Focus
This study presents a comprehensive ontology for conventional retaining walls, addressing not only structural components and materials, but also loads, design basis, construction details, failure mechanisms, and repair strategies.
Objective
The objective was to create a structured knowledge base that supports both conceptual and detailed design phases, while also extending usability to construction and maintenance activities.
Method
The ontology organizes retaining wall knowledge across wall types, materials, loads, design checks, construction details, failure causes, and fixing solutions. Design options and real-world engineering cases were used to demonstrate how the ontology supports proportioning decisions, material selection under constraints, and maintenance-oriented reasoning.
Outcome & Relevance
The ontology provides a holistic representation of retaining wall knowledge that goes beyond geometry and loads. By explicitly capturing engineering assumptions and failure knowledge, it supports design transparency, knowledge reuse, and long-term asset management, making it a valuable foundation for intelligent engineering systems.