF + STL/RDF STL/RDF X3D/RDF IFC/RDF

25. Thankyou Pieter Pauwels pipauwel.pauwels@ugent.be