Review of Knowledge Graphs and their Applicability to the Construction Industry

Abstract

Construction Projects Are Dynamic In Nature. Thus, Contractors Are Generally Vulnerable To Repeated Mistakes And Missed Opportunities. The Potential Solutions For Such Repeated Issues Are Commonly Stored In A Lessons Learned Database. Such Databases Are Useful In Providing A Formal Mechanism To Store And Retrieve Past Knowledge. However, Past Research Efforts Revealed That Retrieving These Lessons Learned From The Databases Is Problematic. Moreover, It Has Been Observed That There Is A Prevailing Risk Of Such Databases Becoming Obsolete Due To The Want Of Being Embraced By The End-Users. These Problems Can Potentially Cause Tremendous Losses To The Organization Financially. Additionally, They Lead To The Failure Of Achieving The Organization’s Objective Of Disseminating Knowledge. Thus, There Is A Need To Automate The Process Of Retrieving Relevant And Accurate Information Thereby Satisfying The End-Users’ Needs. Knowledge Graphs (KG) Have Emerged As A Useful Tool To Represent Organizational Knowledge By Storing Complex Structured Facts Of The Real-World. In The Construction Realm, KG Have Been Used In Areas Such As Project Risk Management, Generating Feasibility Study Reports, And Regulatory Compliance Checking. This Article Reviews The Existing Literature On Knowledge Graphs And Its Applicability With Lessons Learned Databases. It Is Anticipated That Knowledge Graphs Can Help Overcome The Limitations Of Traditional Lessons Learned Databases By Supplementing The Scope And Context Of Knowledge And Thus Aid In Organizational Knowledge Retention And Reuse.