Moghani, E (2013) A simulation-based framework for as-built documentation of construction process and product information. PhD thesis, University of Alberta, Canada.
Abstract
In the construction industry, project documentation that covers all aspects of a project from planning through construction to the completion phase not only plays a significant role in managing an ongoing project, but is also considered a main resource in claim and dispute resolution, and in the planning of future projects. Therefore, project managers are always looking for efficient methods to document project information. Various software applications have been developed to assist project managers in data collection, storage, and retrieval including all aspects from drawings to cost estimates, schedules, resource information, change orders, and work logs. Studying existing commercial applications and research developments reveals that these systems, which mainly capture and integrate project information through database systems, CAD models, or scheduling software, focus on the static information of a project, thus losing the dynamic aspects of project progress including project work flow, resource interaction, and effects of external factors in an integrated format. Therefore, the main objective of this research is the development of a generic framework for information representation that incorporates process model, product model, and external factors of a project into one system to create a complete project chronology, including all changes to the original plan. The system integrates the information and presents it to the user in a dynamic format, providing an overview of the project at every stage for comparison with the project as planned. This framework will help project managers to control the project during the execution phase while compiling a history of the project for future use. The proposed framework utilizes computer simulation’s functionality in modeling the dynamic nature of a project. This application employs a distributed simulation concept based on the High Level Architecture (HLA) rules in a Construction Synthetic Environment (COSYE) to facilitate integration of simulation components, to promote interoperability between the components, and to aid reusability of models in the future. This research uses a case study that focuses on repetitive construction such as tunnelling, which lends itself better to simulation planning. The proposed framework is created based on existing tunnel projects and is validated with an ongoing tunnelling case study.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | tunnel; dispute resolution; documentation; integration; interoperability; repetitive construction; scheduling; tunnelling; project manager; case study; simulation |
| Index terms: | project documentation, construction process, integration, history, tunnel, scheduling, product model, chronology, documentation, functionality, computer simulation, repetitive construction, drawing, interoperability, tunnelling, resolution, cost estimate, construction industry, interaction, modelling, case study, project manager, change order, database, dispute, product information |
| Subjects: | innovation studies, operations research, design features, analytical methods, project planning, building construction, time analysis, behavioral psychology, profession, data collection methods, dispute resolution, modelling and simulation, technical documentation, financial and cost management, architectural and construction history, civil engineering, professional development, contractual condition, data management, conflict resolution, organizational analysis, systems and processes, industry analysis, infrastructure and transport systems |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Construction Technology, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Organizational Design, Site Management, Time Control, Contract Administration, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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