Information Technology Application to Construction Management Modernization

ZHANG Ming-yuanI, YUAN Yong-bot School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, P.R.China, 116023 ciweigrace@sina.com, yongbo@dlut.edu.cn
ABSTRACT

information technology such as web, virtual simulation (VS) technology and Group Decision Support System (GDSS) assisting value management (VM) and so on to collect and manage information data and to facilitate communication which can make sure that all participants command and control project in real time so that each participant under construction could keep communicating well and reduce the probability of issue during the construction. The paper presents the management technology of modem construction project based on the conclusion of many overseas cases and emphasizes the up to date technology, and then concludes that no other than that fusing the modem technology into the process of construction project management, it could be disengaged from traditional model in order to adapt to the developing modem society. Key words: Construction management, Group decision support system (GDSS), Value management (VM), Virtual simulation (VS) 1. INTRODUCTION
In modem society, construction project is familiar. Following the development of society, the construction project involves more and more: it arranges from months to years or from one place to several places[']. The developments of the economic globality urge the construction forward to globality. The modem construction project is the process of which under the restriction of the factors such as society, economy and time, people take good use of modem scientific knowledge and technology to create new materials to meet the demand. Construction project management is a new mode of project management which is consistent to the objective of construction engineering which is a mode taking the project as the start, the center and the ending[2].

During the past decades, following the complication and internationalization of construction project, its modes of management are getting towards to the whole life integration, and the modem information technology which is developing fast becomes to be an important assistant tool of construction management modernization. Using the

2.1 Construction engineering information

The information can be classified by objects: one is spatial geographic data such as the location of construction, distribution of buried pipeline, etc; the other one is the corresponding property data by which can be classified as well as (1) basal information which mainly present in files of object design, project booklet, contracts, etc (2) actual information of construction spot which mainly present in each kind of records, such as actual time limit, cost, quality, etc (3) information about analysis, planning, actual contrast and forecasting(4) injunction and decision(5)others about market, policy, etc. such as structural styles, diameter of pipeline and so
on.

During the past two decades, information technology is used in many industries. Though traditional, the construction engineering can't neglect the far-reaching infection of the information technology[3[7]. Far from the 80s last century, there are many scholars apply themselves to research the way to take information technology as a tool in engineering projects to improve the harmony management. Howard pointed that the objective of this research is integrating data transformation, decision process and expert knowledge to improve produce efficiency and quality of construction products.
2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN MODERN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

The storage of construction information can be classified into files storage and graphics storage. Construction departments get information and data in graphic mode mainly, such as the digital construction blueprint which protracted using CAD software correspond to spot, and statistic department analysis the information and data in files mode, for instance that the material group will integrate the amount of concrete and reinforced steel of each step in table mode. Each kind of information storage mode is convenient to construction practice and the communion and share of information among different department is the base of construction carried out favorably.
2.2

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Information

technology

in

construction

1-4244-0885-7/07/$20.00 ( 2007 IEEE.

In recent years, many large construction companies managed many overseas projects as a result that the spatial distance becomes communicating barrier. A construction project involves many parts including architect, engineer, contractor, provider, project conductor, technician, owner, etc. lots of information need to be used repeatedly among them, but it is still now transferred as well as many years before using artificial mode.(see Fig. I)Furthermore, different communicating medium and modes increase the difficulty, sometimes the information is inaccurate and lingering. And the long distance or overseas fax really wastes money, some international construction companies find that collecting, keeping and renovating the information about overseas construction spot cost too much.
Contractor Owner

contractor to control the members of landscape united mode successfully. Using the logical controlling system,

electronic

money

technologies could make the

core

people can deal with the relationship between dividual and centralized power and improve the operational efficiency of project subcontract under the precondition of insuring the effective control. In one word, the web as a plat could make the information transmission more effective, quicker and more exact and also could carry out information track. Compared with the traditional communication mode, the use of information technology could improve the efficiency of information management as well as reduce the cost'0"-1. (see Fig.2)
2.3 Virtual simulation technology in construction
management1121

Architect

Virtual simulation technology could impenetrate through the whole process, even the design stage, the practice Provider stage and the check and measure stage. It can be observed directly with the complex result using virtual reality technology which can get the user into the circumstance of data and observe the infection brought by modifying data in turn at real time. The user could Technician also observe data from different point of view and then adjust the relationship between themselves and the environment so that they can get a more valuable result.

Engineer

4-+

Project conductor

Fig.1 Traditional communication mode in construction management

To conquer the spatial distance between construction spot and the leadership, Telnet and FTP provide a good solution. The departments who are at the spot could use a personal computer connecting to the local internet server, and control the information through the telnet.

