This document discusses making information from SimModel, a building energy performance simulation program, available as RDF graphs. It describes converting SimModel's XML schema to OWL ontologies to represent the data as linked data. An XML to RDF converter is presented that parses XML files from SimModel according to the OWL ontologies and outputs RDF graphs. Potential use cases are discussed, such as linking SimModel and IFC building models through an ontology and rule-based reasoning.

1. Making SimModel information
available as RDF graphs
Pieter Pauwels, Ghent University, Belgium
Edward Corry, National University Ireland Galway, Ireland
James O’Donnell, University College Dublin, Ireland

2. SIMMODEL

3. SimModel for
BEP information exchange
original image in Bazjanac et al., 2011
“Data environments and processing in semi-automated simulation with EnergyPlus”
28th International CIB W078-W102 Conference

4. RDF graphs
original image in Pauwels et al., 2011
“A semantic rule checking environment for building performance checking”
Automation in Construction 20 (2011) 506–518

5. Linked Data in Architecture and
Construction
• main principles
– distributed / decentralised information management
– interactive information search and reasoning over the web
– sharing partial data
==> higher accessibility of information for human and computer
• remarks
– user-friendliness of SPARQL
– ownership issues (provenance, security, and privacy)

6. CONVERSION OF XSD SCHEMAS TO
OWL ONTOLOGIES

7. original SimModel schema:
set of six XSD schema’s
1. SIM core
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/SimModelCore
simcore.xsd
2. SIM building model
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/BuildingModel
simbldg.xsd
3. SIM resources general
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/ResourcesGeneral
simres.xsd
4. SIM resources geometry
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/ResourcesGeometry
simgeom.xsd
5. SIM MEP model
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/MepModel
simmep.xsd
6. SIM model
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/Model
simmodel.xsd

8. complexType SimFlowMover
XSD Class Hierarchy
abstract complexType SimFlowMover_Default
complexType SimFlowMover_Default_Default
abstract complexType SimFlowMover_Fan
complexType SimFlowMover_Fan_NightVentilation
complexType SimFlowMover_Fan_ZoneExhaust
abstract complexType SimFlowMover_Pump
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_ConstantSpeedReturn
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_ConstantSpeedSupply
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_UserDefined
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_VariableSpeedReturn
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_VariableSpeedSupply
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_VarSpeedCondensateReturn
complexType SimFlowMover_Pump_VarSpeedCondensateSupply

9. Class
<xs:complexType name="SimActor"> Input XSD
<xs:complexContent>
<xs:extension base="simres:SimActorDefinition">
Property Domains
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element ref="simres:GlobalId" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
<xs:element ref="simres:OwnerHistory" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
<xs:element ref="simres:ObjectType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
<xs:element ref="simres:TheActor" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:extension>
</xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>
Class
<xs:complexType name="SimResourceObject" abstract="true">
<xs:attribute name="RefId" type="xs:ID" use="required"/>
</xs:complexType>
<xs:element name="GlobalId" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="OwnerHistory" type="xs:IDREF"/>
<xs:element name="ObjectType" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="TheActor" type="xs:IDREF"/>
Properties +
Property Ranges

10. simres:SimActor Output OWL
rdfs:subClassOf simres:SimActorDefinition ;
rdf:type owl:Class .
simres:simActor_GlobalId
rdf:type owl:DatatypeProperty;
rdfs:domain simres:SimActor;
rdfs:range xsd:string .
simres:simActor_OwnerHistory
rdf:type owl:ObjectProperty;
rdfs:domain simres:SimActor;
rdfs:range simres:SimResourceObject .
simres:simActor_ObjectType
rdf:type owl:DatatypeProperty;
rdfs:domain simres:SimActor;
rdfs:range xsd:string .
simres:simActor_TheActor
rdf:type owl:ObjectProperty;
rdfs:domain simres:SimActor;
rdfs:range simres:SimResourceObject .

11. alternative SimModel schema:
set of six OWL ontologies
1. SIM core
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/SimModelCore
simcore.owl
2. SIM building model
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/BuildingModel
simbldg.owl
3. SIM resources general
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/ResourcesGeneral
simres.owl
4. SIM resources geometry
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/ResourcesGeometry
simgeom.owl
5. SIM MEP model
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/MepModel
simmep.owl
6. SIM model
http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/Model
simmodel.owl

12. Ontologies available in TTL syntax at
http://users.ugent.be/~pipauwel/ontologies/simmodel/

13. CONVERSION OF XML FILES TO RDF
GRAPHS

14. Implementation of
SIMXML to SIMRDF converter
1. parse XSD schemas
2. generate equivalent OWL ontologies
3. generate equivalent JAVA classes so that SIMXML files
can be deserialised into JAVA objects
4. deserialise SIMXML files (.xml!)
5. postprocessing of XML content
6. output RDF graph in .TTL syntax
7. check and load RDF graph in .TTL syntax using the
Jena API
8. output RDF graph in .RDF syntax

