Roof Damage Ontology
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Roof Damage Ontology

Release: 2026-02-06

This version:
https://w3id.org/rdo/0.5
Latest version:
https://w3id.org/rdo#
Revision:
0.5
Authors:
Frederic Bosche, University of Edinburgh
Jiajun Li, University of Edinburgh
Publisher:
Cyberbuild, University of Edinburgh
Imported Ontologies:
foaf
buildingelement
Download serialization:
JSON-LD RDF/XML N-Triples TTL
License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Visualization:
Visualize with WebVowl
Cite as:
Frederic Bosche, University of Edinburgh, Jiajun Li, University of Edinburgh. Roof Damage Ontology. Revision: 0.5. Retrieved from: https://w3id.org/rdo/0.5
Ontology Specification Draft

Abstract

This is a placeholder text for the abstract. The abstract should contain a couple of sentences summarizing the ontology and its purpose.

Roof Damage Ontology: Description back to ToC

This ontology provides a semantic framework for representing roof condition inspection information, including roofs and roof pitches, inspections, orthophotos, and image-derived defect observations. It is designed to support structured documentation, querying, and interoperability within digital twin–based workflows for roof condition monitoring and maintenance, particularly in the context of existing and heritage buildings.

Cross-reference for Roof Damage Ontology classes, object properties and data properties back to ToC

This section provides details for each class and property defined by Roof Damage Ontology.

Classes

Agent Classc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/AgentClass

has super-classes
Class c
has members
Agent ni
is also defined as
named individual

Damage Inspection Observationc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#Damage_Inspection_Observation

A Damage Inspection Observation represents an observation made during an inspection indicating the presence of a potential damage.
has super-classes
Damage c
is in domain of
has Location In op
is in range of
has Inspection Observation op, locates op

Damage Observation Image Locationc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#Damage_Image_Location

A Damage Observation Image Location represents the spatial localisation of a detected or observed damage within an image or orthophoto.
is in domain of
2D location dp, has Image op, locates op
is in range of
has Damage Observation Location op, has Location In op

File Formatc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/FileFormat

has super-classes
Media Type c
is also defined as
named individual

Imagec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Image

is equivalent to
Image c

Imagec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#Image

has super-classes
External Resource c
has sub-classes
Orthophoto c
is in domain of
has Damage Observation Location op, resolution dp
is in range of
has Image op

Jurisdictionc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/Jurisdiction

has super-classes
Location, Period, or Jurisdiction c
is also defined as
named individual

License Documentc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/LicenseDocument

has super-classes
Rights Statement c
is also defined as
named individual

Locationc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/Location

has super-classes
Location, Period, or Jurisdiction c
is also defined as
named individual

Media Typec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/MediaType

has super-classes
Media Type or Extent c
has sub-classes
File Format c, Physical Medium c
is also defined as
named individual

Orthophotoc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/RCY2aGVeb8KpRCsVrf5s8AD

An Orthophoto is a geometrically corrected image produced from photogrammetric processing, providing a uniform scale representation of roof surfaces and serving as spatial evidence for damage documentation.
has super-classes
Image c

Period of Timec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/PeriodOfTime

has super-classes
Location, Period, or Jurisdiction c
is also defined as
named individual

Physical Mediumc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/PhysicalMedium

has super-classes
Media Type c
is also defined as
named individual

Roof Inspectionc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/RCiwm3pFp97sUUNZMKSqwg7

A Roof Inspection is a specialised inspection activity focusing on the condition assessment of roof elements, during which visual observations, images, and damage documentation are produced
has super-classes
Inspection c

Roof Pitchc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/RCsOXjQhDvzdCqC92ncCBu

A Roof Pitch is a subdivision of a roof used as a spatial unit for inspection and damage documentation.
has super-classes
Building Element Part c
is in domain of
Pitch angle dp, exposure level dp, is Pitch Of op, orientation dp, relative position dp
is in range of
has Pitch op

Size or Durationc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/SizeOrDuration

has super-classes
Media Type or Extent c
is also defined as
named individual

Slate Biological Growthc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/RkC6OzV1rmYsTeyuPAyaTf

Slate Biological Growth represents biologically induced surface conditions observed on roof slates, such as algae, moss, and lichen. These forms of growth are not necessarily defects in themselves, but are indicative of persistent moisture, local environmental conditions, and reduced drying potential. The presence and distribution of biological growth may signal emerging risks, particularly at junctions or areas prone to water retention, and therefore support interpretation of roof condition and prioritisation of further inspection.
has super-classes
Classified Damage c

Slate Structural Defectc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/R89LStemoQ1MqtJ4u3wNnCc

A Slate Structural Defect represents a physical damage potentially affecting the integrity or position of a roof slate, such as broken, displaced, or missing slate.
has super-classes
Classified Damage c

Object Properties

affects Productop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#affect_Product

Relationship between a damage and the product it affects.
has domain
Damage c
has range
Product c

documentation From Inspectionop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/dot#documentationFromInspection

has domain
Documentation c
has range
Inspection c

has Damage Observation Locationop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#has_Damage_Observation_Location

