THEMES AND PROJECTS OF ”IT BYGG&FASTIGHET … · ANALYSIS AS A BACKGROUND FOR FURTHER INITIATIVES ... ITC/FM, and relates this to the established field of Construction Information

THEMES AND PROJECTS OF ”IT BYGG&FASTIGHET 2002”

– AN ANALYSIS AS A BACKGROUND FOR FURTHER INITIATIVES

2000-05-12 Anders Ekholm Lund Institute of Technology/Lund University

Version 2000-05-12, Anders Ekholm, Projekteringsmetodik LTH

THEMES AND PROJECTS OF ”IT BYGG&FASTIGHET 2002” – AN ANALYSIS AS A BACKGROUND FOR FURTHER INITIATIVES

SUMMARY This paper classifies the projects in the national technological research and development programme IT Bygg&Fastighet 2002, with the purpose to identify gaps to fill in as well as new themes to pursue. The paper presents a ”map” of the field of information technology in construction and facility management. It identifies and structures research and development themes on the basis of an inventory of current conferences and a theoretical analysis. Finally the paper discusses the needs for additional projects and efforts to make the programme more comprehensive.

1 The “IT Construction&Real Estate Management 2002” programme

1.1 Objectives

IT Bygg&Fastighet 2002, with the unofficial acronym ”ITBoF”, translated into English as ”IT Construction&Real Estate Management 2002”, is a national technological research and development, TRD, programme, with the objective to establish a common IT-platform for the Construction and Facility Management sectors in Sweden. New methods of work and new technology are important goals, and the results shall be directly applicable. The program is directed towards three main fields, Research, Standardisation and Implementation. The programme board has decided to concentrate the efforts in all fields towards supporting the establishment of the common IT-platform. In the research field, this means that a majority of projects should regard product and process modelling; standardisation projects are concentrated to information standards, and implementation projects are directed towards information dissemination, education in the field, and demonstrations of software interoperability and software applications developed within the programme.

1.2 Financing

The programme has 115 Mkr at its disposal for the five year period 1998-2002. It is financed to 60% by the industry and to 40% by the state, the latter through the National Council for Building Research, BFR, and the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development, NUTEK. At halftime, April 2000, the projects amount to 46, covering a wide range of themes. A list of projects by April 2000 is presented in Appendix 2.

1.3 This paper

This paper is a result of a commission to the author by the ITBoF programme board. The task was given to develop a map of the programme’s field of TRD, and to position the ITBoF projects on this map with the purpose to identify gaps that should be filled by new projects. The second part of the paper discusses the concepts of Technological Research and Development and Research Theme. It defines the domain of IT in Construction and Facility Management, ITC/FM, and relates this to the established field of Construction Information


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Management. The third part identifies and structures research themes of ITC/FM, i.e. develops the ”map”, and relates these to the themes of the ITBoF programme. The forth part of the paper puts the ITBoF projects on the ”map” and finally the fifth part analyses the resulting distribution and discusses new initiatives that could be taken.

2 The research area of IT in Construction and Facility Management

2.1 Technological research and development

Technology is a field of inquiry that is directed towards answering the question: ”through which actions can this goal be achieved”, i.e. it deals with processes of action guided by goals and by knowledge, preferably scientific knowledge. Technological research and development, also called innovation, is characterised by a sequence of stages from technological research towards implementation and practical application of its results. Traditionally these stages of TRD are: Invention, Prototype development, and Production planning. Production as well as marketing poses new problems and could be seen as part of the whole innovation chain. Feasibility and market studies can be carried out in parallel during each of these stages. Each of the stages in the TRD-sequence has a characteristic outcome reflected by its name. The outcome of the invention stage are designs and models of new artefacts or procedures, the outcome of prototype development are prototypes, e.g. prototype software or pilot plants, examples of outcome of the planning stage are production plans and social programmes (Bunge 1983:213). In the ITBoF programme, projects are characterised as Research (f), Standardisation (s), and Implementation (i). This subdivision should reflect the time left to practical implementation. However, the term Standardisation is unfortunate since it leads the thoughts to standardisation of information. There are many projects in the programme with the same time span that are not standardisation projects. Standardisation of information is directed towards two separate areas: standardisation of information about products and processes, i.e. terms and concepts, and standardisation of information technology, e.g. in order to enable interoperability. Standardisation of information should not be seen as a stage in the innovation chain, but as a separate set of problems that can be the subject for both long term research and immediate implementation.

2.2 The concept of theme in TRD

Important factors that characterise a field of inquiry is its domain, i.e. the objects that are studied, its background knowledge, i.e. the philosophical outlook and scientific theories applied, its methods, i.e. procedures and problematic, i.e. the problems that are studied (Bunge 1983). In this article groups of similar TRD-problems are called themes. A theme can be defined as a collection of problems that concern similar or related properties of an object. For example, main themes in the study of society are its economy, polity and culture. Although they influence each other, themes of relatively independent character can be identified in any field of inquiry. There is probably no limit to how detailed a subdivision of themes may be.


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2.3 The domain of IT in Construction and Facility Management

In order to identify themes in the area of Information Technology in Construction and Facility Management, ITC/FM, the domain objects must be identified. Here, these are considered to be the construction and facility management processes, C/FM, their resources and results, including the information technology applied. The C/FM processes deal with on the one hand construction entities, or facilities, and their users, and on the other hand the processes involved in their construction and management. The construction process is divided into design and production. The result of the design stage are designs, i.e. conceptual models of the intended buildings and other artefacts, as well as representations in different kinds of documents including scale models. The outcome of the production stage are the concrete buildings and other artefacts, as well as documentation. The result of facility management are maintained buildings and services to the users together with maintenance documentation. Information technology of relevance to the C/FM processes are information systems and information networks. An information system consists of a conceptual schema, an information base, an information processor, and the necessary hardware. The schema together with the information base constitute a conceptual model, e.g. of an intended artefact like a building (Boman 1993). Information technology mainly supports the abstract processes of information management, e.g. development of the design, and control of production processes.