Construction virtual which means the theory, method and technology of alternant process which converses the construction data into graphics or image showing on screen using computer graphics and graphics process technology becomes more and more popular. Manage department could get the image of construction spot immediately through connecting video equipment. The department at spot could collect pictures using a digital camera and transmit them on internet. Using the visual technology, project could get the evolutional status of construction spot continually and indirectly. The server can also preserve some pictures for records. The cost of this kind of service is little than sending persons abroad. If we fix stated amount of video camera at different location of construction spot, the details will be recorded. Multimedia communication methods provided by Internet lay a foundation of surveillance and control at different place following which the digital signing and

Using Virtual simulation technology to simulate the construct process can take good use of information in construction and consider adequately about the construction circumstances so that people can know the relative location and the relationship of each component in actual structure, and try out several constructing methods, and calculate relative status and stress, and optimize the construction scheme. As a result, the lost due to the mistakes in actual constructing process may be reduced or debased. The sketch map of construction scheme using Virtual simulation technology can be seen in Fig.3.
2.4 Group decision support system (GDSS) in construction management 13-t41

Unnecessary costs that are mainly caused by factors such as a lack of information, communication and coordination are bound to exist in construction projects. Value management (VM) suggests that these costs contribute to poor value and, therefore, should be identified and removed.
Construction management decisions exist in every stage and every tache so that people need an intellectualized man-machine system which is based on scientific management, operational research, cybernetics and behavior science and consists of computer technology, simulation technology and information technology to deal with the semi structured problems. It also supports

decision making and is called decision support system

which synthetically uses lots of data and combines many models to assist decision makers through man-machine alternation.
GDSS is defined as an interactive computer-based system that facilitates the solution of unstructured problems by a set of decision makers working together as a group. GDSS consists of the technologies of communication, computing and decision support, all of which are used to develop a GDSS framework for VM studies.

GDSS is only a tool to assist the human facilitators in VM studies; it is not the intention or cannot be used to replace the facilitators. GDSS can promote human interaction and facilitate decision analysis in VM studies, but it might also cause intervention in the natural group decision-making process. 3.PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT MODERNIZATION

Graphics edit and modification

r-------------------------.---------I

Resources management Expert supporter

Hazard root database ---------------------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hazard root differentiation result storeroom

Hazard root differentiation

Fig.2 Modern communication mode in construction management

Contractor Owner
tL

Provider

Architect

>.

Central network plat

4 -

Technician

Engineer

Project conductor

Fig.3 The sketch map of construction scheme using virtual simulation technology
3.1 Project tender stage
On this stage, the main functions of information technology are to advertise and distribute tender documents, select successful tenderers and award contracts. Speed up the distribution of documentation and tenderers' communications and register tenderers online and download tenders/work packages

electronically through network plat.

3.2 Design and construction stage
On this stage, project managers control and manage the exchange of documents between members of the project team to make sure that each team member receives the right documents at the right time. It is provided a

collaborative environment whereby the diverse participants can perform online collaboration via the web. For example: reduce the risk of errors and rework by ensuring that everyone in the project team is working with the most current drawings and other documents; eliminate the risk of losing important files by maintaining all current and past versions in one central location; improve team communication by enabling team members to raise and respond to queries in a structured way, etc.
Use virtual simulation technology to design the construction scheme and set 3D models such as

construction scene, structural component and engine facility in a virtual environment so that it can build up a simulation system with some functions based on computer to make the model dynamic and could be constructed virtually, and then optimize the scheme to prepare for the problems and status before constructing and control the process effectivelyE'51. At each place of construction management, even far distance, the manager could get the result of virtual simulation at the right time to make group decision. Each decision making member holding the information about the construction and plan could join into the process through the network and

Fig.4 Process of information technology using in construction management discuss and communicate with each other, and then input the model data to estimate, analysis and make decision. The process is seen in Fig.4.
4.CONCLUSIONS

The new-style modem construction management system should be high visual, intellectualized, integrate and net worked. The construction management information system consists of: operating system, application software layer, manage layer based on the divisiory construction item and the final controlling and decision-making layer. In the application software layer, the main technology will be used such as database technology, graphics and image technology and virtual simulation technology, etc. The essential to conceive and settle the virtual construction management system is that take good use of computer network and digital communication technology for each project department to build a share circumstance of information communication and harmony cooperation, and set up the frame for information transfer, and settle the network application circumstance as an core, then, achieve the final aim through the integration of hardware system, software system and construction information in the network system and the effective organization['6'7].
As well as the development of academic research, the theory of construction management is getting mature and perfect, and as well as the development of information technology, the management quality and efficiency are getting higher. The construction project is translating from simplex function and static state into complex

function and dynamic state due to the information technology. The use of information technology has improved the transfer speed of project information and changed the organization information structure and flow, and further more, the development will promote the developmental speed of new-style management mode of construction management so that the efficiency and benefit of construction will be improved largely.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank the staff of research group of civil engineering management for their support and research assistant. And also thank the scholars of the following references for their previous research work.
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