Not All Links Are Equal: Link Expressiveness and Discourse Scope in BIM-GIS Integration

Abstract: Linking is increasingly adopted in BIM-GIS integration to connect heterogeneous datasets without forcing full schema conversion. Application scenarios are the linked transfer e.g. of BIM and environmental data for permitting or the linking segmented 3D point clouds. However, links are often treated as purely technical connectors, while their interpretability remains implicit. We distinguish closed, shared, and open discourse space and analyze how common link paradigms support the ability to reconstruct sender intention. We also discuss practical trade-offs regarding implementation effort, tooling, and adoption. This paper is intended to help readers select appropriate linking mechanisms depending on BIM-GIS integration goals.