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Computing in Civil

Computing has many applications in civil engineering including business process automation, computer aided design, monitoring construction projects, knowledge management, and implementing automated building systems. There is an increased focus on using information technology (IT) tools to improve productivity and quality in the construction industry. Common IT tools used include spreadsheets, project management software, CAD software, and BIM software. Standardization efforts aim to eliminate "islands of automation" and allow for improved data sharing through open standards like Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) to support interoperability between software applications.

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50 views31 pages

Computing in Civil

Computing has many applications in civil engineering including business process automation, computer aided design, monitoring construction projects, knowledge management, and implementing automated building systems. There is an increased focus on using information technology (IT) tools to improve productivity and quality in the construction industry. Common IT tools used include spreadsheets, project management software, CAD software, and BIM software. Standardization efforts aim to eliminate "islands of automation" and allow for improved data sharing through open standards like Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) to support interoperability between software applications.

Uploaded by

JohnHiccup
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Computing in Civil Engineering

Dr. Benny Raphael


Assoc. Professor, Civil Engg., IIT Madras

Outline

Link between computing and civil engineering


Examples of applications of computing in civil
engineering

Business process automation


Computer aided design
Monitoring of construction projects
Knowledge management
Implementing automated building systems

There is increased realization that


Information Technology (IT) can improve
productivity and increase quality in projects
Enterprises can no longer survive without the
competitive edge provided by IT

A survey conducted in 2000 shows the


percentage of construction companies that
use various IT tools

Source: Rivard,
Electronic
journal of IT in
Construction,
5, 2000, pp.
4
37-56.

Source: Rivard,
Electronic
journal of IT in
Construction,
5, 2000, pp. 5
37-56.

Source: Rivard,
Electronic
journal of IT in
Construction,
5, 2000, pp. 6
37-56.

What exactly is Information


Technology?

Business process automation


Computer aided design
Monitoring of construction projects
Knowledge management
Implementing automated building systems
Develop specifications for software
development

1. Improving efficiency in
construction projects
According to a NIST report (2004): USD 15.8 billion waste in the US
construction industry due to lack of interoperability. This can be
extrapolated to over 60 billion globally.
Inefficiencies result from use of paper-based information management
due to manual re-entry of data, repetition of tasks, delay in retrieving
relevant information, etc.

Efficiency improvements can be achieved


only through integrated solutions
At an
organizational
level

IT resources should
be optimized across
all the stages of the
value chain

At the
industry level

IT solutions should
enable easy sharing of
data and avoid
unnecessary
repetition of work

Islands of automation are no longer acceptable!

Eliminating islands of automation

Representation

Standardization of

Syntax
Semantics
Communication
protocols

Industry Foundation Classes (IFC):


Standardization at the semantic level

The data schema covering the many disciplines that


contribute to a building throughout its lifecycle:
from conception, through design, construction and
operation to refurbishment or demolition.
IFC can be used to exchange and share BIM data
between applications developed by different
software vendors

http://buildingsmart.com/standards/ifc/model-industry-foundation-classes-ifc

Building Information Modeling (BIM)


Conceptual design (massing models)

Schematic design (architectural)

Detailed design (structural, M&E, etc)

Construction

Facilities management

BIM in Facilities Management


Imagine that a facilities manager has a model of
her building on her computer and she can click on
a chiller to get all the information about it; when it
was installed, the make, the warranty period,
where it can be serviced, etc. She can search the
model to locate where all the projectors of a
particular type are installed. She can compute the
floor area of any room or zone instantly. These are
potential benefits of BIM for FM.

15

Use of BIM
Simulations
Lighting, Energy, Ventilation

Design coordination
Collision detection, Space validation, Technical feasibility

Quantity and cost estimation


Construction Planning
Scheduling, 4D Visualization

Information for operation and maintenance

Inefficiency in the construction industry is


now internationally recognized!
Many countries are taking measures to rectify the
problem.
Launched CORENET in 1995 to achieve
quantum improvements in turnaround
time, quality and productivity.

Singapore

In 2011, published BIM Roadmap. By


2013, mandatory architecture BIM esubmission for all new building
projects. By 2014, mandatory
engineering e-submissions.

http://www.bca.gov.sg

2. Computer aided design


Manual draughting tools are no longer
seen in architectural design offices!

Hand calculation methods have been


replaced by computer programs

Phone and fax have given way to the


internet facilitating collaborative design

Multi-criteria decision making


With more information available electronically, more
scientific ways of decision making could be adopted.
Designs could be optimized according to multiple
criteria and good compromises could be adopted.

Raphael B., Multi-criteria decision making for collaborative design


optimization of buildings, Built Environment Project and Asset
Management, (Emerald publishers), Vol 1, Issue 2, Nov, 2011.

Maximize day light

Minimize solar heat gain

Minimize energy consumption

Eliminate glare and visual


discomfort

Minimize life cycle cost

3. Monitoring construction
A big trend is the use of laser scanning
(along with BIM). 3D scanners can
collect many data points at a jobsite
with accurate coordinate information.
The group of points can be used to
create a point cloud model. The point
cloud can be pulled into the 3D model
to compare site conditions with the
design. It can also be used for
estimation and for accurate as-built
models after completion.

4. Can we learn from past experiences?


Case based reasoning is a technique from Artificial
Intelligence, which aims to make use of past
experiences for solving new problems.
A case base of projects containing data as well as
knowledge benefits every one. Each case might
contain data related to cost, quantities, design,
performance, lessons learnt, unusual experiences,
etc.

5. Automated Building Systems

Energy can be saved through automation and


control
Sunlight

Ceiling of high
reflectivity

External
Lightshelf

Internal
Lightshelf

...
Glass window

Room interior

6. Development of engineering software


Industry needs people who know about civil engineering
as well as computing in order to develop specialist
software tools for engineers and managers. These people
develop algorithms, write specifications for software,
develop user interfaces, test software, etc.

...

Conclusions
Quite significant developments
have taken place during the
last few years in the area of
construction IT. Progress in
the areas of electronic
information representation
and data exchange has
opened the doors to numerous
opportunities for the
construction industry

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