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Ontology for Building Permit Inspection Planning (OBPI)

Metadata

URI
https://w3id.org/obpi#
Creator(s)
Sebastian Seiß
Yuan Zheng
Created
2025-06-22
Version Information
1.0
Imports
https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes
https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Variables
https://w3id.org/obpa/0.3
https://w3id.org/ocqa/0.1
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Ontology RDF
RDF (turtle)

Description

OBPI is a formal, modular OWL ontology capturing the domain of inspection planning for building‐permit authorities

Table of Contents

  1. Overview of OBPI
  2. Authority process representation
  3. Representation of inspection charges
  4. Classes
  5. Object Properties
  6. Datatype Properties
  7. Annotation Properties
  8. Namespaces
  9. Legend

Overview of OBPI

This document provides a description of the Ontology for Building Permit Inspections (OBPI), which is designed to represent explicit knowledge about permit-relevant site inspections in the context of building authorities. The ontology provides a standardized vocabulary for describing concepts, entities, and relationships that are central to permitting inspections, including inspection kinds, requests, schedules, jurisdictions, regulations, organizational roles, and links to construction processes. It is based on axioms that define the properties and relations of these concepts. This document includes an overview of the ontology structure, the types of entities and relations represented, and the intended applications for building-permit inspection management. It also explains how to use and extend the ontology and outlines the processes adopted for development and maintenance. The development of OBPI follows the Linked Open Terms (LOT) methodology and is encoded in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) to ensure machine-readability and alignment with related ontologies. In line with LOT, we provide an Ontology Requirements Specification Document (ORSD) in the specification section. OBPI is evaluated through automatic consistency checking, competency questions, criteria-based assessment, and expert feedback sessions.

OBPI is organized into modules that capture the required data for permit inspections while reusing established domain ontologies (see Figures in the documentation). In particular, OBPI reuses DiCon to represent construction execution knowledge such as activities, resources, agents, and process links, enabling semantic integration with schedules and building models through existing alignments (e.g., ifcOWL, BOT). OBPI builds on OCQA to represent generic inspection knowledge (e.g., inspection objectives, measured and assigned characteristics, equipment, and costs) and specializes it for permitting needs. OBPI also aligns with OBPA to represent authority-specific concepts such as applicants, case files, and administrative procedures. This reuse is realized via owl:imports and targeted alignments so that the imported ontologies remain intact while OBPI contributes permit-specific specializations. Core OBPI content covers inspection planning artifacts (e.g., building-level inspection plans and daily inspection plans), request handling for inspections, time-window constraints, and organizational structures for in-house and third-party inspectors. Together, these modules and reuses provide a cohesive foundation for linking permit inspections with construction workflows and administrative processes.

To keep the ontology lean and adaptable, OBPI supports extension along two axes. First, inspection content can be specialized per trade by following the modular pattern already used in OCQA, allowing the description of trade-specific inspection types without changing the core. Second, jurisdictional variation can be modeled by refining regulatory scopes and requirement sets for states, provinces, or cities, while keeping a common backbone for cross-regional comparison.

Italian Trulli
Figure 1:Overall architecture of OCQA

Authority process representation

The OBPI ontology represents the process-oriented perspective of building-permit inspections by formalizing the sequential workflow followed by building authorities during construction oversight. Building authorities operate under binding administrative procedures, which prescribe each procedural step, assign responsibility to designated officials, and reference the statutory provisions that must be fulfilled. To capture this formally, OBPI encodes the general sequence of inspection-related activities, beginning with the notification of an approved permit and extending through intermediate and final inspections, including the issuance of compliance and completion certificates. Each step is semantically represented as a distinct activity class within the ontology, ensuring that the procedural logic of building-permit inspections is explicitly defined and machine-readable. The activities are connected through the relation ocqa:precedes, which preserves their sequential order, while the relation obpi:hasPreCondition enforces that a predecessor activity must carry the status “passed” before the successor may begin. This guarantees that inspections and certifications unfold in the correct legal and procedural order.

