A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Buildings vol. 15, no. 14 (2025), p. 2381-2409
Autor Principal: Yousfi Adam
Outros autores: Poirier, Érik Andrew, Forgues, Daniel
Publicado:
MDPI AG
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Acceso en liña:Citation/Abstract
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Resumo:Construction projects still face persistent barriers to adopting whole life costing (WLC), such as fragmented data, a lack of standardization, and inadequate tools. This study addresses these limitations by proposing a core ontology for WLC, developed using an ontology design science research methodology. The ontology formalizes WLC knowledge based on ISO 15686-5 and incorporates professional insights from surveys and expert focus groups. Implemented in web ontology language (OWL), it models cost categories, temporal aspects, and discounting logic in a machine-interpretable format. The ontology’s interoperability and extensibility are validated through its integration with the building topology ontology (BOT). Results show that the ontology effectively supports cost breakdown, time-based projections, and calculation of discounted values, offering a reusable structure for different project contexts. Practical validation was conducted using SQWRL queries and Python scripts for cost computation. The solution enables structured data integration and can support decision-making throughout the building life cycle. This work lays the foundation for future semantic web applications such as knowledge graphs, bridging the current technological gap and facilitating more informed and collaborative use of WLC in construction.
ISSN:2075-5309
DOI:10.3390/buildings15142381
Fonte:Engineering Database