Challenges and Opportunities for Innovation in the Public Works ...

If one looks at the AEC life-cycle from the traditional perspective (design-> build
sequence), the pre-construction phase offers the contractor many opportun:es to utilize a
CADD model. For example, the contractor would benefit greatly from a CADD model
during the cost engineering phase because it can be utilized to perform automatic quantity
take-offs, costing, and pricing. The coupling of the Critical Path Method (CPM)
methodology with the 3-dimensional (3D) capabilities of CADD software can be used to
develop construction activity sequencings as well as construction schedule animations.
Constructability reviews is another pre-construction task which clearly benefits from the use
of 3D modeling capabilities. Simulating, visualizing, and animating construction methods
and activity sequences equals or supersedes the typical process of mentally building the
project.
During the construction phase, the contractor can generate CADD-based as-built
plans in real time. In doing so, the contractor and/or inspector can compare as-built
coordinates of critical objects with as-planned specifications. The advent of real-time x-y-z
positioning software and hardware means this task can be readily executed. Shop drawing
preparation, yet another construction task, has a prepare-submit-review cycle that the
CADD platform can enhance. Since design intent could be electronically embedded within
the CADD model, contractors or sub-contractors would have no problem in accessing it.
Periodic payment requests can be also automatically generated with the input coming from
as-built CADD models.
At the end of construction, as-planned and as-built CADD models can be transferred
to the owner of the facility for utilization during the operation and maintenance stages. This
closes the loop in which the owner receives a CADD model that can be interfaced with
commercially available or in-house developed software to perform facilities planning and
management. In this context, already matured CADD technology can be readily utilized,
becoming the common environment in which to communicate design requirements,
performances, intent, artifacts, changes, and as-built data. CADD technology is thus capable
of leveraging all phases of the life-cycle process; and last, but certainly not least, CADD
technology is capable of empowering the owner to optimize the facility aspect of their
mission execution.
Towards a paperless AEC industry. One can easily speculate and brainstorm other
applications for CADD. One of those future applications falls in the construction phase in
which the superintendent carries, still in his/her back pocket, a floppy disk containing the
plans and specifications. Should the superintendent need to look up a detail, he or she
would go to the nearest weather-proof visualization site station, insert the disk, call up the
desired drawing either with voice commands or with pen-computing technology, zoom in as
required, and yes, locally print a section of the details if paper is absolutely necessary.
V2 Flavors and V12 Mixins. If CADD technology has matured to the point that all the
tasks described above are now possible, and many more are within range, why has
technological progress not happened yet? Many researchers arid practitioners who have
studied the T 2 process agree on the basic notion that the T 2 process is a metamorphosis with
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