An Ontology Approach to Utility Knowledge Representation

In the utility infrastructure domain, utility-specific knowledge is represented in heterogeneous formats, for instance, in text-based documents and GIS-based systems. The heterogeneity of utility knowledge representation causes data interoperability issues and thus hinders data and information communication in the utility infrastructure management process. This paper presents an ontology-based approach to representing knowledge in the utility domain. The ontological model is created by investigating the utility specifications and extracting the domain knowledge. It summarizes the most fundamental concepts in the domain in a structured, extendable, and flexible format to facilitate future evolution and extension. Also included in the ontology is the formal and explicit specification of a shared conceptualization of the spatial relations used in utility industry, which are critical to the design, construction, and compliance checking of utilities.