Pantouvakis, J-P (1990) Declarative - configurable estimating systems for the construction industry. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
The work presented in this thesis is about computer-aided estimating systems for the construction industry. A wide variety of such systems is now available, however, the diversity and complexity of individual practices has meant that many prospective users have been unable to find suitable software. This thesis presents an innovative approach to the subject in which the development of an estimating system is based upon a set of software tools. These tools cater for the greater part of the code requirements of the system, thus, drastically reducing the development cost. In this context, certain modification capabilities are granted to the end-users (i.e. the estimators) (through the parsing of their requirements in a non-procedural (or declarative) manner), whereas more extensive modifications (or configurations) can be implemented prior to installation by professional programmers (due to the modular nature of the system and the provision of detailed documentation and suitable software). The approach employed by this thesis is characterized by the development of 'PRO.M.I.S.', a fully operational prototype declarative-configurable estimating system. The overall conclusion that can be drawn from this work is that this approach is valid for the particular context of construction estimating and, furthermore, it may lead to more functional, user-friendly and economical construction management computer systems in the future.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | complexity; documentation; computer-aided estimating; estimator; professional; prototype development |
| Index terms: | construction estimating, configuration, estimator, complexity, estimating, computer system, prototype, documentation, construction industry |
| Subjects: | computing systems, profession, financial and cost management, modelling and simulation, professional development, systems engineering, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Cost Management, Research Practice, Information Management, Engineering Principles, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here