| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/K15459/01 |
| Title: |
ITE: INTELLIGENT, INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY I3CON |
| Principal Investigator: |
Brandon, Professor P |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Res Inst for the Built and Human Env |
| Organisation: |
University of Salford |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 March 1995 |
Ends: |
31 October 1998 |
Value (£): |
217,224
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Construction Ops & Management |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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This project has both Construction and IT objectives and is submitted under the ITE theme. The project aims to address the need for intelligent integration of information to support decision-making for the effective management of all stages of design and construction. The work follows from the SERC funded ICON project which has resulted in robust integrated object models of information used in design, construction management and procurement. These would support data transfer and communication if implemented in their procurement. These would support data transfer and communication if implemented in their current form. The work proposed here builds on this work, but is distinctly different, involving the development of an intelligent information management system that will preserve the intent behind construction project information (ie the 'why' as well as the 'what' that is currently held) and will keep track of the relationships and dependencies between information in different parts of a construction project. This proposal recognises the organisational constraints to technology-driven integration. It includes the development of a construction specific strategic framework which will significantly improve the ability of different construction companies and practices to exploit such integrating technology internally at present, while working within an environment conductive to, and supportive of, communication between the different parties within the construction project. Integration and IT support for integration were two of the five key priorities for research identified by the 1991 KPMG study 'Research and Postgraduate Education' which involved over 100 construction industry organisations.The fragmentation of the construction industry in the UK across many disciplines makes the flow of information a critical factor in its effectiveness. Fragmentation causes wastages of resources, slow procedures and inconsistencies between information used by different actors in the construction industry process. This leads to problems of inefficiency, litigation and poor quality. Tools such as computer-aided design, project planning tools, and estimating packages, go a long way towards improving the efficiency and quality within their particular domains of application. However, they do not solve the problem of bottlenecks caused by poor communication between processes, and between disciplines. This view was confirmed by an international meeting, organised by the applicants, which was recently held under the SERC N+N scheme and was attended by twenty leading researchers and practitioners from around the world.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.salford.ac.uk |