Method and system for the storage and use of engineering modeling alternatives with unitized data

A database design modeling system for managing data facets for design scenarios as a collection of hierarchical unitized data alternatives is provided. The database design model allows for easy access to data while providing a single persistant location for any one specific data record, thereby reducing any problems associated with conventional data duplication. Further, all data stored within the database is unitized thus eliminating the need for the user to do the unit mapping. According to one aspect of the present invention, a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) modeling system can be constructed that allows for exercising multiple "What if?" scenarios with minimal user intervention and errors by ) storing data using a normalized hierarchical storage structure, ) providing data address indirection means to access data available from a multitude of data sources, ) providing an object model to leverage programmable support to the orthogonal data views, and ) providing a GIS client user interface allowing the user to construct a scenario and to view scenario results.