Future Demands of IT Infrastructure in the Construction Industry

1. Future Demands of IT Infrastructure in the Construction Industry Presentation at the Autodesk Industry SeminarBarcelona, Spain, February 2001 Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. J. Scherer Informatics in Civil Engineering TU Dresden Dresden, Germany, EU

2. Overview • Concurrent Engineering • Virtual round table • Virtual enterprise • Multi-project participation • Personalized service platform on the web • Rental services, ASP • Integration of the construction site

3. What is Concurrent Engineering? • It is distributed coordinated simultaneous teamwork • workers distributed in space and different time zones • workers work in parallel • workers are coordinated • workers act as a team • easy access to information and knowledge • Requirements: • communication, data sharing • project management, conflict management • virtual enterprise, legally binding

4. Concurrent Engineering AspectsofConcurrentEngineering • COOPERATIVE • Product - View • Virtual Expert SIMULTANEOUS Product - Time Virtual Time COLLABORATIVE Human - Space Virtual Enterprise • e - Commerce • Product - Space • Virtual Market

5. Engineer 1 Project A Engineer n Concurrent Engineering Project-centered Virtual Enterprises Means

6. Co-ordination by Project Management & Workflow System Definition of worktasks and 1 their dependencies 3 Definition of priorities or time constraints 2 Definition of roles and actors For each worktask

7. Worklists are generated for each Actor • Electronic management of worklists with Work Tasks for all users • The worklist extends traditional messaging services (e.g. Email) by additionally maintaining the status and dependencies between items

8. TheClient / MultiServerSystem of the ToCEE Project (EP 20587) client application layer adapter layer informationlogisticservices serverplug-inlayer projectdata structures third partydata struct document browser Project folders PtM Browser Internet adapter (WWW, Email) CommonRequestBroker Product mgmt. server ProductModels Process mgmt. Server-Buzzsaw ProcessModels EXPRESS adapter (SPF, SDAI) ADT SoFiSTiK Document mgmt. server Document M. SoFiPLUS Application adapter(IL toolkit, ORB, concad) Regu-lation M. Regulation broker PAULA GWM Conflict mgmt. server CuFIMS web browser E-mail ToCEE Framework: common meta-model, common TCP/IP network

9. Engineer 1 Project A Project A ENGINEER 1 Engineer n Project N Sufficent ? We have Project-centered NO ! We need additionally Human-centered

10. Facts • Each engineer participate in different projects the same time • A new virtual enterprise is set up for each project • In each virtual enterprise a different client server system may be applied • For each project an engineer needs more knowldwedge than he permanently do have available • Engineers have to co-ordinate their work across projects • Engineers have to know different client server systems • Engineers have to procure knowledge for each project • Engineers are nevertheless individuals

11. Concurrent Engineering Services Platform- The User’s Gateway to the CE World - CCS DAS MAS IOS RES USER TOS PPS ECS Exchangeable Tools Plug-in Technology Personalized Work Place Plug-in Technology Any Abritary Server (System)

12. Objectives of the CESP • Independence • Individuality • Capability • Sustainability • Lean

13. Independence The user should be independent of any particular client server system • The services of the CESP should allow the user • to attach to any kind of server • to map the data from the servers into his unified form • to properly organize his multi-project dependent tasks • to keep track of proper information flow

14. Individuality The user should be able to carry out his work according to his individual kind of working and his individual, but co-ordinated preference. • The services and tools of the CESP should have • individually configurable interfaces • an individually adaptable engineering ontology

15. Capability The engineering capabilty of the user should be valuable increased by the services. • The services of the CESP should provide the user • with engineering knowledge • with code of standards information • with market products information • with tool application information, • which may be for free or to be rented.

16. Sustainability The interfaces configured by user should be long term stable. • The services of the CESP should shield the user • from permanently changing CE systems • from permanently changing suppliers catalogs • the different servers and services offered from external • the different analysis tools

17. Lean The user should manage as less as possible data by himself on his personal workspace. • The services of the CESP should allow the user • to outsource data storage and management (EDMS, PtDMS) • to focus on logistics information • to focus on management information • to focus on knowledge management

18. Concurrent Engineering Services PlatformServices : CCS DAS MAS IOS RES USER TOS PPS ECS IOS Interoperability Services MAS Knowledge Based Model Access Service DAS Knowledg Based Design Assistance Service CCS Knowledge Based Code Checking Service RES Remote User Specialised Rental Eng. Services ECS Technology Support Tools for e-Commerce Services TOS Training and Online Human Support Services PPS Personal Planning and PDM Services

19. Knowledge BasedModel Access Service state of the art in product model data: the end-user has to understand in full detail • the whole product data structure • particular technical semantics • the complexity of the relationships within the product data structure → an engineer, normally not familiar with product modelling, is not able to work benificially in a direct way with the product model data

20. Knowledge BasedModel Access Service → Need: easier understanding and easier access of product data The product data has to be complemented with additional knowledge ABOUT the product data this additional knowledge will be provided by a Knowledge-based model access service (MAS) → Middleware between the engineer and the product model

21. Product Data Server Client Adapter LAN / CESP WWW-Browser Engineering Application Internet Model Access Service Product Data Cache Reasoning Agent Engineering Ontology Explanation Component Engineer

22. Server-Side Processing of Client Request • Parsing of the client request and transformation to internal representation • Classification of the task as : - synchronous - high-priority asynchronous - low-priority asynchronous (heavy-duty) • Selection and activation of appropriate server method(s) • Storing the intermediate results of the method on the server blackboard in the working memory, thus making the data available to the MAS agents • Triggeringof respective rules in the MAS agent • Transformationof the results in a respective client response

23. Example Knowledge-Based Queries • Find if there exist rooms in a building with area > 30 sq.m:IfcSpace.find(searchExpr: (FOR ?S DO ((?S IS IN THIS) AND (THE calcTotalArea OF ?S IS ?A) AND (EXPR (> ?A 30.0))))) • With the help of the engineering ontology, the above requests could be input in user-friendly form, e.g. using a GUI, HTML-forms etc., whereas, for an application, the programmatic interface would be of greater benefit.

