Semantic knowledge modeling for facilities asset management : knowledge graph development based on space, time and people

Abstract

The longevity of a building typically spans decades, with maintenance costs accounting for about 70% of the entire lifecycle costs. The significance of FM (Facilities Management) is further emphasized by the fact that buildings primarily host various business activities, with their operational performance directly and indirectly influencing these activities. Consequently, the efficient management of building facilities is paramount, providing a stable physical environment for building end-users and property owners. Buildings should be regarded as assets by property owners, necessitating careful investment, budgeting, and cost planning. Besides, the asset management (AM) on building shall be aligned with the organizational objectives. However, it is a challenging task for top-level management to manage buildings as typical assets due to a lack of comprehensive knowledge on facility maintenance and real-time operational performance updates. Simultaneously, FM personnel frequently struggle to efficiently convey the true condition of buildings in a systematic manner. This communication gap between the two parties hinders the sustainable management of building assets. A well-designed database that not only cultivates essential knowledge but also possesses the capability for continuous self-updating is significant for the FAM development. In response to this, this thesis proposes a Facility Asset Management (FAM) framework, presented by the OWL (Web Ontology Language) semantic network. The framework is theoretically reinforced by the three pillars of ‘Time’, ‘Space’ and ‘People’ aimed at facilitating a comprehensive and easily understandable decision-making supports for both organizational authorities and FM personnel. The proposed strategy aims to bridge the communication gap, facilitating sustainable building asset management through knowledge modeling of a fusion of FM and AM principles.