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Linear Infrastructure Asset

vr.wm-blt-009 · wm-blt-009-linear-infrastructure-asset

Describe one persistent linear physical asset and its managed spans, location, properties, condition and lifecycle evidence while preserving external master authority.

World Models Physical world and living systems PHY.BLT.NET
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

3 bundles · 3 layers · 6 findings · 12 questions

Route and segmentation Where the asset runs and how it is divided for management.

Linear referencing

Positions along the asset expressed by a referencing method.

Referencing method

The linear referencing method, its origin and its measure units.

  1. Which linear referencing method locates positions on this asset?
  2. Where are the start point and direction of measurement defined?

Segment register

The segments with from and to measures and their own identifiers.

  1. Which segments make up the asset, with their from and to measures?
  2. Do adjacent segments meet without gaps or overlaps?
Condition and works The physical state of each segment and the work done on it.

Condition

Inspected state of segments against a declared rating scheme.

Segment condition

The latest condition rating per segment with inspection date and method.

  1. What condition rating does each segment have, under which scheme?
  2. When and by which method was the segment last inspected?

Defects along the route

Defects located by measure with severity and status.

  1. Which defects are recorded on the segment, at which measures?
  2. Which defects are open, and what severity do they carry?
Ownership and access Who answers for the asset and under which rights it crosses land.

Ownership and rights of way

Owner, operator and land rights along the route.

Accountable owner

The owner and operator for each segment.

  1. Who owns and who operates each segment of the asset?
  2. Where does responsibility pass from one owner to another along the route?

Right of way

Easements, wayleaves or corridors that allow the asset to cross land.

  1. Under which rights does the asset cross each land parcel?
  2. Which restrictions apply within the protected corridor?

Classifiers Filled

Family
World Models
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
entity
Navigation path
NAV.PHY.BLT.NET
Domain
PHY.BLT.NET
Industry
Cross-industry
Tags
linearinfrastructureassetphy.blt.net

What it is Filled

A linear infrastructure asset is a road, railway, pipeline, cable or similar asset whose extent runs along a route and is managed as segments located by linear referencing. The network topology it belongs to, the nodes and point facilities on it, and the traffic or flow it carries are separate subjects.

In scope

  • Stable asset identity and classification
  • Versioned segmentation, referencing and evidence-qualified geometry
  • Span-specific physical properties, responsibility, capability and condition claims
  • External work, rights, topology and lifecycle decision references

Out of scope

  • Network-wide graph ownership, routing and flow simulation
  • Engineering design verification, safety certification and live equipment control
  • Land-title adjudication, granting rights or permits and work execution
  • Standalone point facilities and construction project lifecycle
  • Universal road, rail, pipeline or cable technical profiles

Why it exists Filled

Describe one persistent linear physical asset and its managed spans, location, properties, condition and lifecycle evidence while preserving external master authority.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Located by linear referencing along a route, not only by a footprint or a point.
  • Managed as segments whose condition and works vary along its length.
  • One asset of an infrastructure network; the network topology and its nodes are modelled separately.
  • The asset itself, distinct from the traffic, energy or fluid that flows through it.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Change measures or segment boundaries without a re-referencing record.
  • Authorize excavation or works near the asset without the owner's clearance.
  • Disclose the exact route of critical pipelines or cables to parties without a need to know.
  • Report a segment as safe when its inspection is overdue or missing.
  • Operate valves, signals or switches on the asset without operator authority.

Only with a human decision

  • Closing or restricting a segment to use.
  • Accepting a condition rating that triggers or defers major works.
  • Granting a new right of way or crossing permission.

May

  • Locate positions, defects and works on the asset by linear reference and convert them to coordinates.
  • Report segment condition and open defects from inspection records.
  • Flag gaps, overlaps or inconsistent measures in the segment register.
  • Plan inspection routes from the segment register.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Failures of roads, rails, pipelines and power lines can kill people and cut communities off.
  • Rights of way burden landowners and communities along the route, who need fair notice and compensation.
  • Exact routes of critical assets are security-sensitive and need controlled disclosure.

Who is affected

  • Users of the road, rail or service
  • Landowners along the route
  • Communities near pipelines and lines
  • Maintenance and construction workers

Owners Filled

Steward

The infrastructure owner or operator that holds the asset register and answers for its safety.

Roles

Asset steward
Resolve identity and continuity decisions; maintain scoped role bindings.
Reference-system custodian
Approve calibration and segmentation versions; review ambiguous mappings.
Qualified condition reviewer
Assess inspection coverage and conflicting evidence; route safety decisions externally.
Evidence and access custodian
Apply sensitivity and retention policy; preserve lineage and authorized disclosure.
Local model agent
Perform only authorized local read, validation and proposed changes; refuse unresolved authority or stale pins.

