Žiga Turk, Assoc.Prof.

ziga.turk@uni-lj.si
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering

Istambul Technical University

MBA in Construction Informatics in Construction Management
When we mean to build,
We first survey the plot, then draw the model,
CMIT 558: And when we see the figure of the house,
Information Systems for Construction Then must we rate the cost of the erection,
Management
Which if we find outweighs ability,
What do we do then but redraw anew the model
In fewer offices, or at least desist
The modelling To build at all?

William Shakespeare, King Henry IV Part 2

method
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CMIT 558 Map Learning objective

IT strategies
construction
as a new
economy visions, „ modelling is a key step in creating IT support for
strategies, software product
requirements engineering databases
a real world problem
limits of
Web „ required by all levers of managers and software
technology
technologies,
analysis and Java, XML document engineers
design management
modelling client-server „ essential activity in human problem solving
product method technology
modelling computer
process development integrated
modelling construction
thesauri new ways of
classification working
distance
systems
information use working
retrieval management

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Contents Literature

„ Definitions „ Books:
• Eastman, C.M. (1999). Building Product Models,
Models, CRC
„ Evolution of modelling in construction press, ISBN 0-
0-8493-
8493-0259-
0259-5.
„ Foundations of modelling • Sowa, J.F. (2000). Knowledge representation,
representation,
Brooks/Cole, ISBN 0-
0-534-
534-94965-
94965-7.
„ Modelling formalisms and tools
• Sowa, J.F. (1984). Conceptual Structures: Information
„ Modelling methods Processing in Mind and Machine,
Machine, Addison Wesley, ISBN
• Pressman.
„ Papers:
• Turk, AI in Engineering.

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Definitions Evolution of modelling in

construction
„ model: „ construction is about big 3D objects
z reproduction of something [m
[m-w] „ communication is essential
z perfect: deserving to be imitating „ communication through drawings
„ modelling: a process during which models are „ contributors:
created z Brunelleschi,
Brunelleschi, 15th century, scaled drawings
„ modeller: a person who is modelling z Monge,
Monge, 18th century, projections
„ examples: „ exchange of drawings: vital information
z model railroads, model buildings, finite elements “technology”!
models

„ drawing is also a model

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Drawing with computers Kinds of drawing applications

„ Sutherland, 1963, sketchpad. „ paint or photo programs

„ PCs, 1980s, AutoCAD „ draw or illustration programs
„ several kinds of drawing programs „ CAD programs
z 2D drafting
z 3D geometric design
„ the difference is in the elements of which a
z 3D professional design
drawing is composed
z 4D design and planning

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Paint or photo programs Draw or illustration programs

„ entity a pixel „ entity is a 2D geometric
„ space is raster, element, usually with
bitmap several formatting
attributes (colour,
thickness, pattern ...)
„ PhotoShop,
„ space is 2D paper space
PaintShop Pro
„ precise, scaled drawing
not possible

„ PowerPoint, Corel Draw,

Adobe Illustrator

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CAD programs CAD Drafting applications
„ CAD=computer aided „ 2D entities to be placed
drafting/design into 2D drawing
„ entity is a 2,3 or 4D plane.One “model” one
geometric element drawing
„ 2D, 3D or 4D model „ AutoSketch
space
„ few formatting attributes
„ support for precise
positioning
„ scale and measure

„ AutoCAD, ArchiCAD
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CAD: Geometric Design CAD: Specialised Design

applications Applications
„ 3D geometric entities „ 3D product entities
(cube, cylinder) placed (beam, column, wall)
into 3D spalce.
spalce. One 3D placed into 3D space.
model, several One model, several
projections possible projections.
„ AutoCAD „ Uses beyond drawing
production

„ Architectural Desktop,
AcadBAU,
AcadBAU, ArchiCAD ...

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CAD: Specialised Design and Lessons about drawings by the
Planning Applications early 1980s
„ 3D + time = 4D entities „ geometric information should be standardised in
placed in 3D space with order to be exchanged
construction planning
z search for standard formats to encode geometry
data included
(DXF, IGES ...)
„ research work in Stanford
and Strathclyde „ geometric information is important but not
enough
z e.g. material properties, weights, E modulus, cost,
schedule, supplier, conreactor etc.etc.etc.
„ huge interest in modelling since mid 1980s

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Model vs. drawing or 3D model Philosophical foundations of

modelling
„ drawing or a 3D model are a kind of “abstraction „ how we understand the
world around us
of reality”
„ the meaning triangle
„ drawing is special one, dealing with shape and „ Aristotle
looks only z things
z words
„ modelling should be much more generic OBJECT
z experiences in the psyche
„ Ogden and Richards:
z object
z symbol
CONCEPT SYMBOL
z concept
B-E-A-M

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Meaning triangle: Meaning triangle:
Object Symbol
„ The object is any entity „ The symbol is an
from some real or auditory, visual, or other
imagined world about form of utterance that is
which an idea is held. for taken to stand for the
example the beam in the object when
Nada Ward Museum of OBJECT
communicated as part of OBJECT
Modern Art in Kobe a language
damaged by an
earthquake
CONCEPT SYMBOL CONCEPT SYMBOL

