It becomes increasingly important to achieve a deep understanding of the ongoing large scale introduction of IT-tools in the building process. We have for example some years been using the well known tools as spread sheets, databases and CAD systems. The focus now is on introducing new ICT (Information and Communication Technology) tools for collaboration and communication, knowledge storing, integration of resources, integration of computer application models, advanced multimedial interfaces and management of the actual change process and the design of completely new and unfamiliar IT-tools.

There is in the building sector an increasing need for persons with knowledge both about the building process and information technology. The semester 6 IT-course will put the development of IT-tools in the building process in timely and global perspective, concretize the expected development within the area, explain and exemplify new possibilities to raise quality both on the final results (buildings and their use) as well as the building process itself by introduction of efficient IT-tools, give a deeper understanding of the role of IT in the future building process, give the fundaments for extended studies in particular areas and finally serve as a vehicle for distributed life long learning.

The anticipated ICT tools are only partly developed and must be designed tested and implemented in close collaboration with the building process end users. This requires that civil engineers get a deeper understanding of some knowledge domains that up till now only has been partly covered in the civil engineering curricula.

The ICT will strongly influence how we take advantage of and interact with the computer resources

• Work environment and organisation of projects will be strongly influenced by introduction of ICT tools
• Information storage and interaction media will be more separated (paper is both)
• the web will form the infrastructure for information container access, and application communication
• human collaboration, team work and communication modes will be developed and partly changed. Collaboration work spaces will get a added virtual dimension being less dependent of the physical room.

The mutual influence between practice and ICT progress is necessary to maintain. Civil engineers must posses both general and some specialised ICT related knowledge to be able to specify and participate in the development of new ICT tools and to be pro-active in the process of changing work routines and company and project organisation.

• concepts, techniques and methods for capturing, dissemination and re-use of company and project knowledge and how building process models can be built-up
• techniques and methods for structuring relational databases
• techniques and methods for communication support within project work
• techniques and methods for design and implementation of multimedia web interfaces
• tools to support the design, implementation and use of group project webs.

You can also read more about the requirements on the project.

This 2 modules PE course is given during spring semester.

The semester 6 project work shall be documented and made accessible from the World Wide Web. This PE (Project Unit) course will give the background for digital project documentation used both as communication and decision tool in the design process and for storage of the project information.

Det overvejes, hvordan tidssvarende informationsteknologi (IT) med fordel kan anvendes i projektets levetid. Der udarbejdes bl.a.:

• En organisationsplan for projektet i design- og udførelsesfasen.
• De nødvendige informationsstrømme og informationslagre identificeres og de nødvendige informationskanaler og strukturer fastlægges.
• Der analyseres, hvilke IT-værktøjer der er anvendelige til opgaven. Specielt fokuseres på anvendelsen af databaser, kommunikationsværktøjer og multimediepræsentationer:
  • Projektinformation kan lagres i databasen og gøres tilgængelig via www.
  • Byggepladsen kan dokumenteres (i tiden) ved hjælp af foto, interaktive film, 3D virtual reality og beskrivelser som for eksempel gøres tilgængelig via www.
  • Analyse af IT-værktøjer til brug for samarbejde mellem byggeprocessens parter (t internt i gruppen og eksternt)
• Projektet præsenteres på www i form af problemformulering, løsningsstrategi, løsnings- forslag, og referencer samt erfaring med de benyttede IT-værktøjer.

The course content is delivered through the lectures, reading of literatur , and exercises/miniproject. It is impossible to find a set of literature that covers the course content completely. The lectures are supported by lecture slides available on the course web site. The slides with emphasized titles in the navigation bar has the same status as course literature (though not eventual references on the slide).

References to further reading is found in the lecture notes.

The course literature consists of both Lecture Slides and literature according to the list below.

The lectures are accessed from the lecture scheme above.

Each lecture has a easy to navigate slide bar and an opening slide with short content description, questions for self assessment, references to the literature according to the literure list below and proposals for further reading.

• 1 hour lecture
• 3 hours exercise in groups

The following ICT, Information and Communication tools, are available during exercises/minproject activity.

• AutoCad ADT with plugin for IFC import/export
• Archicad
• Adobe Acrobat
• Netmeeting, and MSN Messenger to establish shared workspaces
• HTML editors
• Corel Photopaint or similar graphics editor
• Microsoft Access

The course supports the project work and is evaluated through the project work.

Group project webs will be stored and evaluated in connection on the WWW to serve as inspiration material for following years students. (See also previous student works 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

• Per Christiansson (course responsible, teacher)
• Kjeld Svidt (course responsible, teacher)
• Jørgen Nørgård, KeyCon (guest lecturer)
• Jan Karlshøj, Rambøll (guest lecturer)
• Søren Spile, Byggeriets IT A/S (guest lecturer)