Ontology for Logistics Requirements on a 4D BIM for Semi-Automatic Storage Space Planning

Well-coordinated construction site logistics are important for the efficient assembly of large-scale plants. Delays in logistics have a negative impact on assembly processes and vice versa. Incorrect storage or improper transport can lead to damage to the sensitive plant components. All relevant logistical constraints must therefore be systematically analyzed, assessed and evaluated during the planning of construction site and assembly processes. For this purpose, precise knowledge of the logistical requirements of each individual component is very important. Nowadays this information is not available in digital form and must be elaborately compiled and evaluated manually. The logistical requirements are also essential for the planning of processes. So-called 4D models are already being created and used in plant construction, but storage and transport processes on the construction site are only rudimentarily taken into account. In general, the 4D models only describe the construction process. In order to better investigate and plan construction site logistics using 4D models, the logistical requirements must be identified, classified, generated for each plant component and made available digitally. Therefore, an ontology for the description of logistic boundary conditions and requirements is presented in this paper. The focus is on large-scale plant engineering and the special storage and transport conditions of the various components. The ontology is also a knowledge base to identify which information is required for the planning of construction site logistics and which may need to be added. Then, for example, semi-automatic allocation of storage space can be calculated, an analysis of the utilization of transport equipment can be carried out or the impact on the assembly processes can be determined.