Certificates play a central role within this process, as they serve as formal outcomes of inspection activities. In OBPI, all certificate-related activities, such as the issuance of compliance or completion certificates, are explicitly linked to certificate instances via the relation obpi:hasCertificate. These instances are organized in a unified class hierarchy under obpi:Certificate, which enables consistent representation, management, and querying of all permit-related certificates. By integrating both the procedural flow of inspections and the formalization of certificates, OBPI provides a comprehensive framework that not only mirrors the administrative logic of building authorities but also enables automated reasoning about inspection requirements, outcomes, and compliance. This process-oriented core thus ensures that permit inspections can be systematically represented, compared across jurisdictions, and adapted to the specific statutory conditions under which they are conducted.

Italian Trulli
Figure 1:Representation of process-oriented planning and execution of inspections by a building authority

Representation of inspection charges

The OBPI ontology models inspection fees by linking project parameters (e.g., building category, unit of measure) to rate catalogs and supporting project-related, fixed, or mixed charges. Costing parameters are represented as obpi:ChargesFeature within a obpi:ChargesCatalog, both derived from the OCQA-Catalog module (ocqa:Feature, ocqa:Catalog), and are connected to inspection or building types via obpi:hasChargeFeature. The calculated amount is attached to the inspection instance through obpi:InspectionCharge. Follow-up costs are captured by obpi:Reinspection linked to the prior inspection via obpi:hasReinspection, while missed mandatory inspections are recorded as obpi:MissedInspection to document late or absent requests and to assess an “Investigation and Administration” fee.

Italian Trulli
Figure 3:Representation of charges and charging rates in the OBPI

Classes ↑

Organizationc # Classes

URI https://schema.org/Organization
Sub-classes ThirdParty_InspectionAgencyc

Personc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Agents#Person
Sub-classes Applicantc

Rolec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Entities#Role
Members Inspector

Activityc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes#Activity
Sub-classes StructuralFramingc
Requestc
AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of hasPreConditionop

Buildingc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#Building
Sub-classes ComplexBuildingc

BuildingApplicationc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#BuildingApplication
In range of submitop
Members BA_7589

Departmentc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#Department
Sub-classes https://w3id.org/obpa#InspectionDepartmentc

Expertisec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#Expertise
Sub-classes PermitRelatedInspectionQualificationc
Members ComplexBuildingExpertise
BuildingStructuralExpertise

InspectionDepartmentc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#InspectionDepartment
Super-classes https://w3id.org/obpa#Departmentc

Rolec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#Role
Members ChiefBuildingOfficial

Sectorc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#Sector
Members Sector05

ActivityConstraintc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ActivityConstraint
Super-classes Constraintc
https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Variables#Constraintc
In range of hasPreConditionop

Applicantc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Applicant
Super-classes https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Agents#Personc
In domain of requestsop
submitop
Members Miller

AuthorityCertificatesc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#AuthorityCertificates
Sub-classes CompletionCertifcatec
ComplianceCertificatec
NotifcationLetterc
In range of issuesop

BuildingInspectionPlanc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#BuildingInspectionPlan
Super-classes https://w3id.org/ocqa#InspectionPlanc
Members BuildingInspectionPlan64
BuildingInspectionPlan51

ChargesCatalogc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ChargesCatalog
Super-classes https://w3id.org/ocqa/catalog#SubFeatureCatalogc
In domain of containsChargesop

ChargesFeaturec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ChargesFeature
Super-classes https://w3id.org/ocqa/catalog#Featurec
In range of containsChargesop
hasChargesFeatureop

Cityc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#City
Super-classes Juristicationc

ColumnPlacementInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ColumnPlacementInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection187

CommunicationNonCompliancec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#CommunicationNonCompliance
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc

CompletionCertifcatec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#CompletionCertifcate
Super-classes AuthorityCertificatesc

ComplexBuildingc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ComplexBuilding
Super-classes https://w3id.org/obpa#Buildingc
Members UniversityBuilding05

ComplianceCertificatec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ComplianceCertificate
Super-classes AuthorityCertificatesc

Constraintc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Constraint
Sub-classes ActivityConstraintc