2.4 The research area of ITC

In order to clarify the wider domain of ITC/FM , the role that information has in the processes should be clarified. A main division can be made between information and material processes, where the role of information processes is to control the material processes. From this perspective, the early stages of the construction process, e.g. feasibility studies, design and production planning, are mainly control processes preparing for, on the one hand the actual production processes, and on the other hand processes in the later facility management stage. Facility management itself could be seen as composed of both information and material processes where maintenance work would be an example of a material process. Construction, and facility management, including design, production and management of facilities, are established fields of knowledge. Similarly, information technology is a field of its own with a large body of knowledge concerning both hardware and software. IT has had a deep impact on the C/FM field, and it is relevant to wonder whether the merge of IT and C/FM constitute a new discipline, or if it is a widening of established construction and facility management fields. In a recent article, Björk presents a definition of the domain of IT in construction, ITC (Björk 1999). He states that ”ITC is in particular concerned with how IT tools and techniques can be used to facilitate and reengineer the information process” and ”Information transfer throughout the construction process, between organisations, life-cycle stages and engineering disciplines is a primary research area for IT in construction”. It is interesting to notify that this definition of research area for ITC fits very well with the established field of construction information systematic, dealing with information standardisation and building classification. This has for long not been seen as a field of research, but rather as a field of implementation. However, the introduction of IT has initiated a new research interest in the field.


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On the basis of this analysis it seems that IT applied to C/FM and established field of construction information management show a close resemblance and to a large extent have the same scope. So far, however, ITC/FM research has not acknowledged its dependence on the information management field. For example, knowledge of established building classi-fication seems absent in many approaches to building product modelling (Ekholm 1999). The conclusion here is that ITC/FM and Construction Information Management would benefit from being merged into one TRD-field with a common domain. This common domain of ITC/FM could be defined with a slight adjustment of Björk’s above as follows: ” ITC/FM is concerned with information standardisation, information technology and information transfer throughout the planning, construction and facility management processes, between organisations, life-cycle stages and disciplines”. A demarcation should be made between ITC/FM and the application of IT to specific problems in construction or facility management, e.g. design methodology or calculation. In both areas it is important to remember the problems that may arise due to an instrumental approach to problem solving, i.e. when a technology expert tries to solve problems using his technology without proper domain knowledge. The risk of mistakes in problem formulation are obvious for someone approaching a new field, and many resources may be spent solving the wrong kinds of problems.

3 TRD-themes in ITC/FM and in the ITBoF programme

3.1 Methods to define themes

In principle there are two main methods to define themes within a TRD-field. One method is to start ”bottom up” and make an inventory of ongoing projects and the problems that these address, and structure these into themes. The other method is to proceed ”top down”, i.e. to identify the domain objects and their properties, and point out gaps in knowledge about these. The latter was done by Björk in the earlier mentioned article where he presents a selection of research themes on the basis of a ”top down” approach (Björk 1999).

3.2 A bottom-up approach

A bottom-up approach to identifying and structuring TRD-themes in a field would proceed by identifying and grouping known themes. In Appendix 3 is presented an inventory of current TRD-themes in construction IT, and different ways of structuring these. The themes emanate from a collection of recent conferences within the field. The multitude of themes gives a good overview of this field’s scope and complexity. Among those presented, the CIB W78 conference in Reykjavik is among the most structured.

3.3 A top-down approach

A top-down, or theoretical, approach to grouping the themes would start by identifying the objects of the domain and their characteristics. With the purpose of creating an overreaching structure with full coverage, three major themes of ITC/FM can be identified: Information management in construction and facility management using IT, Impact of IT on work organisation and processes, and Strategies for IT implementation. Information management using IT mainly influences the design, production planning and facility management processes. This main theme may be further detailed into four sub-


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themes: Process and product models, Classification and standardisation, Software applications, and Communication and information environments. Of these only the second, Classification and information standardisation, is an established TRD-theme in the construction context, the others including standardisation of IT formats, e.g. file formats, are introduced in the context of IT. Process and product models are necessary ingredients in information systems. These models are conceptual representations expressed in formal languages, in order that they can be handled by computers. Classification and standardisation concerns the development of a common language for different actors in the processes. The area has a large overlap with Process and product models since both fields must share some basic concepts. Software applications are programmes that can be used to synthesise or analyse information representing the domain objects. They are designed to support new work tasks and are strongly related to the field of Work organisation and processes. Communication and information environments are networks of connected computers like the Internet and enterprise specific intranets. All these are separate but interrelated issues in IT supported information management for any domain, and all are relevant TRD themes. The major themes thus identified are: 1 Process and product models 2 Classification and standardisation 3 Software applications 4 Communication and information environments 5 Work organisation and processes 6 IT-strategies

3.4 A detailing of the main themes

In Appendix 1 is presented a detailed map of themes in research areas within the broader field of ITC/FM research. The map is a result of a synthesis of the top-down and bottom-up approaches and detailed through exemplification of themes found in the conferences presented in Appendix 3. Below is presented a detailing in one sublevel of the major themes where the selection of sub-themes has been influenced in part by the collection of conference themes. 1 Process and product models 1.1 Modelling 1.2 Process models 1.3 Product models 2 Classification and standardisation 2.1 Classification 2.2 Terminology 2.3 Standardisation 3 Software applications 3.1 Documentation and presentation 3.2 Synthesis 3.3 Simulation and analysis 3.4 Construction tools 4 Communication and information environments 4.1 Communication 4.2 Internet, intranet, and extranet technologies


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5 Work organisation and processes 5.1 IT supported collaboration 5.2 Process re-engineering 5.3 Electronic commerce 6 IT-strategies 6.1 Management 6.2 TRD-programmes and education

3.5 TRD-themes identified in this study related to the ITBoF programme

The programme ”IT in Construction and Facility Management 2002”, has from the start presented five strategic fields of activity:

1 Communication and knowledge provision 2 Human-machine interface 3 Product-, process, and other data models 4 Classification and standards 5 Implementation and changed methods of work. An important question in the context of this project is whether these themes can be regarded as covering the whole field as analysed above or if parts are missing. Below is made a comparison of themes found in this project and themes in the original ITBoF programme.

