BIM and Semantic Web–Based Circular Design System for Sustainable Construction Management of Hydropower Engineering

The sustainable construction of hydropower engineering is crucial for ensuring access to reliable energy while mitigating environmental impacts. However, effective knowledge sharing during the construction phase is severely hindered by data fragmentation across disparate stakeholders. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes a circular design system for sustainable construction management that leverages Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Semantic Web technologies. The methodology first establishes a conceptual framework based on requirement analysis and system boundary definition. Subsequently, an ontology-based semantic model is developed to create a unified knowledge representation for integrating circular design into sustainable construction management practices. Furthermore, the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard is extended to create a standardized digital representation that allows for BIM-based data exchange aligned with international hydropower sustainability standards. A prototype system was developed and applied to a large-scale pumped-storage hydropower project under construction for validation. Evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed framework has significant practical value for promoting information sharing in hydropower construction projects. The insights from this research provide a pathway for applying digital technologies to improve stakeholder partnerships and standards compliance for sustainable project management throughout the construction life cycle.