Master systems

  • Infrastructure asset register
  • Road or rail network database
  • Utility network geographic information system
  • Cadastre and easement register

Links to other meta-models Filled

references

  • WM-BLT-003 - Candidate network context corresponding to the registry parent; versioned membership only, no network lifecycle.
  • WM-BLT-010 - Candidate utility graph binding where applicable; preserve separate topology authority and cardinality.
  • WM-BLT-004 - Optional service-point interface references; separate point master.
  • WM-BLT-001 - Optional supporting or intersected structure references; no copied structure specification.
  • WM-BLT-007 - Optional construction and renewal work evidence; execution stays with work master.

aligned

  • ISO 19148:2021 - Conceptual linear location alignment; complete normative mapping and conformance unverified.
  • IFC 4.3.2.0 IfcAlignment - Positioning representation alignment only; the physical asset is not equated to IfcAlignment.
  • INSPIRE Utility Networks Technical Guidelines 3.0 - Utility spatial-object projection where applicable; no universal legal or telecom applicability claim.
  • SSN/SOSA 2017 and PROV-O 2013 - Conceptual observation and evidence lineage links, not implemented RDF conformance.

neighbor

  • WM-BLT-003 Infrastructure Network - Registry parent is a broader network context, not evidence that an individual asset owns the network. Use references, not inheritance or mandatory containment.
  • WM-BLT-010 Utility Network Topology - Graph nodes, edges and connectivity are mastered separately. This asset carries versioned mappings and interface claims only.
  • WM-BLT-004 Utility Service Point - A point service interface may reference this asset but has its own identity and lifecycle.
  • WM-BLT-001 Building / Structure and WM-BLT-006 Facility - Bridges, tunnels and point facilities can intersect or support the asset without losing separate master identity.
  • WM-BLT-007 Construction Work - Work plans and execution stay external; the asset carries affected-extent and acceptance evidence links.
  • Alignment, land parcel and observation records - Positioning geometry, rights and observations are related information objects, not interchangeable physical asset identities.

parent

  • WM-BLT-003

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • An asset is identified by the owner's asset identifier, often a route number with a segment code.
  • Positions on it are given as a linear reference: route identifier plus measure under a stated method.

Direct properties required Filled

  • Length along the route in metres or kilometres, measured under the stated referencing method.
  • Cross-section dimensions such as carriageway width or pipe diameter in millimetres or metres.
  • Gradient in per cent and curve radius in metres where the asset is a road or railway.
  • Design and operating limits such as axle load in tonnes, pressure in bar or voltage in kilovolts.
  • Depth of cover in metres for buried pipelines and cables, with the survey date.

Recognition required Filled

  • Recognized in the field by its continuous alignment, route markers, chainage posts or warning markers.
  • Often confused with the network as a whole, with a single structure such as a bridge, or with the corridor of land it occupies.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • Carries traffic, energy, fluids or data along its route within design limits.
  • Can be closed, isolated or restricted segment by segment.
  • Can be inspected and renewed by stretch without replacing the whole asset.

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Strikes on buried pipelines and cables during excavation.
  • Structural failure of degraded segments under load.
  • Leaks, fires or electrocution from damaged pipelines and power cables.

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • ISO 19148 linear referencing for positions along the asset.
  • OGC CityGML for infrastructure geometry exchange.
  • buildingSMART IFC 4.3 for roads, railways and their alignments.
  • ISO 55000 series for asset management records.

Context of use required Filled

  • Managed by road authorities, railway infrastructure managers, pipeline operators and grid companies.
  • Excavation near buried assets is usually governed by utility locating and notification regimes.
  • Safety regulators set inspection and condition reporting duties for many asset kinds.

Sources Filled

  1. ISO 19148:2021 - Geographic information - Linear referencing - International Organization for Standardization
  2. IFC 4.3.2.0 - IfcAlignment - buildingSMART International
  3. INSPIRE Data Specification on Utility and Government Services - Technical Guidelines - European Commission
  4. Best Practices in Geographic Information Systems-based Transportation Asset Management - Federal Highway Administration
  5. Semantic Sensor Network Ontology - World Wide Web Consortium
  6. PROV-O: The PROV Ontology - World Wide Web Consortium
  7. ISO 55000:2024 - Asset management - Vocabulary, overview and principles - International Organization for Standardization
  8. ISO 19148 Geographic information - Linear referencing, ISO
  9. ISO 55000 Asset management - Overview, principles and terminology, ISO
  10. IFC 4.3 Industry Foundation Classes, buildingSMART International

Open questions

  • Complete direct source retrieval and substantive version, licensing and applicability review; obtain the normative material needed for any claimed conformance.
  • Develop sector profiles and test repeated measures, branching, split/merge history, mixed segmentation, crossing without connection, stale inspection, partial removal and controlled disclosure.
  • Implement nested schemas and version-pinned mappings with refusal and information-loss reports before operational integration.
  • Restore independent external review before promotion beyond a noncanonical reviewable draft.
  • Independent external provider review is absent.
  • Direct source HTTP checks are unattempted under the owner-reported sandbox restriction; statuses and body hashes are unmeasured.
  • ISO normative full texts, current versions of all sources and historical report issue date remain unverified.
  • Nested instance schemas, coordinate transformations, topology mappings and acceptance fixtures remain unimplemented.
  • Sector-specific engineering thresholds, hazards, rights, licensing, privacy and retention profiles require qualified adoption review.

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification AGENTS.md Source Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

world-models research · reviewable-draft

Built from: models/wm-blt-009-linear-infrastructure-asset/spec.yaml, ver-cy/world-models/card-supplements/wm-blt-009-linear-infrastructure-asset.json