ITBoF 1 Communication and knowledge provision Mentioned examples of projects in the programme are: electronic commerce, common databases, and project document management.

In this study, electronic commerce is found under 5 Work organisation and processes, part 5.3 Electronic commerce. The reason is that electronic commerce represents a great change in work routines, and this is a more important aspect than its requirement on the IT environment. Common databases and project document management are found in 3 Software applications specifically part 3.1 Documentation and presentation.

ITBoF 2 Human-machine interface Examples of projects in the programme are ”practical studies of the use of computer systems in their environment in offices and field work etc”. Interface issues are not treated as a separate theme in the present study, but may be handled in themes 3 Software applications, 5 Work organisation and processes, and 6 IT-strategies. Questions of interface design from an esthetical or ergonomic view should be integrated into any project that deals with information systems for human use. More specifically psychological and medical aspects raised in deeper analysis are outside the scope of ITC/FM.

ITBoF 3 Product-, process, and other data models Projects within this area concerns the further development of product models and process models, among others for the needs in facility management and early design stages. In this study these projects are found in theme 1 Product and process models.

ITBoF 4 Classification and standards This field includes new areas for classification, development of basic concepts etc. The field is equivalent to this study’s theme 2 Classification and standardisation.


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ITBoF 5 Implementation and changed methods of work The field covers a wide range of issues including methods of evaluation and re-engineering of processes. Studies of change processes and education programmes as well as new forms of co-operation, belong to this area. In this study these issues may be found in theme 4 Communication and information environments, 5 Work organisation and processes and 6 IT-strategies. The themes identified in this study and those of the ITBoF programme show strong resemblance. A difference is that the themes in this study are the result of explicit both practical and theoretical considerations, see section 3. The table below shows the relation between the themes found in this study, and the themes of the ITBoF programme. The main difference lies in the treatment of ITBoF theme 2 Human-machine interface and ITBoF theme 5 Implementation and changed methods of work. Themes in this study Themes in ITBoF 1 Process and product models 1 Communication and

knowledge provision 2 Classification, terminology and

standardisation 2 Human-machine interface

3 Software applications 3 Product- process and other data models

4 Communication and information environments

4 Classification and standards

5 Work organisation and processes

5 Implementation and changed methods of work.

6 IT-strategies

Table 1 Themes in this study related to ITBoF themes

4 Analysis of the ITBoF programme

4.1 Distribution of projects and grants by theme and TRD-category

This section relates the current projects within ITBoF to the map of themes developed in this study. See Appendix 1. A project may cover several different themes, but in order to get a general view of the distribution of projects on the map, each project is classified firstly under one primary theme and secondly under relevant secondary themes. In the map the primary theme of a project is depicted in fat style. Each project is also classified according to the ITBoF-categories Research (f), Standardisation (s), and Implementation (i). It may be remarked here that there is no entirely objective way to identify themes and to classify projects. The result of this investigation is dependent on the author’s judgement. Any action taken on the basis of the results must consider this. Despite this weakness the method may produce useful insights. Table 2 is a summary of Appendix 1. It shows the number of projects by detailed theme, primary and secondary, as well as TRD-category. Diagram 1 shows the number of projects by primary and secondary major theme.


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Main themes/TRD category Res Stan Impl Sum Res Stan Impl Sum Tot prim prim prim prim sec sec sec sec sum 1 Process and product models 3 4 3 10 6 2 8 16 26 1.1 Modelling 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 Process models 2 4 2 8 3 2 3 8 16 1.3 Product models 1 0 1 2 3 0 5 8 10 2 Classification and standardisation 1 18 2 21 1 18 1 20 41 2.1 Classification 0 5 0 5 1 7 1 9 14 2.2 Terminology 0 2 0 2 0 6 0 6 8 2.3 Standardisation 1 11 2 14 0 5 0 5 19 3 Software applications 3 0 7 10 2 5 9 16 26 3.1 Documentation and presentation 1 0 6 7 1 5 3 9 16 3.2 Synthesis 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 3 3.3 Simulation and analysis 1 0 1 2 0 0 5 5 7 3.4 Construction tools 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Communication and information environments 0 0 0 0 3 2 2 7 7 4.1 Communication 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 4.2 Internet, intranet, and extranet technologies 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 6 6 5 Work organisation and processes 1 0 2 3 1 2 5 8 11 5.1 Collaboration 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 3 5.2 Process re-engineering 1 0 0 1 0 1 4 5 6 5.3 Electronic commerce 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 2 6 IT-strategies 1 0 1 2 2 0 2 5 7 6.1 Management 1 0 1 2 2 0 2 4 6 6.2 TRD-programmes and education 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

Table 2 Projects by theme and TRD category, detailed. (p=primary, s=secondary)

Diagram 1 Projects by primary and secondary major theme

0

5

10

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25

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35

40

45

1 Process andproduct models

2 Classificationand

standardisation

3 Softwareapplications

4Communicationand informationenvironments

5 Workorganisation and

processes

6 IT-strategies

SecondaryPrimary


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Table 3 is a compact version of table 2 and shows the number of projects by main theme and TRD-category. Diagram 2 illustrates the number of projects by TRD-category. Main themes/TRD category Research Standardis Implement 1 Process and product models 3 4 3 2 Classification and standardisation 1 18 2 3 Software applications 3 0 7 4 Communication and information environments 0 0 0 5 Work organisation and processes 1 0 2 6 IT-strategies 1 0 1 Sum total 9 22 15

