Professor Chimay Anumba, College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida discusses the Engineering Directions in Construction Informatics Research at the AVEVA World Summit 2016, New Orleans. Context for construction project delivery is changing in response to emerging technologies and industry needs. Construction informatics research seeks to address this with ongoing work focusing on BIM, real-time data capture, context-awareness, cyber-physical systems, 3D printing, urban scale modelling, etc. This valuable insight discusses how industry/academia collaboration will accelerate the progress. Find out more how AVEVA is transforming BIM businesses around the world >> www.aveva.com

1. Copyright © 2016 AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
Professor Chimay Anumba, College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida
discusses the Engineering Directions in Construction Informatics Research at the AVEVA World
Summit 2016, New Orleans.
Context for construction project delivery is changing in response to emerging technologies and
industry needs. Construction informatics research seeks to address this with ongoing work focusing
on BIM, real-time data capture, context-awareness, cyber-physical systems, 3D printing, urban scale
modelling, etc. This valuable insight discusses how industry/academia collaboration will accelerate the
progress.
Find out more how AVEVA is transforming BIM businesses around the world >> www.aveva.com

2. Emerging Directions in
Construction Informatics Research
Professor Chimay J. Anumba, FREng

3. Outline
• Historical Perspective
• The Current Context…
• Project Information Management
• Construction Informatics Research Directions
• Conclusions
• Questions

4. Historical Perspective . . .
• The Master Builder:
• ‘Master’ with multi-disciplinary
education:
• architecture, mathematics,
engineering, materials, technology,
etc.
• Single point responsibility
• Limited requirements for data
sharing and/or visualization…

5. The Current Context. . .
• Growth in specialization/academic disciplines:
• architects, structural engineers, building services
engineers, quantity surveyors, contractors, suppliers,
sub-contractors, etc.
• Fragmentation at several levels:
• project team members
• stages in project life-cycle
• project knowledge
• etc.
• Need for shared views/models!

6. ‘Over the Wall’ Syndrome
Need for Collaboration…

7. The Current Context …
• Information:
• Advances in ICT have increased
volume of available data/information
• New age of ‘Big Data’:

8. • Construction projects growing in complexity due to:
• More iconic/signature buildings
• Globally distributed project teams => COLLABORATION
• Increased use of sensors and other data acquisition
technologies (e.g. laser scanning)
• Demand for more data for various purposes
• Use of variety of devices to generate and access project
information
• Growing demand for integrated, real-time data/information
• Etc.
Project Information Management

9. Project Information Management
• Unprecedented volumes of data and information now
generated in projects
• Global context exacerbates:
• Data complexity
• Data/Information flows
• Cultural fusion/dysfunction
• Etc.
• Project information management now more complex
• Need for improved collaboration, coordination and
better tools for project information management…

10. Construction Informatics Research
Directions
Copyright © 2016 AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

11. Key Directions
• Building Information Modelling (BIM)
• Real-time Data/Information Capture
• Context-Aware Information Delivery
• Cyber-Physical Systems
• 3D Printing
• Urban Scale Modelling
• Etc.
Copyright © 2016 AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

12. Building Information Modelling
• Building Information Modelling:
• ‘a modeling technology and associated set of processes to
produce, communicate and analyze building models’
- Eastman et al, 2007
• ‘a digital representation of physical and functional
characteristics of a facility…’
- NBIMS, 2009
• Integration of geometric modelling with:
• Energy models (Energy +, Modelica, IES, etc.);
• Structural analysis and design;
• Lighting (Radiance, DaySim, etc.)
• Estimating/Costing (QTO, etc.)
• Sustainability => ‘Green BIM’

13. Collaboration Tool/BIM
Integrated
Project
Team
Satisfied
Client
BIM as a Collaboration Tool…

14. Building Knowledge Modeling (BKM)
Data Information Knowledge
Building Data Modeling
Building Information Modeling
Building Knowledge Modeling

15. Real-time Data/Information Capture
• Velocity of information generation and decision making
demands:
• Access to real-time information
• Effective tools for data/information capture, processing and
communication
• Current research focusing on:
• Sensing and instrumentation
• Laser scanning
• Use of UAVs for data/information capture
• Cloud-based systems for sharing
• Etc.