15. Postprocessing of XML content
<SimBldgStoryParams_BuildingStory_Default RefId="ID29260" >
<simres:BldgStoryProfilePath>ID37747</simres:BldgStoryProfilePath>
<simres:PerimeterZoneOutsidePath>ID37745</simres:PerimeterZoneOutsidePath>
<simres:CoreZoneOutsidePaths>ID37743 ID37746</simres:CoreZoneOutsidePaths>
</SimBldgStoryParams_BuildingStory_Default>
private Class SimBldgStoryParams_BuildingStory_Default {
public String refId;
public String bldgStoryProfilePath;
public String perimeterZoneOutsidePath;
public String coreZoneOutsidePaths;
}
siminstances:SimBldgStoryParams_BuildingStory_Default_ID29260
“ID37743 ID37746”
rdf:type simres:SimBldgStoryParams_BuildingStory_Default ;
simres:bldgStoryProfilePath siminstances:SimLoop_Loop_EdgeLoop_ID37747 ;
simres:perimeterZoneOutsidePath siminstances:SimLoop_Loop_EdgeLoop_ID37745 ;
simres:coreZoneOutsidePaths
(siminstances:SimLoop_Loop_EdgeLoop_ID37743
siminstances:SimLoop_Loop_EdgeLoop_ID37746 ) .

16. ONLINE XML CONVERSION HUB

17. Select a simmodel .xml file
http://smartlab1.elis.ugent.be:8889/SIMXML-repo/

18. Input XML

19. Output .TTL

20. Output .RDF

21. Retreive simmodel .ttl and .rdf file
http://smartlab1.elis.ugent.be:8889/SIMXML-repo/

22. EXAMPLE INDICATOR FOR USE
CASES

23. Linking SIMMODEL and IFC

24. Linking SIMMODEL and IFC: strategies
1. linking via an ontology editor
2. linking via an API (Jena for instance) +
interface
3. linking via a reasoning engine (EYE for
instance)
4. linking via an alignment server

25. simmodelinstances.n3 simmodelontology.n3 rules.n3
reasoning engine
query
user interface

26. Example conversion rule set
@prefix ifcinstances: <http://ninsuna.elis.ugent.be/IFC-repo/iKNOW/Room_architecture_Revit_2014.ifc#>.
@prefix ifc: <http://drum.cs.hut.fi/ontology/ifc2x3#> .
@prefix xsd: <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#> .
@prefix simbldg: <http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/BuildingModel#> .
@prefix simgeom: <http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/ResourcesGeometry#> .
@prefix simres: <http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/ResourcesGeneral#> .
@prefix xsd: <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#> .
@prefix rdf: <http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#> .
@prefix owl: <http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#> .
@prefix rdfs: <http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#> .
@prefix siminstances: <http://www.lbl.gov/namespaces/Sim/siminstances#> .
{ ?bldg a simbldg:SimBuilding } => {?bldg a ifc:IfcBuilding} .
{ ?v a simgeom:SimVertex } => { ?v a ifc:IfcVertex } .
{ ?actor a simres:SimActor } => { ?actor a ifc:IfcActor } .
{ ?fob a simgeom:SimFaceOuterBound} => { ?fob a ifc:IfcFaceOuterBound } .
{ ?mat a simres:SimMaterial } => { ?mat a ifc:IfcMaterial} .

27. Command line interface
(by absence of a proper GUI)

28. part of the output
siminstances:SimBuilding_Building_Default_ID28162 a ifc:IfcBuilding.
siminstances:SimActor_Actor_Default_ID28766 a ifc:IfcActor.
siminstances:SimActor_Actor_Default_ID28770 a ifc:IfcActor.
siminstances:SimMaterial_GlazingMaterial_Gas_ID29910 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_GlazingMaterial_Glazing_ID29909 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_GlazingMaterial_SimpleGlazingSystem_ID29919 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29893 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29894 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29895 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29896 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29897 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29898 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29899 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29900 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29901 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29902 a ifc:IfcMaterial.
siminstances:SimMaterial_OpaqueMaterial_Default_ID29904 a ifc:IfcMaterial.

29. Other sample use cases
• Generating links between building models
• Acoustical rule checking
• Energy performance rule checking
• Building permit application checking
• Generating model views with only a subset of all the
data
• …

30. Thank you
Pieter Pauwels
Ghent University
pipauwel.pauwels@ugent.be
http://users.ugent.be/~pipauwel/
Call For Papers
Special Issue on Linked Data in Architecture and Construction
Automation in Construction
http://www.journals.elsevier.com/automation-in-construction/