A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects
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 method...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2381 |
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| author | Adam Yousfi Érik Andrew Poirier Daniel Forgues |
| author_facet | Adam Yousfi Érik Andrew Poirier Daniel Forgues |
| author_sort | Adam Yousfi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7cf8d4da472a49bebcc8262b789f31eb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-7cf8d4da472a49bebcc8262b789f31eb2025-08-20T03:36:19ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011514238110.3390/buildings15142381A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction ProjectsAdam Yousfi0Érik Andrew Poirier1Daniel Forgues2Department of Construction Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, 1100 Notre Dame St W, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaDepartment of Construction Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, 1100 Notre Dame St W, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaDepartment of Construction Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, 1100 Notre Dame St W, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaConstruction 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2381emerging technologiesdigital dataontologywhole life costingbuilding information modelling (BIM) |
| spellingShingle | Adam Yousfi Érik Andrew Poirier Daniel Forgues A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects Buildings emerging technologies digital data ontology whole life costing building information modelling (BIM) |
| title | A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects |
| title_full | A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects |
| title_fullStr | A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects |
| title_short | A Core Ontology for Whole Life Costing in Construction Projects |
| title_sort | core ontology for whole life costing in construction projects |
| topic | emerging technologies digital data ontology whole life costing building information modelling (BIM) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2381 |
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