DailyInspectionPlanc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#DailyInspectionPlan
Super-classes https://w3id.org/ocqa#InspectionPlanc
Members Inspector1_Day180

ExecutingFinalInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ExecutingFinalInspection
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of triggersop
In range of accompanyingop

ExecutingIntermediateInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ExecutingIntermediateInspection
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of triggersop
In range of accompanyingop

FailedInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FailedInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc

FinalBuildingPermitInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FinalBuildingPermitInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
In range of triggersop

FootingElevationc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FootingElevation
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection189

Foundationc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Foundation
Members 0iHArp6M56$hfIhU3oftny

FoundationInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FoundationInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection587

FoundationPlacementInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FoundationPlacementInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection190

FramingInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FramingInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection588

FrostFreeInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#FrostFreeInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection189

InspectionPlanningc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#InspectionPlanning
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of accompanyingop

IntermediateBuildingPermitInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#IntermediateBuildingPermitInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
In range of triggersop
Members Inspection588
Inspection587

IssuingCompletionCertificatec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#IssuingCompletionCertificate
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of issuesop

IssuingComplianceCertificatec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#IssuingComplianceCertificate
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of issuesop

IssuingNotificationLetterc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#IssuingNotificationLetter
Super-classes AdministrativeActivityc
In domain of issuesop

Juristicationc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Juristication
Sub-classes Statec
Cityc
Provincec

MandatoryInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#MandatoryInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection588
Inspection587

MissedInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#MissedInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc

NotifcationLetterc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#NotifcationLetter
Super-classes AuthorityCertificatesc

OptionaInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#OptionaInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc

PerimeterInsulationInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#PerimeterInsulationInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
Members Inspection188

PermitRelatedInspectionQualificationc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#PermitRelatedInspectionQualification
Super-classes https://w3id.org/ocqa#Qualificationc
https://w3id.org/obpa#Expertisec

Provincec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Province
Super-classes Juristicationc

ReInspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ReInspection
Super-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
In range of hasReInspectionop

Requestc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Request
Super-classes https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes#Activityc
In domain of requestsInspectionop
In range of requestsop
Members Ins_Req_Framing51

Requirementc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#Requirement
Members AssignedDampProof

SiteInspectionPlanc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#SiteInspectionPlan
Super-classes https://w3id.org/ocqa#InspectionPlanc

Statec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#State
Super-classes Juristicationc

StructuralFramingc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#StructuralFraming
Super-classes https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes#Activityc
Members ConcretingFoundation

ThirdParty_InspectionAgencyc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#ThirdParty_InspectionAgency
Super-classes sdo:Organizationc

ActualCharacteristicValuec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#ActualCharacteristicValue
Members ActualPerimeterInsulation

AssignedCharacteristicValuec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#AssignedCharacteristicValue
Members AssignedPerimeterInsulation

Characteristicc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#Characteristic
Members PerimeterInsulation759-488

Inspectionc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#Inspection
Sub-classes BuildingPermitInspectionc
In range of requestsInspectionop

InspectionPlanc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#InspectionPlan
Sub-classes DailyInspectionPlanc
SiteInspectionPlanc
BuildingInspectionPlanc

Inspectorc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#Inspector
Members LilaSchrute
FrankScott

Qualificationc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#Qualification
Sub-classes PermitRelatedInspectionQualificationc

Featurec # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa/catalog#Feature
Sub-classes ChargesFeaturec

SubFeatureCatalogc # Classes

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa/catalog#SubFeatureCatalog
Sub-classes ChargesCatalogc

