IT in AEC Industry

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IT in AEC Industry

• Abhijit Mukherjee
• Department of Civil Engineering
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
• Mumbai 400 076, India
• Email abhijit_at_civil.iitb.ac.in
• Web http//www.civil.iitb.ac.in/abhijit

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Role of Computer in Construction
Synthesis
Information
Decision

• An Assistant (of experts)
• Organizing information
• Maintaining integrity of information
• Evaluating alternatives
• An expert (for novices)
• Emulate experts intelligence or experience

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IT in Construction

• Engineers use computers
• Results of their work is available in computer
  format
• They can be moved around the world using the
  Internet
• THE RESULT
• A new way of organisation
• Project centred virtual organisation

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Computer Integrated Construction

• Standardized data formats and structures are key
  technologies

Research- COMBINE, CIMSTEEL, ToCEE Standardization
- ISO-STEP, IAI-AFC
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Peculiarities of construction communication

• Complex data
• Construction is a fragmented industry
• Several different players, big and small
• Different levels of IT knowledge
• No clear leaders
• No IBMs, no Fords
• One-of-a-kind products
• A lot of improvisation
• Needed flexibility of all partners
• One-of-a-kind process
• Needs improvisation, communication

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Sensory and Executive
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Vital Questions

• What are the current and future concerns facing
  the industry?
• Where are the sources of cost and delay
  throughout the design, permitting, and
  construction phases of the building process?
• Where are the opportunities for IT be used to
  reduce or remove these problems?
• What barriers could prevent these opportunities
  from being realized?
• What are the most important steps that should be
  taken to accelerate the development and diffusion
  of IT within this industry?

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Observations

• Cost of design is small relative to the cost of
  the delays associated with getting new approvals
• Approval process is slow and unreliable
• Multiple agencies with weak interaction between
  them are involved in approval
• Revolutionary changes as opposed to evolutionary
  changes bring the largest benefits
• Embracing IT involves investment
• Large organizations are likely to benefit more

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Opportunities

• Posting of codes on the internet
• Electronic distribution and processing of plans
  and permits
• Automated plan checking
• Public information portal
• Site inspection
• Communication, networking, and integrated
  manufacturing
• Project collaboration, management, and e-business
• Product promotion, education, and support
• Investing in worker training and productivity
• Increased use of manufactured components

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Barriers, Synergies, Standards

• Size, diversity, and fragmentation of the
  industry
• Fruits of IT is tangible only when a large
  section of the industry embraces it
• Lack of budgetary support
• Contractors see local suppliers and
  subcontractors as a crucial and irreplaceable
  link
• Standardization of communication is paramount
• Meta-data are important

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Models and Computers

• Model- abstraction (often logical or
  mathematical) and simplification of the reality
  (Universe of Discourse)
• Modeling- process of building models
• Aristotle- Words, Experience in the Psyche and
  The Thing
• Ogdens meaning triangle-

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Mind and Software

• Programming is letting the computer know the
  concept
• Software- mind models
• Object- What is thrown in front of us (includes
  intentional objects)
• Things that are present exist- Paramenides
• Things that are not present also exist- Plato
• Objects in the thought

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Objects in the thought

• Concept- (object and concept)
• Meaning is achieved at the receiving end- Gadamer
• Mechanism- The essence of intelligence is to find
  a solution outside the search space
• Break down of acceptance norms
• If a machine is expected to be intelligent, it
  can not also be infallible- Turing
• Failure of Rule based systems

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The reflection loop

• Pre-reflective actions (being in the world)
• Difficulties- breakdown
• Wille zum Sinn- Reflection
• Avoids future breakdowns
• Caveats- fixation, blindness
• Some artificial neural networks attempt discovery
• Generic models hinder creativity the least

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Summary

• Computers organise and maintain information
• Sometimes they attempt synthesis and decision
• IT- project centric virtual organisation
• Standardisation is of paramount importance
• Fragmentation and complexity of data
• Increasing user-machine-user interaction
• Approvals delay the projects the most
• Revolutionary not evolutionary changes are
  warranted
• Mind models vis-a-vis Objects in the thought
• Coexistence of structured and unstructured data
  desirable