Table 3 Projects by main theme and TRD category

As mentioned in section 2.1, it is important to realise that the Standardisation category here is used as a stage in the TRD-chain in between Research and Implementation. The projects in the Standardisation category are not exactly the same as those in theme 2 Classification and standardisation. Some projects in the theme have research character, especially early stages of projects that include definitions of concepts and terms. Other projects have implementation character, e.g. the main stages of classification projects. Standardisation as a category in ITBoF has been recognised for the reason of the importance of standardisation projects to reach the programme goal of a common IT platform. The criteria for how projects are classified into the three categories are not explicitly defined. Therefore, in order to draw conclusion from this statistics e.g. whether much or little funding has been allocated to research or implementation projects is not possible.

Diagram 2 Projects by TRD category

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22

15

0

5

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25

Research Standardis Implement


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Table 4 is similar to table 2, but instead of number of projects shows the grants by detailed theme and TRD-category. Here only a project’s primary theme is accounted for. Diagram 3 shows the grants by major theme. Category/ITBoF project Research Standardis Implement Summary Grant summary 17121 14633 8058 39812 1 Process and product models 5288 3920 1304 10512 1.1 Modelling 0 0 0 0 1.2 Process models 3538 3920 842 8300 1.3 Product models 1750 0 462 2212 2 Classification and standardisation 2280 10713 1368 14361 2.1 Classification 0 2635 0 2635 2.2 Terminology 0 2383 0 2383 2.3 Standardisation 2280 5695 1368 9343 3 Software applications 4895 0 3202 8097 3.1 Documentation and presentation 1160 0 2517 3677 3.2 Synthesis 2615 0 0 2615 3.3 Simulation and analysis 1120 0 685 1805 3.4 Construction tools 0 0 0 0 4 Communication and information environments 0 0 0 0 4.1 Communication 0 0 0 0 4.2 Internet, intranet, and extranet technologies 0 0 0 0 5 Work organisation and processes 2628 0 1524 4152 5.1 Collaboration 0 0 904 904 5.2 Process re-engineering 2628 0 0 2628 5.3 Electronic commerce 0 0 620 620 6 IT-strategies 2030 0 660 2690 6.1 Management 2030 0 660 2690 6.2 TRD-programmes and education 0 0 0 0

Table 4 Grants by theme and TRD category

Diagram 3 Grants by major theme

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

1 Process andproduct models

2 Classification andstandardisation

3 Softwareapplications

4 Communicationand informationenvironments

5 Workorganisation and

processes

6 IT-strategies


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Table 5 is a compact version of table 4. It shows the distribution of grants by major theme and TRD-category. Diagram 4 illustrates the distribution of grants by TRD-category. Category/ITBoF project Research Standardis Implement Summary Grant summary 17121 14633 8058 39812 1 Process and product models 5288 3920 1304 10512 2 Classification and standardisation 2280 10713 1368 14361 3 Software applications 4895 0 3202 8097 4 Communication and information environments 0 0 0 0 5 Work organisation and processes 2628 0 1524 4152 6 IT-strategies 2030 0 660 2690

Table 5 Grants by major theme and TRD category

5 Reflections on the contents of the programme This section presents the author’s reflections on the themes concerning what might be considered relevant gaps to fill by new projects in the ITBoF programme. The text presupposes knowledge of the present ITBoF projects and should be seen as directed to the programme board. Still the analysis is not taken very far, since that would have to be based on a separate treatment of each of the projects, and be out of the scope of the present task.

5.1 Tables and diagrams

From the tables and diagrams above, it is clear that the emphasis of the programme so far is on the first three themes, 1 Process and product models, 2 Classification and standardisation, and 3 Software applications. It also shows that research projects have the largest grants so far closely followed by standardisation projects.

Diagram 4 Grants by TRD category

17121

14633

8058

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

Research Standardis Implement

ResearchStandardisImplement


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5.2 Themes and projects

1 Process and product models 1.1 Modelling There is no project that has this theme as primary. An important issue of the theme is evolution of product models during design. Examples of problems are schema evolution, object reclassification, and object libraries. In the international ITC/FM context, there are a handful of research projects that deal with these problems, among others the Swedish BAS•CAAD-project.

1.2 Process models This theme is well covered by projects in the programme. Especially FM-process models for immediate implementation are well covered. There is a need for construction process models, similar to those developed in the FI 2002 project, to support implementation projects concerning information retrieval from project databases to specification and calculation documents.

1.3 Product models There are several projects, mainly implementation, that touch upon the theme, but very few that are directly aimed at it. The field has been a subject for research for many years. Today, an important problem is integration of product models and classification. Therefore, much work of relevance to product modelling is done within theme 2 Classification and standardisation. On the other hand new problems are discovered during this process. For example, the division between functional and compositional views is part of a general understanding in classification, but not yet integrated into mainstream product modelling work like IFC. The programme supports Swedish participation in IAI, as well as an analysis of the relation between IFC and the BSAB system. It would also be relevant to support demonstrations of how IFC could be used for product model based information exchange between applications. Interoperability through a neutral file format could speed up the introduction of new software applications in the Swedish C/FM sector. This development requires a market demand that project information is model based and communicated in neutral formats. Considering the increasing importance of product models in C/FM processes it is necessary that new projects are initiated within the programme, both implementation and research.

2 Classification and standardisation This main theme is of great importance to the establishment of a common Swedish IT-platform and is, as intended, very well supported by the programme in the Standardisation (medium time span) phase. A separate study has analysed the projects in this theme, see (Häggström 1999).

