A Web‐Centric Information Model for Managing Road Infrastructure Data

Abstract: Managing infrastructure data is a very complex task due to the heterogeneous nature of the several processes involved. In this article, a web information model based on extensible markup language (XML) is introduced to demonstrate the benefits that such a framework can bring to the road infrastructure data management scene. To build this model, a two‐step strategy is identified and described in this article. This includes using novel computer modeling techniques based on the unified modeling language to build conceptual models of XML vocabulary for improved data description. A case study is provided to illustrate the concepts and strategies. This study delves into the application derived from current practices employed by transportation agencies to deal with their road infrastructure data at early stages of the life cycle management processes. The advantages, limitations, and future expectations of the new methodology are discussed. Based on this research, the proposed model can be adapted to different types of civil infrastructure assets, with great potential to improve data integration, accessibility, reusability, and interoperability of several infrastructure management processes.