B-E-A-M B-E-A-M

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Meaning triangle: Mind and machine

Concept
„ The concept is the idea or
thought of the object as
held in the mind of a
person, for example a
structural concept of a
beam. as illustrated.
CONCEPT
It has been suggested that intelligent systems achieve
their intelligence by manipulating symbols of real world
objects. Humans do it by manipulating "experiences in
the psyche", concepts or "mind models". Computers
could manipulate symbolic representations of the models.
OBJECT
Therefore, computers could achieve intelligence, just as
humans do, if only the models and the manipulation rules
could be complex enough.humans
humans are intelligent,
because they and computers handle symbols.
SYMBOL

B-E-A-M

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Mental models Semantic networks
wall
„ when we think, we create a model of the messy „ nodes: concepts
real world situation „ arches: relations between
has has
concepts
„ we manipulate the model
„ example:
„ we solve a problem window door

„ models can be
represented as „ PS: similar to is-an is-an is
semantic hypertext
networks networks! opening
white

reduces

strength
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Reuse of semantic networks Moving semantic networks into a

computer
wall
„ frames [Minsky
[Minsky]] „ repetition, reuse, frames or similar
„ semantic networks are not
built from scratch each time has has „ computer program should be good at helping in
„ a library of such partly several situations
populated networks is stored window door „ instances
„ a closely matching one is
selected and adapted to z 1:1 mapping to real world problem
current problem is-an is-an is z “this wall in this room”
„ such an “empty” network is a
frame „ generic concepts
opening
„ frames are a popular concept white z one generic concept corresponds to several real world
in knowledge representation items
reduces
and AI
z “walls in general”
strength

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 Model life cycle Life Cycle Illustration
REAL WORLD
TheWorld
„ create UoD Universe of Discourse (scope)
Information Domain of interest
modelling
z observe real world
using
z create database schema a modelling CONCEPTUAL MODEL (product data
language model):
Formal, implementation independent
z implement database and software description of the representation of
the information requirements within
„ use the scope.
Implement- IMPLEMENTATION:
z observe real world ation
SQL: OOP: Definition of the data structures
CREATE TABLE person class person { (physical model), and application
z map unique situation into into database schema ( id STRING NOT NULL, char *id; functionality, using a specific
fname STRING, char *fname; programming paradigm for
z fill database with data lname STRING, char *lname; representing and management
PRIMARY KEY (id) }; of data conforming to the conceptual
z manipulate, analyse, synthesise model ); model.

Popul-
RDBMS OODBMS ation DATABASE CONTENT (product model):
Usage Specific instances of entities of the
conceptual model represented with
data values of their properties.

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Layers of models Modelling formalisms and tools

„ real world „ method
„ conceptualisation „ language
„ resources, references
roof house door „ tools
„ semantic networks
wall window z modelling tool
„ ... z development/implementation

„ schema model

„ data model

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Modelling method Modelling language

„ break into pieces „ language in which models are described

„ reconstruct the whole „ formal language - a language that has a well
„ method: defined form
z how to break up „ provides a symbolic notation for the concepts
z how to put together being modelled
„ computer parseable
„ based on mathematical logic
„ textual of graphical

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Modelling language (cont) Modelling resources

„ different languages for different model layers „ building blocks

„ different languages for different kinds of models „ relations between them
z models of products „ both
z models of processes
„ examples: „ they further restrict the perspective on the world
z EXPRESS, NIAM, IDEF0, XML ...
z UML, ER diagrams …

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Resource building blocks Generic relations:
Abstractions
„ subatomic „ to abstract - to take away
z number, string of text ... „ specialisation:generalisation
„ atomic z A is-
is-of-
of-type B
z entity, object, attribute, type ... z wall is-
is-of-
of-type structural element
z relations, relation types, abstractions „ composition:decomposition
„ molecular z A has-
has-parts B,C,D
z reference models z wall has-
has-parts mortar-
mortar-brick-
brick-insulation
z resource models „ characterisation
z geometric objects, business objects ... z A has-
has-characteristics B,C,D
z wall has-
has-attribute thickness, weight ...

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High level resources: Modelling tools

reference models
„ further narrow down how we may think of the „ computer program that allows for modelling
world „ kinds:
z conceptual modelling
„ e.g. the world is made of functional units which z schema modelling
are implemented with a technical solution z difference unclear
„ or: everything has a form, a function, and a
behaviour.

„ also called reference models

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Implementation tool Summary

„ generates database application based on „ to deal with complex situations, we simplify them into
schema models
„ models have many parts which are related to each other
„ creates SQL statements based on schema
„ parts should be organised in such a way, that the model
„ creates full application can be observed at different levels of abstraction =~
„ 4th Generation Languages and Tools simplification
„ kinds of abstraction:
z type-
type-of
z part-
part-of
z characteristic
„ real world > model > schema model > data model
„ method, language, resources, tools help us but narrow
down the kinds of models we can make
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Credits

„ scanned some drawings from [sowa].

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