BIM Data Dictionaries for Semantic Classification and Attribution of Geospatial Features in GISs

The integration of building information modeling (BIM) and geographic information systems (GISs) is an important area of research aimed at improving interoperability between these domains. These domains often use different concepts for semantics such that non-interoperable vocabularies; schemas; metamodels for semantics; and, in general, non-interoperable IT architectures are used to publish semantic concepts. This study investigates the use of BIM data dictionaries for semantic classification of vector-based geospatial data in GISs, aiming to enable the use of common dictionaries and concepts to describe objects in both domains. The study addresses a particular problem: the fact that the domains use different metaconcepts to describe conceptual information and have different classification methods. The research focuses on identifying significant standards, comparing their metamodels to find similarities and explore the practical use of BIM data dictionaries for the semantic enrichment of GIS features. As a proof of concept, three approaches for the classification of features are developed and validated through implementation in the QGIS software. The results demonstrate that BIM data dictionaries can be used to semantically enrich geospatial data in GISs, with the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) serving as a practical example. The conclusions drawn from the study are that although there are limitations and challenges, the integration of BIM data dictionaries into GISs is possible and beneficial for improving interoperability, particularly when cross-domain concepts are employed.