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%0 Thesis %A Senthilvel, Madhumitha %T Linking and managing heterogeneous data using information containers : leveraging linked data for BIM Stage 3 CDEs %I Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen %V Dissertation %C Aachen %M RWTH-2025-01088 %P 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen %D 2024 %Z Veröffentlicht auf dem Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University 2025 %Z Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2024 %X The construction industry is widely known to be extremely fragmented: it involves multiparty, multidisciplinary teams collaborating on the creation, and usage of fragmented, yet interconnected data. These data are generated, stored and processed in diverse tools. As a result, interoperability issues between different tools have been a focal point of research for more than three decades. The introduction of BIM paved the way for improved information management and enhanced information interoperability. Despite significant progress, construction projects continue to face consequential challenges in effectively managing the diverse range of information. In particular, brownfield projects such as the ones for energy retrofitting and renovation deal with an extremely complex mix of legacy and new data that are not always structured.Information interoperability and management is one of the decisive factors which influence the success of these projects. The availability of the right information, at the right time significantly improves overall collaboration and effective project management. Despite extraordinary advances in data capture and availability in the past two decades, projects struggle with utilising them efficiently for decision-making. In typical projects, infrastructure components are represented in various formats, with varying levels of information, depending on the use case for which they were created. While advanced BIM-based paradigms such as Common Data Environments have proved advantageous, there is a significant gap in managing interconnected data in these environments. Major challenges here include gaps in consensus of standardised schema for non-IFC data and lack of standardised vendor-neutral representation of meta-data and interconnected information.In this research, three key issues in managing interconnected information are addressed. The first objective is to provide a formal representation of informal relationships within heterogeneous data in construction projects by utilizing Linked Data approaches. This facilitates easy understanding and retrieval of existing knowledge from various, disparate sources. Furthermore, this research proposes the use of Information Containers, which serve as the central repository for all formalized knowledge throughout a project's lifecycle in a Common Data Environment. These containers promote efficient organization and management of interconnected data, making it easily accessible to all stakeholders involved in the project. The Information Containers are designed with a CDE perspective, focusing on the functional elements of the containers and their stored data. Lastly, to maintain data quality and consistency, the proposed approach incorporates SHACL rule language for validation. This ensures that all data and interlinked relationships conform to predefined standards and adhere to integrity constraints, thus enhancing the overall reliability of the project's information. By addressing these three key issues, this research aims to improve the management of interconnected information in AEC projects. Through the adaption of existing models for Information Containers, and their integration with the functional aspects of CDEs, it is demostrated that heterogeneous interconnected data can be efficiently managed in all phases in the construction industry. Furthermore, by leveraging linked data principles, the integration of the current document-centric practice with the semantic, data-centric practice is demonstrated. The results of this work can potentially push forward the developments of Common Data Environments beyond their current one-dimensional interoperability. Seamless integration and exchange of data, regardless of how the data is structured, has an enormous potential for practical use cases from projects. %F PUB:(DE-HGF)11 %9 Dissertation / PhD Thesis %R 10.18154/RWTH-2025-01088 %U https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/1003514