2.1 Classification The BSAB system has an important role in Swedish construction information exchange and has international fame. However, the BSAB system also has weaknesses especially in the early stages of design, and in the FM process. There are projects that deal with this within the programme. Follow-ups to these can be expected.


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2.2 Terminology A nationally and internationally important effort is the development of an internet based terminology database within the programme.

2.3 Standardisation Also this theme is well covered by the programme. There is no direct support for STEP-based standardisation in the programme, but this is due to the fact that work of relevance to the construction industry is mostly done through the defacto standard IFC within IAI. The IFC development aims at international standardisation for the construction sector but is still very much a software industry matter with limited construction industry participation. However, just as it should be left to the software industry to standardise the technology, e.g. file formats, it should be left to the C/FM industry to lead the development of the information standards that enable national and international information exchange. Much of the information standardisation work done within IAI today must be regarded as prototype work that should be taken over for further development and practical implementation by national and international C/FM information organisations like the Swedish Building Centre and ICIS, the International Construction Information Society.

3 Software applications This main theme has considerably fewer projects in the programme than the two former ones. The reason could be both that there is lack of knowledge about the programme among software developers and that software development is not a strong industry in Sweden. It would be relevant to encourage more projects in this area as a whole.

3.1 Documentation and presentation Projects within this theme would develop applications within product information and documentation. An example would be applications that generate specifications and cost calculations from a project database. The BSAB Demonstrator programme intends to show the possibilities here.

3.2 Synthesis An important research project for case-based design is financed within this theme. Further projects developed for specific applications would be of interest, for example user activity planning and spatial layout. Another example is integration of the BSAB system into CAD-applications.

3.3 Simulation and analysis The situation is similar here as in the former two sub-themes. Energy, sound, fire escape, code conformance, are examples of applications that would be of interest in this theme.

3.4 Construction tools There are no projects within the programme that investigates this field. Examples would be use of product models for production robot control, e.g. in the prefab housing industry.

4 Communication and information environments The world wide web has become the common ”information highway”. Putting information on the web is an increasingly important way to distribute information and communicate. An example would be web based project databases. It would be natural to see more projects dealing with web based information solutions.


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4.1 Communication The web is the most used communication tool beside the telephone today. For example testing new technology for interactive communication among designers and authorities in the design process would be of interest. A designer could meet with and discuss solutions with an expert interactively although situated in different parts of the country or globe.

4.2 Internet, intranet and extranet technologies Some projects touch upon this subject, but there is no project that has this as a major theme.

5 Work organisation and processes IT has in many cases a revolutionary impact on the way traditional tasks are performed, it both eliminates and enables. Therefore process reengineering is a major consequence of the new technology. The organisation of new processes is an important field of development that as yet has generated relatively few projects within the programme.

5.1 Collaboration This area which deals with Internet-based “virtual” organisations and work teams has gained increasing interest in international conferences. The programme has also recently financed a project in this area.

5.2 Process reengineering IT will enable new integrated construction processes, yet there are only a few projects that deal with this. It would be of interest to encourage more projects here.

5.3 Electronic commerce This is an important field that a few projects deal with.

6 IT strategies This area deals with management of IT in society and industry, concerning strategic issues like financing, research and education. More project could be considered here. Of great importance to the Swedish context would be to address the issues of education both basic and continued in the field of ITC/FM. Finally it is urgent to consider future support to TRD within the field when the present ITBoF programme ends in 2002.

6 References Björk B-C 1999 Information Technology in construction: domain definition and research

issues. Int. Journal of Computer Integrated Design And Construction, vol. 1, no 1. Boman et al (1993). Models, concepts, and information. Stockholm: Department of Computer

and Systems Science, Royal Institute of Technology, October 1993. Bunge M. (1983). Epistemology and methodology I: Exploring the world. Vol. 5 of Treatise

on Basic Philosophy. Dordrecht: D. Reidel Publishing Company. Ekholm A. (1999). Co-ordination of classifications for product modelling and established

building classifications. In: Durability of Building Materials & Components 8 , Vol. 4 Information Technology in Construction, (M. A. Lacasse and D. J. Vanier eds.) NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada

Häggström L. (1999). Tydligare bild över IT B&Fs projekt. Stockholm: IT Bygg&Fastighet.


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Appendix 1

ITBoF themes and projects Project number in fat style marks the project’s main theme, f=TRD, s=Standardisation, and i=Implementation. 1 Process and product models 1.1 Modelling Modelling methodologies and technologies Model evolution 1.2 Process models Core process models 98302f, 99501f Design process models Construction process models 98101f, 98302f, 99403f, 99501f, 98113s, 98312s, 99411s, 99504s, 98324i, 99517i Project management models Construction planning systems 98324i Construction information management 98302f, 99501f, 99502f, 98219s, 99506s, 98324i, 98113s FM modelling 98113s, 98312s, 99411s, 99504s, 99415i, 99416i Life Cycle information management 98113s, 98312s, 99411s, 99504s, 99415i,

99416i Enterprise and organisation modelling 99414i 1.3 Product models Product Modelling Generic product data models Integrated models supporting multiple views 99424i, 99310i, 98324i, 99415i Building product modelling 98101f, 99502f, 99503f, 98310i, 98324i, 98326i, 99415i User activity modelling 99414i CAD-components Conversion of CAD-drawings into product models 98109f Construction Site Modelling 98324i Geographic Information Systems 99415i 2 Classification and standardisation 2.1 Classification ISO and international 98219s, 99506s AEC/FM classification 98306s, 98406s, 98305s, 99405s AEC classification 99409s FM classification 98113s, 98312s, 99411s, 99504s, 99415i Construction resource classification 98101f, 98305s, 99405s, 98307s 2.2 Terminology Terminology co-ordination and databases 98113s, 98312s, 99411s, 99504s, 98206s, 98308s, 99410s 2.2 Standardisation Integration of standards 98111s, 98309s, 98208s, 99425i IAI/IFC 98111s, 98309s, 98310i EDIFACT STEP Interoperability methods 98101f, 98111s, 98309s, 99310i Standardization of Life Cycle Data 98113s, 98312s, 99411s, 99504s Structuring layers in CAD 98208s, 99425i Document meta data 98219s, 98220s, 99410s, 99506s, 99510s, 99425i Product and Project Database Formats 98101f, 98307s Mark-up languages Reference information management 98115s, 98206s Product information standardisation 99505s, 98101f