Relationship between an Image and one or more Damage Observation Image Locations recorded within that image. This property is the inverse of has Image and enables queries from an image to the damage observation locations it contains.
has domain
Image c
has range
Damage Observation Image Location c
is inverse of
has Image op

has Imageop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#has_Image

Relationship between a damage image location and the corresponding image.
has domain
Damage Observation Image Location c
has range
Image c
is inverse of
has Damage Observation Location op

has Inspection Observationop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#HasAppearance

Relationship between a damage presence and the corresponding inspection observation.
has domain
Damage c
has range
Damage Inspection Observation c
is inverse of
is Inspection Observation Of op

has Location Inop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#has_Location_in

Links a Damage Inspection Observation to the corresponding Damage Observation Image Location where it is spatially located within visual documentation. This property is the inverse of locates and enables queries from inspection observations to their associated image locations.
has domain
Damage Inspection Observation c
has range
Damage Observation Image Location c
is inverse of
locates op

has Pitchop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/RkSo6PclimyTVhUedJeJUk

Represents a part–whole relationship where a roof consists of one or more pitches. Conceptually aligned with standard part–whole relations (e.g. BFO:has_part), without importing upper-level ontologies.
has domain
Roof c
has range
Roof Pitch c
is inverse of
is Pitch Of op

is Composed Ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#Is_Composed_Of

Relationship between classified damage instances forming a composite classified damage.
has domain
Damage c
has range
Damage c

is Inspection Observation Ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#is_Inspection_Observation_Of

Relationship between an inspection observation and the corresponding damage entity
is inverse of
has Inspection Observation op

is Pitch Ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: urn:webprotege:ontology:dc88ba2e-7e28-4c89-8637-655a2b9ad945#belongsto

Relationship between a pitch and the roof it belongs to.
has domain
Roof Pitch c
has range
Roof c
is inverse of
has Pitch op

locatesop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#locates_Damage

Represents the relationship between a damage image location (e.g. a region on an orthophoto) and the damage inspection observation it refers to. This allows a detected damage observed during an inspection to be spatially located within visual documentation.
has domain
Damage Observation Image Location c
has range
Damage Inspection Observation c
is inverse of
has Location In op

Data Properties

2D locationdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#2D_location

The 2D image location of the observation expressed in pixel coordinates within the associated image or orthophoto.
has domain
Damage Observation Image Location c
has range
string

3D locationdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#hasX

The 3D spatial location of the damage instance in the real-world coordinate system.
has domain
Damage c
has range
string

Alternative Titledp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/alternative

has super-properties
Title dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

analysis typedp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#analysis_type

Specifies the type of analysis applied to inspection data, such as AI-assisted image analysis, manual expert assessment, or hybrid approaches. This property clarifies how inspection findings and defect classifications were produced, and helps to make potential limitations of the inspection results explicit.
has domain
Inspection c
has range
string

Bibliographic Citationdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/bibliographicCitation

has super-properties
Identifier dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

condition leveldp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#hasConditionLevel

Represents the assessed condition rating of a building element (e.g., roof or roof pitch), derived from visual inspection and used to indicate the severity of deterioration and the urgency of maintenance or repair. The value typically follows standardised building survey rating systems, such as the RICS Condition Ratings (1–3, traffic light system) or equivalent condition indices (e.g., numerical scales indicating maintenance, restoration, or replacement needs).

has characteristics: functional

has domain
Product c
has range
string

confidencedp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://webprotege.stanford.edu/RB3bxfNs0KGdXacZxMLhjzb

The confidence associated with an observation or assessment of a damage.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Damage c
has range
decimal

data acquisition typedp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#Caveat

Specifies how inspection data were acquired, describing the data acquisition method used during an inspection (e.g. UAV-based photogrammetry, ground-based visual inspection, handheld photography, or mixed approaches). This property supports interpretation of inspection outcomes by making data provenance explicit.
has domain
Inspection c
has range
string

Datedp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/date

has sub-properties
Date Accepted dp, Date Available dp, Date Copyrighted dp, Date Created dp, Date Issued dp, Date Modified dp, Date Submitted dp, Date Valid dp
has domain
Inspection c
has range
Literal
is also defined as
named individual

Date Accepteddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/dateAccepted

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

Date Availabledp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/available

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

Date Copyrighteddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/dateCopyrighted

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

Date Createddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/created

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

Date Issueddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/issued

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal

Date Issueddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/issued

Date Modifieddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/modified

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
named individual

Date Submitteddp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/dateSubmitted

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

Date Validdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/valid

has super-properties
Date dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

Defect typedp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#hasDefectType

This data property specifies the type of defect identified for a Classified Damage during roof inspection. The defect types are expressed as descriptive values rather than modelled as individuals. They reflect inspection outcomes and expert interpretation. Typical defect types include: Slate Biological Growth (subclass of Classified Damage): – algae: thin biological growth typically associated with surface moisture and damp environmental conditions; – lichen: slow-growing biological organisms indicating long-term environmental exposure; – moss: thicker biological growth that retains moisture and may contribute to accelerated material deterioration. Slate Structural Defect (subclass of Classified Damage): – broken slate: cracked or fractured slate that may allow water penetration; – displaced slate: slate that has moved from its original position, potentially compromising weather tightness; – missing slate: complete absence of a slate, directly exposing underlying roof layers. The listed defect types are illustrative and not intended to form an exhaustive taxonomy.
has domain
Classified Damage c
has range
string

environmental contextdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#environmental_context

