Automating Communication in Civil Engineering
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 123, Issue 2
Abstract
Currently, building companies are focusing many development efforts on improving information transformation processes. However, daily-life practice is characterized by islands of information. Building information normally resides in diverse and distinct sources, such as the heads of experienced engineers, literature, building codes, computer applications, drawings, and databases. Connecting these islands, e.g., by automating communication, is a major challenge. This paper presents an approach to open, high-level, computer-interpretable communication between project participants. “Open” means independent of the participants and their computer systems, “high-level” means that no human interpretation is required for handling information and knowledge, and “computer-interpretable” means that no human interaction is needed for data transfer. The (STEP) product-modeling approach provides a basis for this kind of communication. The writers extended this approach to project modeling and more scope layers. They applied their approach to the integration of design and construction of precast concrete structures.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
ARTB. (1993). “ARTB vision on the building industry in 2010.”Rep., Technol. Policy Advisory Board for the Build. Industry, The Hague, The Netherlands.
2.
Bennenk, H. W., and Boom, P. van (1992). “The EKON system gives space to users and designers (I).”Cement, 44(2), 16–21
3.
Björk, B. C.(1991). “A unified approach for modelling construction information.”Build. and Environment, 27(2), 173–194.
4.
Björk, B. C., Penttilä, H., and Hannus, M.(1989). “A scenario for the development and implementation of a building product model standard.”Adv. in Engrg. Software, 11(4), 176–187.
5.
Boothroyd, G., and Dewhurst, P. (1987). Product design for assembly. Boothroyd Dewhurst, Wakefield, R.I.
6.
Eastman C. M., Bond, A. H., and Chase, S. C. (1991). “A data model for design databases.”Proc., Conf. on Artificial Intelligence in Design '91, J. S. Gero, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd., Oxford, U.K., 339–365.
7.
Fenves, S. H.(1990). “Integrated software environment for building design and construction.”Comp. Aided Des., 22(1), 27–36.
8.
Fischer, M. A. (1989). “Design construction integration through constructibility design rules for the preliminary design of reinforced concrete structures.”Proc., 1989 CSCE/CPCA Struct. Concrete Conf., 333–346.
9.
Froese, T. M. (1992). “Integrated computer-aided project management through standard object-oriented models,” PhD thesis, Stanford Univ., Stanford, Calif.
10.
Function modeling manual (IDEF0). (1981). Vol. 4, integrated computer-aided manufacturing (ICAM), Architecture Part II, SofTech, Inc., Waltham, Mass.
11.
General Electric Company. (1985). “Integrated information support system (IISS), Vol. V—command data model subsystem, part IV—information modeling manual—IDEF1 extended.”AFWAL-TR-86-4006, Mat. Lab., Air Force Sys. Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
12.
Gielingh, W. F. (1988). “General AEC reference model (GARM).”Rep., TNO Build. and Constr. Res., Delft, The Netherlands, BI-88-150.
13.
Gielingh, W. F., and Suhm, A. K. (eds.) (1993). “IMPPACT reference model: an approach for integrated product and process modelling of discrete parts manufacturing.”Vol. 1, Res. Rep. ESPRIT: Proj. 2165—IMPPACT, Springer-Verlag, Darmstadt, Germany.
14.
Howard, H. C., Abdalla, J. A., and Phan, D. H. P.(1992). “Primitive-composite approach for structural data modeling.”J. Comp. in Civ. Engrg., 6(1), 19–40.
15.
ISO/TC184. (1989). “STEP planning model.”Industrial automation systems and integration—product data representation and exchange, F. P. Tolman and W. F. Gielingh, eds., Int. Standardization Org., Geneva, Switzerland, ISO/TC 184/SC 4/WG 1/N 328).
16.
ISO/TC184. (1993). “Part 1: overview and fundamental principles.”Industrial automation systems and integration—product data representation and exchange, International Standard Org. (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland, ISO DIS 10303-1.
17.
Kolountzakis, M., and Fischer, M. A. (1991). CIFECAD, a user's manual. Ctr. for Integrated Fac. Engrg. (CIFE), Stanford Univ., Stanford, Calif.
18.
Luijten, B. F. M., and Luiten, G. T. (1993). “A layered-modelling tool for the integration of computer applications.”Object-oriented applications, B. Meyer and J. M. Nerson, eds., Object-oriented Series, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Hertfordshire, U.K.
19.
Luiten, G. T. (1994). “Computer aided design for construction in the building and construction industry,” PhD thesis, Delft Univ. of Technol., Delft, The Netherlands.
20.
Luiten, G. T., et al. (1993). “An information reference model for architecture, engineering and construction.”Management of information technology for construction, K. S. Mathur, M. P. Betts, and K. Wai Tham, eds., World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore, 391–406.
21.
Meyer, B. (1988). Object-oriented software construction. C. A. R. Hoare, ed., Ser. in Comp. Sci., Prentice Hall, Inc., Cambridge, U.K.
22.
Nijssen, G. M., and Halpin, T. A. (1989). Conceptual schema and relational database design: a fact oriented approach. Prentice Hall, Inc., London, U.K.
23.
Penttilä, H., et al. (1990). “RATAS building product model; experiences with prototypes.”Proc., 2nd Finnish-French Colloquium for Information Technol. in Constr., Vol. 118, P. Huovila, ed., VTT, Espoo, Finland.
24.
Pohl, J. (1991). “ICADS working model version 2 and future direction.”Rep., School of Arch. and Envir. Des., California Polytech. State Univ., San Luis Obispo, Calif., 5–91.
25.
Smith, B. M. (1986). “PDES initiation activities.”Rep., Nat. Inst. of Standards and Technol. (NIST), Gaithersburg, Md.
26.
Smith, J. M., and Smith, D. C. P.(1977). “Database abstractions: aggregation and generalization.”ACM Trans. on Database Sys., 2(2), 105–133.
27.
Sriram, D., et al. (1989). “DICE, an object oriented programming environment for co-operative engineering design.”Rep., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Massachusetts Inst. of Technol. (MIT), Cambridge, Mass., 89–03.
28.
Tolman, F. P. (1991). “Integration core model for product modelling.”Rep. C90-PMP-02, CAM-I.
29.
Tolman, F. P., and Poyet, P. (1994). “The ATLAS models.”Proc., Eur. Conf. on Product and Process Modelling in the Build. Industry, R. J. Scherer, ed., A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
30.
Willems, P. H., and Tolman, F. P. (1993). “Semantic topology: the management of shape definition.”Management of information technology for construction, K. S. Mathur, M. P. Betts, and K. Wai Tham, eds., World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore.
31.
Womack, J. P., Jones, D. T., and Roos, D. (1990). The machine that changed the world: the story of lean production. HarperCollins Publishers, New York, N.Y.
32.
Wright, G. H. von (1963). Norm and action. Int. Library of Philosophy and Scientific Method, Redwood Burn Ltd., London, U.K.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jun 1, 1997
Published in print: Jun 1997
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.