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3 Software applications 3.1 Documentation and presentation Virtual reality 99503f, 98326i, 99518i, 99519i Multimedia Animation Human-computer interaction 98326i, 99415i Data warehousing and the construction industry Product databases 98101f, 98307s Requirement databases Document management systems 98216i, 99413i 98219s, 98220s, 99410s,

99506s Scanning of drawings Implementing standards in software applications 99424i, 99415i 3.2 Synthesis CAD and CAAD Knowledge-based Systems 99502f Shape Grammar Design for life cycle performance Case-based design 99402f HVAC design 99424f Structural design Renovation design Space Planning 99414i Rapid Prototyping Organisation design 99414i 3.3 Simulation and analysis Building and process plant simulation 98310i Automated task support in the process industry Representation of design standards and building codes 99424i Automated conformance checking Performance Evaluation 98326i Expert systems for construction 99502f Cost optimisation Building acoustics Environmental Simulation 99310i Computer-aided facilities management 99415i, 99416i User activity simulation 99414i 3.4 Construction tools Construction Robotics Design for building CAD/CAM 4 Communication and information environments 4.1 Communication IT as a communication tool for AEC 98103f Communication models and paradigms Information logistics Just-in-time information delivery 4.2 Internet, intranet, and extranet technologies Internet and the WWW Web-technologies for distributing building products 98101f, 98307s Web based information retrieval 98308s Agent based resource discovery 98216i, 99413i Integrated environments Integration technologies for the construction process 99403f Distributed computer integrated environments 98216i, 99413i Collaborative engineering and design environments 5 Work organisation and processes 5.1 Collaboration Computer mediated collaboration 99415i Co-operative Design 98103f Design collaboration using the web


17

Virtual project teams Virtual collaboration and partnering 98103f, 99517i 5.2 Process re-engineering Concurrent engineering Re-engineering of the construction process 99424i, 98324i, 99416i Re-engineering of the project planning process Re-engineering of business processes 98307s, 98315i Web based bid processes 99403f New services of companies 99403f 5.3 Electronic commerce Marketing and electronic trading 98307s, 98315i 6 IT-strategies 6.1 Management Management of IT in AEC Strategic deployment of IT 98302f, 99501f Industrial applications and case studies 98324i, 99416i Implementation and organizational issues in AEC 98103f IT investment planning IT surveys 98001i Best practise databases Conflict management 6.2 TRD-programmes and education Research strategies Centres of excellence or networks in construction IT Government-sponsored IT R&D programmes Research results into practice Design education Distance learning Disseminating information about IT in construction 98001i


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Appendix 2

ITBoF projects by TRD category Project f=TRD, s=Standardisation, and i=Implementation.

Research projects 98101f Varuinformation i datorintegrerade bygg- och förvaltningsprocesser 98103f The use of computer mediated communications (CMC) in the development and transfer of knowledge

in large construction projects: dealing with contingencies 98109f Konvertering av CAD-ritningar till produktmodeller 98302f Models for the Construction Process (MoPo), etapp 1 99501f Models for the Construction Process (MoPo), etapp 2 99402f CASE- BASED DESIGN PROCESS -facilitating the use of product models for the purpose of

information evolution 99403f Internet Business in Construction- Advanced Web-based Services in Architecture, Engineering and

Construction (AEC) Industry. 99502f Assessment and Maintenance of Building and Civil Engineering Structures with CFRP –

Multiobjective Optimisation, etapp 1 99503f Applied Virtual Reality for Large and Complex Buildings, etapp 1 Standardisation projects 98111s Tillämpning av IFC i Sverige, etapp 1 98309s Tillämpning av IFC i Sverige, etapp 2 98113s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, förstudie 98312s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, etapp 1 99411s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, etapp 2:1 99504s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, etapp 2:2 98115s Gränssnitt för referensinformation i plan-, bygg- och fastighetssektorn, delproj 1 98206s Terminologisamordning, del 1 och del 2 98308s Terminologi-webb. Uppbyggnad 98208s Tillämpning av BSAB 96 i ISO-standard för CAD-lager 99409s BSAB 96 och klassifikation för produktmodellering och design-förstudie 98219s Metadata för dokument i byggande och förvaltning, etapp 1 99506s Metadata för dokument i byggande och förvaltning, etapp 2 98220s Framtida standardiseringsbehov för IT-producerade tekniska dokument. 99410s Elektronisk dokumentadministration i bygg- och förvaltningsprocesserna, förstudie 98305s Resursklassifikation-förstudie 99405s Resursklassifikation-huvudstudie, etapp 1 98306s Klassifikation av byggnadsverk och utrymmen-initiering 99406s Klassifikation av byggnadsverk och utrymmen-förstudie 98307s Varuinformationsmeddelanden Bygg 99505s Kollieetikett Bygg 99510s Ritningsnumrering i bygg- och förvaltningssektorn Implementation projects 98001i IT Barometern 98216i BSAB Demonstrator 99413i BSAB Demonstrator, version 2 99424i Från idé till förvaltning med hjälp avBSAB 96 98310i IF-Cim. Metoder och verktyg för dataöverföring från IFC till simuleringsmodeller. 98315i Plan för implementering av elektronisk handel inom bygg- och fastighetssektorn 98324i ProdIT-3D Productmodel as 4D Productionmodel 98326i Virtuell CAD 99414i Aktivitetsobjekt i CAD-program för byggnadsutformning 99415i Prototyp av produktmodelltänkande för fastighetsförvaltning 99416i IT som stöd för beställare och entreprenörer vid fastighetsdrift – särskilt vid funktionsentreprenader

och kvalitetssäkring 99425i Handlingar inom byggsektorn i projektet ”Inredningshandlingar 2002”, etapp 1 99517i Network Based Project Collaboration in Construction, etapp 1 99518i Virtuell CAD, kravspecifikation 99519i IFC länk till VR CAD projno 98326