24. Basic Technologies Involved Server: • Frame-based representation • Object-oriented methods Communication: • Java RMI (and possibly CORBA) Direct User Interface: • WWW-Browser incl. VRML Plug-in, CAD …

25. Knowledge-BasedDesign Assistance System • IFC architectural view: • Input: floors, grids, dimensions, live loads Conceptual and Preliminary Design assistedbyDAS  Output: Load Bearing System Input for further structural analysis software tools by IFC structural view!

26. Interactive User Interface External Visualisation Tool 3-dim. (VRML) 2-dim. layout External Catalogues IFC Interface to External Structural Analysis Tools Structural ontology Methods for structural member design Sequence of design tasks Decision support knowledge Knowledge Base Assisted Design Process System Architecture of DAS Design Reasoning Engine  Design Plan Generation

27. Start: Architectural object model • Expandable Design Operators • Sequence of hierarchical design tasks • Decision support knowledge • Elementary Design Operators • Methods for Structural member design • Provision of appropriate dimensioning tools and catalogue elements • Interface to external analysis tools AI Planning Method for the Design Process End: Structural object model Interactive assisted design process

28. Software Rental Service (SRS) Virtual Lab Test Service (VLTS) Automatic Engineering Service Provider (AESP) Remote User Specialized Rental Engineering Services

29. Remote User Specialized Rental Engineering Services Sub-structured into 3 Services: • SRSSoftware Rental Service - where the user can rent engineering software tools from an ASP • AESPAutomatic Engineering Service Provider - where the user can rent engineering consultancy • VTLSVirtual Test Lab Service - where the user can rent simulation of real structural behaviour

30. Simplified model Results of simulation What is simulation of concrete structures? Concrete crushing Concrete cracking

31. The conceptual development and the implementation of the CESP has been the primary objective of the ISTforCE project(IST-1999-11508)

32. IST for CE Intelligent Services and ToolsforConcurrent Engineering Project Overview 10 Partners 42 Person years 3,6 million Euro 02/2000 – 04/2002 27 months TUD OPB CER FID CST AEC ULJ GEO API CIN www.istforce.com

33. Project B Project A Project C Project Workflow Personal Workflow Cross Project Workflow Cross Project Coordination

34. Cross Project Activity Management • Open Research topics: • Integration of workflow systems • integration of project management systems • development of a multi layer priority system • forecasting based on priorities judged by different invididuals

35. Construction site Tasks • shop drawings • 4D simulation • change management • monitoring • controlling • ordering (e-commerce) • quality control • quality managment • re-scheduling • re-design/design adaptation • agreements Needs • online client • screen size and power of desktop PC

36. Construction site Situation • harsh environment • daylight • Wireless Requirements • lightweight PC • access to actual data • exchangeable, signed multi-media notices • strongly filtered information due to small screens • hand free • input/output in each position

37. handheld computer • Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) • Pen-based devices • wearable computer • UMTS • small computerswith different power Basic technologies

38. Personal Digital Assistent (PDA) • Electronic note-book • Input via screen, terminalEingabe über Bildschirm, keys, keypad • Operaring system: PalmOS/WindowCE • Notice: • Sparse memory • Small screen • Battery-operated PalmVIIx: 8MB RAM, 8 x 8 cm screen, information transfer

39. Sample Document for Presentation on PDA SECTION 08800 - GLAZING PART 1 - GENERAL 1.1 RELATED DOCUMENTS A. Drawings and general provisions of the Contract, including General and Supplementary Conditions and Division 1 Specification Sections, apply to this Section. 1.2 SUMMARY A. This Section includes glazing for the following products andapplications, including those specified in other Sections whereglazing requirements are specified by reference to this Section: 1. Windows. 2. Doors.

40. Table of content Text representation Graphical Interface

41. Wearable Computers - State of the hardware technology • Small in size • Worn on a belt • Unobstrusive • Powerful • 180...400 MHz Pentium II • Up to 25 Gbyte HDD • Usable for speech engines

42. Construction progress monitoring • schematic layout of project depicted on the screen • selection of elements by touch or speech • input of construction progress by touch or speech • OnSite View

43. Interfaces to the user • Displays: • Flat Panel Display • Head Worn Display • Data Input: • Keyboard (not favorable) • Touch Screen • Speech interface

44. Bottlenecks • Displays: • Small Display • Not day ligth stable Display • Data Input: • Without keyboard restricted input functionality

45. Challenges the construction industry will have to face: • Explicit organised team working • Training on understanding product models/data structures in order to be able to computerise knowledge • Working with product data and documents properly cross-linked • Working with tagged (indexed) text documents • Working with complex client-server-agent-systems • More freedom and more responsibility for the individual worker • Allocate an individual budget to each worker • New structures in the working staff

46. The End