D3.3.2 Ontological Framework for a Semantic Digital Archive ; DURAARK - Durable Architectural Knowledge ; FP7 - ICT - Digital Preservation

Abstract

In this deliverable, a framework for a Semantic Digital Archive (SDA) for buildings and their components is suggested and described: The organizational framework for the Semantic Digital Archive as well as its methodological and technological enablers are outlined and specified. Conceptual approaches for the creation, maintenance and use of mappings between the building-specific Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) schematic and instance models with established datasets and vocabularies (e.g. the ones offered by the Linked Open Data cloud) are provided. It is shown how such mappings can be used to semantically enrich Building Information Model instances and how such enrichments can be preserved independently of the continuous evolvement of the referenced data sets. In order to track such changes in external data sets and reduce the amount of storage needed in the SDA, the concept of a Semantic Digital Observatory (SDO) is introduced and discussed. Using concrete data sets with a high relevance for the building industry, and in particular the reference vocabulary of then bSDD examples are provided that demonstrate the mechanisms introduced here. During future activities of the DURAARK project, the conceptual approaches introduced here are implemented in software prototypes as a proof of concept solution for the long-term preservation of semantically enriched Building Information Models.