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Appendix 2 continued

IT B&F projects by themes Project f=TRD, s=Standardisation, and i=Implementation. 1 Process and product models 1.1 Modelling 1.2 Process models 98113s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, förstudie 98312s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, etapp 1 98302f Models for the Construction Process (MoPo), etapp 1 99501f Models for the Construction Process (MoPo), etapp 2 98324i ProdIT-3D Productmodel as 4D Productionmodel 99411s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, etapp 2:1 99504s Förvaltningshandlingar 2000, etapp 2:2 99415i Prototyp av produktmodelltänkande för fastighetsförvaltning 1.3 Product models 98109f Konvertering av CAD-ritningar till produktmodeller 99414i Aktivitetsobjekt i CAD-program för byggnadsutformning 2 Classification and standardisation 2.1 Classification 98306s Klassifikation av byggnadsverk och utrymmen-initiering 99406s Klassifikation av byggnadsverk och utrymmen-förstudie 98305s Resursklassifikation-förstudie 99405s Resursklassifikation-huvudstudie, etapp 1 99409s BSAB 96 och klassifikation för produktmodellering och design-förstudie 2.2 Terminology 98206s Terminologisamordning, del 1 och del 2 98308s Terminologi-webb. Uppbyggnad 2.2 Standardisation 98101f Varuinformation i datorintegrerade bygg- och förvaltningsprocesser 98111s Tillämpning av IFC i Sverige, etapp 1 98309s Tillämpning av IFC i Sverige, etapp 2 98115s Gränssnitt för referensinformation i plan-, bygg- och fastighetssektorn, delproj 1 98208s Tillämpning av BSAB 96 i ISO-standard för CAD-lager 98219s Metadata för dokument i byggande och förvaltning, etapp 1 99506s Metadata för dokument i byggande och förvaltning, etapp 2 98220s Framtida standardiseringsbehov för IT-producerade tekniska dokument. 98307s Varuinformationsmeddelanden Bygg 98310i IF-Cim. Metoder och verktyg för dataöverföring från IFC till simuleringsmodeller. 99425i Handlingar inom byggsektorn i projektet ”Inredningshandlingar 2002”, etapp 1 99410s Elektronisk dokumentadministration i bygg- och förvaltningsprocesserna, förstudie 99505s Kollieetikett Bygg 99510s Ritningsnumrering i bygg- och förvaltningssektorn 3 Software applications 3.1 Documentation and presentation 98216i BSAB Demonstrator 99413i BSAB Demonstrator, version 2 98326i Virtuell CAD 99424i Från idé till förvaltning med hjälp avBSAB 96 99503f Applied Virtual Reality for Large and Complex Buildings, etapp 1 99518i Virtuell CAD, kravspecifikation 99519i IFC länk till VR CAD projno 98326 3.2 Synthesis 99402f CASE- BASED DESIGN PROCESS -facilitating the use of product models for the purpose of

information evolution 3.3 Simulation and analysis 99416i IT som stöd för beställare och entreprenörer vid fastighetsdrift – särskilt vid funktionsentreprenader

och kvalitetssäkring


20

99502f Assessment and Maintenance of Building and Civil Engineering Structures with CFRP – Multiobjective Optimisation, etapp 1

3.4 Construction tools 4 Communication and information environments 4.1 Communication 4.2 Internet, intranet, and extranet technologies 5 Work organisation and processes 5.1 Collaboration 99517i Network Based Project Collaboration in Construction, etapp 1 5.2 Process re-engineering 99403f Internet Business in Construction- Advanced Web-based Services in Architecture, Engineering and

Construction (AEC) Industry. 5.3 Electronic commerce 98315i Plan för implementering av elektronisk handel inom bygg- och fastighetssektorn 6 IT-strategies 6.1 Management 98001i IT Barometern 98103f The use of computer mediated communications (CMC) in the development and transfer of knowledge

in large construction projects: dealing with contingencies 6.2 TRD-programmes and education


21

Appendix 3 Examples of recent TRD conference themes in the field.

International Construction Information Technology Conference, Sydney, Australia, 1996 Project presentation & Communication: Physical and digital models Multimedia Virtual reality Animation Computer mediated collaboration Project design & documentation: Computer-aided design Requirement databases Computer based simulation and analysis STEP and the construction industry Design knowledge-bases Automated conformance checking Project & Facility management: Computer-aided facilities management Best-practice databases Electronic commerce Data warehousing and the construction industry Process –re-engineering and information technology Product and cost databases

CIB W78 Workshop Bled, Slovenia, 1996 IT management in issues: IT strategies and IT management within AEC (architecture, civil engineering, construction) organizations and groups ranging from the work-group to national level. Re-engineering of the construction process using IT as an enabling technology Facility management. Enterprise and organization modeling. IT as the source of integration methods and technologies for the construction process: Modeling techniques and tools. Product and process modeling in AEC. Electronic document management in construction. Computerization of building regulations. STEP and other standards. Implementation technologies (databases, knowledge-bases, hypermedia, multimedia). Integrated computer integrated construction (CIC) environments. IT as a communication tool for AEC industries (the focus of this year's workshop): Communication models and paradigms. Information logistics. Agent based resource discovery. Just-in-time information delivery. AEC information systems and services from work-group to global level. Collaborative engineering and design environments, virtual design offices and work-groups. Group- technologies. Distance learning. Enabling technologies such as Internet, WWW and beyond.

