A structure of UML profiles for modelling of geospatial information in GIS, ITS and BIM

This study aims to improve the interoperability between models of geospatial information from the applications domains of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Building Information Models (BIM). A state-of-the-art analysis showed that the Unified Modelling Language (UML) and Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) are used for modelling information in a geospatial context in all three domains, but with different approaches and levels of formality. A structure of formal UML profiles for modelling of geospatial information in GIS, ITS and BIM is suggested and tested for implementation. The Core Geospatial Profile (GCP) and general encoding profiles for the Geography Markup Language (GML) and the Web Ontology Language (OWL) are based on adapted concepts from ISO/TC 211 standards. Community specific profiles for conceptual models and encodings are based on UML profiles and the use of UML for specific information models in the three application domains. The studies and related research showed that the structure of UML profiles could be implemented and used for information modelling in the UML software Enterprise Architect and that existing profiles and information models could be adapted into the framework. Integration of information models in a common approach based on MDA and UML establishes a fundament for improved interoperability through a shared understanding of the digital representation of the real world. © Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.