Semantic Validation of Information Containers for Reliable BIM Information Exchange

Information generated during the lifecycle of a building using Building Information Modeling (BIM) is usually heterogeneous (texts, images, models), stored in different formats, and provided by stakeholders in decentral locations. Information needs to be integrated and exchanged as a data drop for specific purposes such as analysis, review, or permits of a building.

However, the context, in which the information is generated and should be interpreted by other stakeholders, is barely formalized as metadata and the interconnection between information is not stored explicitly for the data exchange. This leads to lacking information, reduced interoperability, and misinterpretation. Moreover, the validation of a data drop including the metadata and linking is not researched yet.

Therefore, my research examines how Information Containers for linked Document Delivery (ICDD) can be used for structuring the lifecycle data of buildings and maintaining the metadata and links between this information. For the linking and metadata, Semantic Web technologies such as RDF and OWL are used. To validate ICDD containers during the exchange process, the Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL) is employed. A framework is developed to integrate ICDD containers into a standardized information delivery process including their validation regarding conformity and correctness of cross-domain links.