CIB W78 Workshop, Cairns, Australia, 1997 Re-engineering of the construction process using IT as an enabling technology. (Conference theme) IT as the source of integration methods and technologies for the construction process. IT as a communication tool for AEC. Management of IT in AEC Methods for speeding processing of information Integrating Product, Process, and Organization Models Modeling Methodologies and Technologies Modeling Environment: General Models vs. Discipline/Phase Specific Models Human Interfaces to Product, Process, and Organization Models


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Building Product Models in Practice: Testing , Application, and Impact Utilization of Hypertext, Document Management, and Knowledge-based System Technologies for Implementation of Codes and Regulations

CIB W78 Workshop, Stockholm, Sweden, 1998 In the research domain: Overviews of larger government-sponsored IT R&D programmes, aims, mechanisms and results State-of-the-art reviews of research into different IT-technologies in construction (i.e. building product modelling, expert systems for construction, construction robotics) Results of empirical research into how the construction industry and/or individual companies are using IT, what IT-strategies they have etc. Descriptions of research where prototypes developed in a research environment have been tested on real construction projects In the practice domain: Case studies of companies making innovative or pioneering use of IT in order to offer new services or to re-engineer their way of working. Case studies of how companies co-operate with research organisations to bring research results into practice (i.e. in EU funded projects) In the commercial software development domain: Case studies of how research and standardisation results have been applied in commercial software products. Topical presentations focusing on the strategies of software vendors in regards to standards, interoperability etc. In the standardis ation domain: Overviews of the current status of different relevant standardisation efforts (i.e. IAI/IFC, EDIFACT etc.) Case studies of the implementation of standards in software products and of their deployment in practice (EDIFACT, STEP, IAI) Presentations high-lighting the experiences of the standardisation process itself (on what level to standardise, technical versus political aspects) In the dissemination domain: Presentation of the work of centres of excellence or networks dedicated to dissemination information about construction IT. Development efforts to use IT as a means for disseminating and popularising information about IT in construction (Multimedia tools, web publishing etc)

CIB W78 Workshop, Vancouver, Canada, 1999 Asset and Facilities Management: Life Cycle Planning and Analysis Life Cycle Data Investment Planning Integration and Interoperability: Product Modeling Data Classification, Integration and Sharing Standardization of Life Cycle Data Designing for Maintainability and Sustainability: Computerized Maintenance Management Product and Project Database Formats Data Formatting for the Design Life of Buildings

CIB W78 Workshop Reykjavik, Iceland, 2000 AEC - Networking and Communication: National and International AEC - Information Networks and services, virtual collaboration and partnering, marketing and electronic trading. Intranet, Extranet and Internet technologies, architecture and infrastructures. Product and Process Modelling: Review of technologies and implementation, case studies, software applications and tools, standardisation, modelling methodologies and PPM role in Computer Integrated Construction. Integrated Environments: IT management, Information management, Standards and Building Regulations, Concurrent Engineering. Re-engineering of business processes, decision making, workflow and communication. Computer aided design and construction: Software applications and tools, and associated information technologies and methods to support the design, civil engineering, construction, manufacturing and facility management processes.


23

Knowledge Based Systems and application of Artificial Intelligence: KB and intelligent agents for accessing and capturing organisation and industry knowledge to support management, decision making and automation of processes. National/International collaboration and R&D projects devoted to Construction IT: Deliverables and intermediate results from 4th and 5th EU framework projects. International standardisation efforts, STEP, IAI, EDI, ISO. Implementation, Organizational and Managerial IT issues in the Construction Sector: Innovative use of IT, impact of IT, uptake of IT, IT education, IT surveys, strategic deployment of IT, IT investment.

CAAD Futures '95, Singapore, 1995 Case-based Reasoning Cooperative Design Decision Support Systems Design Kinematics and Animation Electronic Design Media Environmental Simulation Generative Systems Geographic Information Systems Human-computer Interaction Information Delivery Systems for Design Knowledge-based Design Tools and AI Precedence and Prototypes Prediction and Evaluation Rapid Prototyping Construction Robotics Scene and Product Modelling Shape Grammar Shape Recognition and Emergence Space Planning & Facilities Management Trends in Practice Virtual Reality

CAAD Futures 97, Munich, Germany, 1997 Environmental Simulation Performance Evaluation Decision Support Systems Virtual Reality Electronic Design Media Geographic Information Systems Co-operative Design Support Generative Systems Shape Grammar, Recognition and Emergence Precedence and Prototype Case Based Reasoning and Design Product and Process Modelling Information Delivery Systems Knowledge-based Design Tools and AI

CAAD Futures 99, Atlanta, USA, 1999 Conceptual design Integrating performance evaluation with design Design education Strategies of performance in simulation Design for building CAD/CAM Web-based technologies for distributing building products Design collaboration using the web Design for life cycle performance Integrated building models New means to visualize building performance


24

New approaches of synthesis Modelling and design languages Integrated models supporting multiple views New approaches for modelling the geometry of buildings

ECPPM 2000, Lisboa, Portugal, 2000 Third European Conference on Product and ProcessModeling in the building and related industries. Advancements in STEP and IFC Application of AI methods Automation in construction Concurrent Engineering Conflict management Construction Site Modelling Design and Construction process modelling Document modelling and management Electronic trading and commerce Engineering Workflow Facility management Industrial applications and case studies Information logistics Integrated environments Integration of standards Interoperability methods

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THEMES AND PROJECTS OF ”IT BYGG&FASTIGHET … · ANALYSIS AS A BACKGROUND FOR FURTHER INITIATIVES ... ITC/FM, and relates this to the established field of Construction Information