Object Properties ↑

hasEffectop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes#hasEffect
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty

isEffectOfop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes#isEffectOf

accompanyingop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#accompanying
Domain(s) InspectionPlanningc
Range(s) ExecutingIntermediateInspectionc ExecutingFinalInspectionc

containsChargesop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#containsCharges
Domain(s) ChargesCatalogc
Range(s) ChargesFeaturec

hasChargesFeatureop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasChargesFeature
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty
Domain(s) BuildingPermitInspectionc
Range(s) ChargesFeaturec

hasPerimeterInstallationop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasPerimeterInstallation

hasPreConditionop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasPreCondition
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty
Domain(s) https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Processes#Activityc
Range(s) ActivityConstraintc

hasReInspectionop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasReInspection
Domain(s) BuildingPermitInspectionc
Range(s) ReInspectionc

hasRelatedBuildingop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasRelatedBuilding

hasSubInspectionop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasSubInspection

isResposibleforop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#isResposiblefor

issuesop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#issues
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty
Domain(s) IssuingComplianceCertificatec IssuingNotificationLetterc IssuingCompletionCertificatec
Range(s) AuthorityCertificatesc

precedesop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#precedes

precedesCompletionCertificateop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#precedesCompletionCertificate
Super-properties precedesop

precedesComplianceCertificateop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#precedesComplianceCertificate
Super-properties precedesop

precedesFinalInspectionop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#precedesFinalInspection
Super-properties precedesop

precedesIntermediateInspectionop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#precedesIntermediateInspection
Super-properties precedesop

requestsop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#requests
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty
Domain(s) Applicantc
Range(s) Requestc

requestsInspectionop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#requestsInspection
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty
Domain(s) Requestc
Range(s) https://w3id.org/ocqa#Inspectionc

requestsInspectionForActivityop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#requestsInspectionForActivity

requiresop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#requires

submitop # OPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#submit
Super-properties owl:topObjectProperty
Domain(s) Applicantc
Range(s) https://w3id.org/obpa#BuildingApplicationc

Datatype Properties ↑

hasEnddp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasEnd

hasPlannedDatedp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasPlannedDate

hasRequestDatedp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasRequestDate

hasStartdp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasStart

hasStatusdp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#hasStatus
Super-properties owl:topDataProperty

requestInspectionDatedp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#requestInspectionDate

requiresEffectActivityStatusdp # DPs

URI https://w3id.org/obpi#requiresEffectActivityStatus
Super-properties owl:topDataProperty

Annotation Properties ↑

createdap # APs

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/created

creatorap # APs

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator

descriptionap # APs

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/description

licenseap # APs

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/license

titleap # APs

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/title

preferredNamespacePrefixap # APs

URI http://purl.org/vocab/vann/preferredNamespacePrefix

preferredNamespaceUriap # APs

URI http://purl.org/vocab/vann/preferredNamespaceUri

valueap # APs

URI https://schema.org/value

hasRoleap # APs

URI https://w3id.org/digitalconstruction/0.5/Entities#hasRole

CoversSectorap # APs

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#CoversSector

hasBuildingap # APs

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#hasBuilding

hasExpertiseap # APs

URI https://w3id.org/obpa#hasExpertise

hasInspCharacteristicap # APs

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#hasInspCharacteristic

hasInspectionap # APs

URI https://w3id.org/ocqa#hasInspection

Namespaces ↑

default (obpi)
https://w3id.org/obpi
:
https://w3id.org/obpi#
brick
https://brickschema.org/schema/Brick#
csvw
http://www.w3.org/ns/csvw#
dc
http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/
dcam
http://purl.org/dc/dcam/
dcat
http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#
dcmitype
http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/
dcterms
http://purl.org/dc/terms/
doap
http://usefulinc.com/ns/doap#
foaf
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/
geo
http://www.opengis.net/ont/geosparql#
odrl
http://www.w3.org/ns/odrl/2/
org
http://www.w3.org/ns/org#
owl
http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#
prof
http://www.w3.org/ns/dx/prof/
prov
http://www.w3.org/ns/prov#
qb
http://purl.org/linked-data/cube#
rdf
http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#
rdfs
http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#
sdo
https://schema.org/
sh
http://www.w3.org/ns/shacl#
skos
http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#
sosa
http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
ssn
http://www.w3.org/ns/ssn/
time
http://www.w3.org/2006/time#
vann
http://purl.org/vocab/vann/
void
http://rdfs.org/ns/void#
wgs
https://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#
xsd
http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#

Legend

c Classes
op Object Properties
fp Functional Properties
dp Data Properties
ap Annotation Properties
p Properties
ni Named Individuals