Describes the environmental conditions surrounding the building or present at the time of inspection that may influence moisture behaviour, surface visibility, and deterioration processes. Where more detailed environmental information is required, this property may be aligned with external weather or climate ontologies (e.g., https://bimerr.iot.linkeddata.es/def/weather/) to enable richer and time-specific representations.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Inspection c
has range
string

exposure leveldp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#exposure_level

Characterises the degree to which a pitch is exposed to weathering forces (e.g., sheltered or exposed). Exposure level influences the likelihood of wind-driven rain penetration, accelerated weathering of materials, and deterioration at junctions, but does not alone determine the presence or severity of defects.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Roof Pitch c
has range
string

Identifierdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/identifier

has sub-properties
Bibliographic Citation dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
annotation property, named individual

junction contextdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#junction_context

A description of whether and how a damage is associated with a junction. This property is used to record junction-related context that is difficult to capture purely geometrically, such as “junction between slate and leadwork (material junction)” or “junction between roof and masonry (element junction)”. Junction information supports interpretation of likely failure mechanisms and potential water ingress pathways.
has domain
Damage c
has range
string

junction typedp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#junction_type

Indicates the junction category relevant to the damage (e.g., material junction or element junction). This supports consistent reporting and querying of junction-related failures.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Damage c
has range
string

orientationdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#orientation

Represents the facing direction (aspect) of a pitch (e.g., cardinal direction or azimuth). Orientation is pitch-specific and supports interpretation of differential moisture retention, biological growth, and weathering patterns observed during inspection, particularly where multiple pitches on the same roof exhibit different deterioration behaviours.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Roof Pitch c
has range
string

Pitch angledp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#pitch_angle

Pitch angle is a numerical value (expressed in degrees) representing the inclination of a roof surface. This property uses a decimal value to allow precise measurement. Indicative threshold ranges may be applied for roof characterisation: pitch angles below 10° typically indicate flat roofs; values between 10° and 45° represent low-pitched roofs; and angles greater than 45° indicate steeply pitched roofs. Variations in pitch angle influence drainage behaviour, exposure conditions, defect susceptibility, and inspection and maintenance considerations.
has domain
Roof Pitch c
has range
decimal

relative positiondp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#relative_position

Specifies the relative position of a pitch within the overall roof configuration (e.g., upper pitch or lower pitch). Relative position is important for inspection interpretation, as lower pitches may receive runoff, debris, or moisture from higher pitches, and are often associated with junction-related issues and concealed water ingress pathways.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Roof Pitch c
has range
string

repair statusdp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#hasRepairStatus

Represents the observed or inferred repair status of a damage instance relative to the latest available inspection results, and where applicable, comparisons across multiple inspections. The status reflects the current observation-based interpretation and does not necessarily indicate the existence of an explicit repair record. Typical values include: - "active": The damage is explicitly detected and confirmed to be present in the latest inspection. - "not_observed": The damage is not detected in the latest inspection. This does not imply that the damage has been repaired, as the absence may be due to occlusion, limited visibility, data quality issues, or detection uncertainty. - "likely_repaired": Based on comparisons across multiple inspections, there is strong observational evidence suggesting that the damage may have been repaired; however, no explicit repair record or confirmation is available. - "confirmed_repaired": The damage is considered repaired based on explicit confirmation, such as a repair record, maintenance documentation, or expert validation. This status indicates recorded confirmation rather than purely observation-based inference.
has domain
Classified Damage c
has range
string

resolutiondp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#hasResolution

The resolution of the orthophoto, representing the size of each pixel in meters. For example, a value of "0.005" means each pixel represents 5mm by 5mm.
has domain
Image c
has range
decimal

Roof build-updp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/rdo#roof_build_up

A description of the roof build-up (construction make-up), capturing the main roof-related elements and underlying materials relevant to condition assessment. This may include slates, ridge coverings, mortar fillets at wall abutments, lead flashings, wallhead/parapet gutters, chimney stacks, associated stonework/brickwork, and underlying layers such as masonry, lead, mortar, sarking/timber, or flat-roofing materials. This property is intended to record practical construction knowledge often missing from BIM models and to support interpretation of junction-related defects and water ingress mechanisms.
has super-properties
top Data Property dp
has domain
Roof c
has range
string

Titledp back to ToC or Data Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/title

has sub-properties
Alternative Title dp
has range
Literal
is also defined as
named individual

Legend back to ToC

c: Classes
op: Object Properties
dp: Data Properties
ni: Named Individuals
ep: External Properties

References back to ToC

Add your references here. It is recommended to have them as a list.

Acknowledgments back to ToC

The authors would like to thank Silvio Peroni for developing LODE, a Live OWL Documentation Environment, which is used for representing the Cross Referencing Section of this document and Daniel Garijo for developing Widoco, the program used to create the template used in this documentation.