Concept Development of A System for Evaluating The Validity of Data Exemplified by Structural Data of Existing Bridges in Germany

Abstract

With the increasing prevalence of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in infrastructure projects, the application of BIM for existing structures is also coming into sharper focus. A necessary step for the appropriate use of digital models is the enrichment and updating of semantic information. In this context, the implementation of BIM for existing structures requires the identification, analysis and transfer of a large amount of as-built data all at once. It is crucial that the semantic information transferred from existing documents adheres with current standards and remains valid. Currently, a detailed verification of semantic information before its integration into a 3D model of the existing structure is not consistently practiced and demands significant resources. Therefore, this paper develops a preliminary concept for checking the validity of as-built information with a focus on bridge structures. This ensures to measure the reliability and validity of semantic as-built data for integration into a 3D model and to expedite the process of information validation. In this context, a rating system is being devised based on derived criteria from explicit knowledge and implicit knowledge. To test the feasibility, criteria are initially derived from explicit knowledge, as it is extensively available in the field of bridge construction. Once feasibility has been confirmed, implicit knowledge will be added to the rating system in the next step. The system will generate a validity index for imported data points. Its purpose is to guide engineers in making initial assessments of existing data within the digital model. For the validity index, the concept is first defined and concretized. Subsequently, to implement the concept, the rating system based on explicit knowledge is developed. Finally, the rating system is tested with two examples, resulting in a validity index to demonstrate feasibility.