Computing in Civil

7/23/2019 Computing in Civil

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Computing in Civil Engineering

Dr. Benny Raphael

Assoc. Professor, Civil Engg., IIT Madras


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Link between computing and civil engineering

Examples of applications of computing in civilengineering Business process automation

Computer aided design

Monitoring of construction projects

Knowledge management

Implementing automated building systems

Outline


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3

There is increased realization thatInformation Technology (IT) can improveproductivity and increase quality in projects

Enterprises can no longer survive without thecompetitive edge provided by IT


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4

A survey conducted in 2000 shows thepercentage of construction companies thatuse various IT tools

Source: Rivard,Electronic

journal of IT inConstruction,

5, 2000, pp.37-56.


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journal of IT inConstruction,5, 2000, pp.37-56.


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journal of IT inConstruction,5, 2000, pp.37-56.


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What exactly is Information

Technology?


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Business process automation

Computer aided design

Monitoring of construction projects Knowledge management

Implementing automated building systems

Develop specifications for software

development


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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.

1. Improving efficiency in

construction projects


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At an

organizationallevel

IT resources should

be optimized across

all the stages of thevalue chain

At theindustry level

IT solutions should

enable easy sharing ofdata and avoid

unnecessary

repetition of work

Efficiency improvements can be achieved

only through integrated solutions


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Islands of automation are no longer acceptable


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Standardization of

RepresentationSyntax

Semantics

Communicationprotocols

Eliminating islands of automation


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The data schema covering the many disciplines thatcontribute 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 differentsoftware vendors

Industry Foundation Classes (IFC):

Standardization at the semantic level

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


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Conceptual design (massing models)

Schematic design (architectural)

Detailed design (structural, M&E, etc)

Construction

Facilities management

Building Information Modeling (BIM)


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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.


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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


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Launched CORENET in 1995 to achieve

quantum improvements in turnaround

time, quality and productivity.

In 2011, published BIM Roadmap. By2013, mandatory architecture BIM e-

submission for all new building

projects. By 2014, mandatory

engineering e-submissions.

Singapore

Inefficiency in the construction industry is

now internationally recognized

Many countries are taking measures to rectify the

problem.


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http://www.bca.gov.sg
http://www.bca.gov.sg/http://www.bca.gov.sg/


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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

2. Computer aided design


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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.

Multi-criteria decision making

Raphael B., Multi-criteria decision making for collaborative designoptimization of buildings, Built Environment Project and AssetManagement, (Emerald publishers), Vol 1, Issue 2, Nov, 2011.


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Maximize day light

Minimize solar heat gain

Minimize energy consumption

Eliminate glare and visual

discomfort

Minimize life cycle cost


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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 thedesign. It can also be used for

estimation and for accurate as-built

models after completion.

3. Monitoring construction


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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.

4. Can we learn from past experiences?


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5. Automated Building Systems

...

Energy can be saved through automation andcontrol

ExternalLightshelf

InternalLightshelf

Sunlight

Ceiling of highreflectivity

Glass window

Room interior


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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.

6. Development of engineering software

...


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Quite significant developments

have taken place during the

last few years in the area of

construction IT. Progress inthe areas of electronic

information representation

and data exchange has

opened the doors to numerous

opportunities for the

construction industry

Conclusions

Documents

Computing in Civil