Development of a Semantic Knowledge Base for the Use of Geotextiles in a Circular Economy

Geotextiles are resource-efficient products that are widely used for stabilizing roads and have significant potential for reuse. However, these products are currently often destroyed at the end of their service life due to a lack of accessible knowledge about dismantling and reuse options. To address this issue and advance circular economy (CE) principles, a systematic approach is needed to capture process-related information requirements throughout the product life cycle. This involves converting relevant, heterogeneous, and unstructured information into machine-interpretable data and developing a semantically searchable, database-driven system for managing life cycle information. Storing and linking knowledge within a life cycle information container (LCIC) provides stakeholders with access to decision-making tools that use semantic web technologies (SWT), such as SPARQL and SHACL, to check reuse options. This approach also opens new knowledge-based opportunities for the resource-efficient use of construction products, such as geotextiles, as part of the end-of-life phase.