A System of Systems Approach to Intelligent Construction Systems

There is a growing realization that the construction project delivery process can be significantly improved through the adoption of intelligent construction systems. These systems seek to embed intelligence in the construction process such that, it is easier to track and make informed decisions at all stages of the process. In adopting the concept of Intelligent Construction, it is imperative that a System of Systems (SoS) approach is explored so as to maximize the synergies inherent in the underlying sub-systems. This paper describes the adoption of a SoS approach to Intelligent Construction Systems (IConS). A methodology that includes comprehensive literature review and case study analysis is followed to identify the characteristics of the SoS approach and to learn from its applications in other domains. In the light of this analysis, a general SoS framework has been developed for IConS. For the findings, five main characteristics of SoS are identified. These characteristics are later mapped to the properties of the AEC domain to reveal that the AEC domain is inherently complex and can be considered to comprise SoSs.