16. Aerial Imaging and Laser Scanning
Center for Advanced Construction Information Modelling, University of Florida
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management: Perry Construction Yard
Sample UAS Imagery Laser Scan Point Cloud Model

17. Laser Scanning and BIM Development
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management: Perry Construction Yard
Center for Advanced Construction Information Modelling, University of Florida
Laser Scan Point Cloud Model Point Cloud Derived BIM Model

18. Context-aware Information and Service
Delivery
• A system is context-aware if it uses context to provide
relevant information and/or services to the user, where
relevance depends on the user’s task.
• Numerous construction applications:
• Information/service delivery
• Project management
• Visualization
• Etc.

19. Context Dimensions in Construction
Projects:
location | user ID | project type | time |
project delivery method | owner/client |
user device | proximity | user role|
project phase | user preference |
equipment | etc...

20. Context – Advanced Ergonomics
(Courtesy: Appear Networks)
Context Strategy : Deliver genuine ergonomically tuned ‘app experience’.
Apps must deliver a true business functionality related to back end applications’ core
processes, unlike many apps that are merely pared-down websites disguised as apps
Context Status
Info (ex location,
route, etc.)
Context-filtered
messages
Context-aware
shortcuts (most
relevant
applications)

21. Context Awareness: Issues Being Tackled
• Integration of heterogeneous information
• Delivery of filtered context-specific information and
services
• Push-based services
• Intelligent, real-time collaboration models
• Ontology development
• Application provisioning
• Intelligent tracking (people, equipment, etc.)

22. Context-Aware Visualization Process
(V. Kamat, Univ. of Michigan)

23. Virtual Model
Physical
Construction
Cyber-Physical
Systems (CPS)
Bi-directional
Coordination

24. Cyber-Physical Systems: Definitions
• A system featuring tight combination of, and coordination
between, the system’s computational and physical
elements (Wikipedia, 2013).
• Cyber-physical systems bridge the virtual world and the
physical world through the use of sensors (Wu et al. 2011).
• Current application areas in:
• Structural Health Monitoring (bridges, etc.)
• Building Energy Management Systems

25. Fixture Tracking, Monitoring
and Control
Automated Component
Placement Tracking
Light fixtures
Doors, Steel and
HVAC
components
CPS Applications Developed

26. Temporary Structures Monitoring
Physical Laboratory
Mockup
Virtual Model

27. 3D Printing – Virtual Design to
Construction
• A logical next step…
• Automated ‘printing’ of buildings and components
from virtual models
• Current efforts include those by:
• University of Southern California
• Loughborough University (UK)

28. Concrete
Printing

29. Urban Scale Modelling
• Buildings are usually part of a larger urban
ecosystem
• Urban-scale modelling enables:
• Integration of various technologies/systems
• Exploration of infrastructure interdependencies
• Investigation of resilience and other issues
• It requires:
• System of systems thinking
• BIM-GIS integration
• Etc.

30. System of Systems …
• Enables exploration of:
• How best to conceptualize a city as a ‘system of systems’
• How to design the interfaces b/w the various sub-systems to
ensure synergy
• How to integrate technological & human systems
• How to avoid unintended/emergent consequences
• How best to phase/scope projects
• Etc.

31. System of Systems…
• Critical urban component systems:
• Transportation
• Utilities: electricity, water, gas, etc.
• Food supply
• Industries
• Communications
• Education
• Healthcare
• Buildings
• Banking/Finance
• Etc.

32. Urban Scale Modelling
• BIM-GIS Integration
BIM-GIS
Integration
Engine
3D GIS
BIM
IFC
Parser of IFC
and CityGML
CityGML
Data conversion
Generator of
IFC and
CityGML
Updating
existing model
Geometry
Conversion
Semantic
Information
Conversion
Reference
Ontology

33. Conclusions
• Context for construction project delivery is changing
in response to emerging technologies and industry
needs
• Construction informatics research seeks to address
this
• Ongoing work is focusing on BIM, real-time data
capture, context-awareness, cyber-physical systems,
3D printing, urban scale modelling, etc.
• Considerable opportunities for more advances
• Industry/academia collaboration will accelerate
progress

34. Professor Chimay Anumba, anumba@ufl.edu

35. Copyright © 2016 AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
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