Data organization issues in civil engineering

Abstract

In today's organization of data in civil engineering there remains ambiguity, diversity of terminology and consequent lack of clarity. The daily reality is to work with hybrid data sources in a variety of software programs. In CAD programs it is possible to import and convert elements from GIS, but they will be classified only into layers. Or, attach external references from CAD files in BIM, but there still remains the problem of finding your way around the confusing list of layers, and their abbreviations. Also broadly used filesystems as place for store and organise data on disk into files (entities) and hierarchical structure of folders (categories) is limited by reductionist categorization approach. Another problem shows with absence of multilingual approach. The limits are in the methods of data organization, and so only partially portable. Therefore, if there is a common denominator to all problems, it is the absence of a unifying organizational environment. In current computer applications used in civil engineering, methods of data classification are implemented that do not allow multiplicative or faceted categorization and thus inevitably create an antagonistic environment with any previous or future classification system. Unfortunately, even if a software tool implements a modern multiplicative categorization or domain ontology, it will not significantly solve the overall situation, because it will still not be possible to use such a method of categorization in other applications. Therefore, if there should exist a solution that would significantly facilitate cooperation and orientation in the data, it must inevitably work independently, across diverse software applications, with the ability to link the functions of the application with such a separate categorization system.