Applying metadata models to unstructured content of construction documents: A view-based approach Weihua Mao, Yimin Zhu ⁎ , Irtishad Ahmad Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USA Accepted 8 May 2006 Abstract The construction industry uses both structured and unstructured information for communication, whether they are in paper or electronic format. As the paradigm begins to shift from using paper-based media to electronic media, the difference between structured and unstructured data becomes more prominent as computers are more adept at handling structured data or information. The challenge is the effective management of both types of information in a fragmented data environment. To maintain efficiency and flexibility for project participants, this paper discusses a method by applying metadata modeling to the creation of views towards unstructured information related to building components, construction process or project management information. By using this method project participants may be able to quickly locate relevant information needed to understand and process a construction document such as an Request for Information (RFI). This study finds that by utilizing industry standards such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) it is technically feasible to develop such a method. However, further studies are needed to validate the idea and the system in practice. © 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V. Keywords: Metadata model; Structured information; Unstructured information; Construction documents; Views 1. Introduction As the construction industry adapts to new computer tech- nology, a large volume of computerized data have begun to overwhelm construction professionals' capability to interpret and digest the data [1]. There are two types of information that construction professionals face constantly, structured and unstructured [2]. Computers are more adept at processing struc- tured information because it can be effectively and conveniently stored, shared and recognized by an information system such as a database. However, construction projects are heavily docu- ment-oriented and a large amount of project information is ex- changed and shared by using text-based unstructured or semi- structured documents such as field reports, change orders, and RFI (e.g., [3,4]). How to effectively manage information presented in these types of documents especially in unstructured content becomes essential to improve the performance of a construction information system. The complexity is also com- pounded by the fragmented data environment in the construc- tion industry. The paradigm shift from paper-based documents to elec- tronic documents has significant impact on the creation and the handling of construction documents. However, many existing systems simply replicate paper-based documents, not only in presentations but also in data structures, such as an RFI form or a change order form that many software systems use. A simple replication of paper-based documents in electronic representa- tions, although seems properly reflects what project profes- sionals are familiar with, may over-simplify the intricacy of the information transition. At least, one may question whether such an approach represents an optimal solution to handle unstruc- tured content. Not focusing on understanding the complexity associated with the paradigm shift, this study intends to develop a method that improves the existing approach of handling unstructured content of construction documents. This study argues that in many types of unstructured content there exist explicit cross-references to concepts related to building Automation in Construction xx (2006) xxx – xxx + MODEL AUTCON-00782; No of Pages 11 www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon ⁎ Corresponding author. The Department of Construction Management, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USA. Tel.: +1 305 348 3517; fax: +1 305 348 6255. E-mail address: zhuy@fiu.edu (Y. Zhu). 0926-5805/$ - see front matter © 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2006.05.005 ARTICLE IN PRESS