Subcontractors perform the majority of the work on commercial construction projects. However, only limited research has focused on subcontractors’ practical needs. In response, this research discovered and documented subcontractor needs through data collections and extended these findings with development of an information model and tool. This research significantly enlarges detailed understanding of subcontractor management practices, in particular around resource allocation across multiple projects. While existing research has shown the importance of multi-project management, exploration of details of this process has largely been limited to overviews of policies. Rich details that allow for specific critiques of existing methods and tools have been missing. This research provides such details, including specific limitations and recommendations to existing information standards, commercial applications, and assignment algorithms. In particular, contributions of this research focus on support for what-if analysis under extreme frequency of resource reallocation, a limitation of existing tools and methods that make them unsuitable for most subcontractors. / text

Rail Overhead Line (ROL) is a design tool, owned by the company Bentley Systems AB. The design tool is used by overhead line engineers at Sweco Rail to design contact line for electric railway. Sweco Rail intends to establish themselves on the Norwegian market together with their sister company Sweco A/S. Before entry into the new market, a development of ROL is required. The objective with the thesis has been to identify the requirements and the development needs, which are required to adapt ROL against the Norwegian market.The administrations Jernbaneverket and Trafikverket, which are major customers to Sweco, requires more often that Building Information Model (BIM) is to be used in their projects. The goal with the use of BIM is to lead the work to a more efficient management, as well as reduce the risk of information being lost between various stages and processes within the projects. Before entry on the Norwegian market, it is therefore necessary of Sweco Rail and Bentley to adjust ROL in order to be able to deliver 3D-models. The 3D-models have to fulfill the requirements that the Norwegian administration Jernbaneverket demands of the use of BIM in projects.To identify the development needs that are required for a Norwegian adjustment of ROL; interviews, observations and a study of governing documents was performed. Customer needs were identified and translated to requirements. These requirements led to the identified development needs.The result showed that 56 development needs have to be fulfilled before ROL can be used as a design tool on the Norwegian market. The identified development needs include actions with the intention that the design tool can be used in greater extension on the Swedish market. Sweco and their resources can rectify 22 of the 56 development needs. For the remaining 34 development needs, the owners Bentley Systems need to take responsibility for the solutions that is required to satisfy the needs. / Rail Overhead Line (ROL) är ett projekteringsverktyg, vilket ägs av företaget Bentley Systems AB och används av kontaktledningsprojektörer på Sweco Rail. Projekteringsverktyget används för att projektera kontaktledningsanläggningar. Sweco Rail AB har för avsikt att etablera sig på den norska marknaden tillsammans med systerbolaget Sweco A/S. Inför etableringen på den nya marknaden erfordras en utveckling av ROL för att verktyget skall kunna nyttjas vid projektering i Norge. Syftet med arbetet har varit att identifiera de krav och utvecklingsbehov som krävs i avsikt att anpassa ROL för den norska marknaden.Det blir allt mer vanligt att förvaltningarna Jernbaneverket och Trafikverket, vilka är stora kunder till Sweco, ställer krav på att arbetssättet Building Information Model (BIM) skall användas i projekt. Målet med användningen av BIM är att få en effektivare förvaltning samt reducera risken för att information försvinner mellan olika skeden i projekten och processer. Inför etableringen på den norska marknaden behöver därför Sweco och Bentley Systems anpassa ROL för att bland annat kunna leverera 3D-modeller vilka uppfyller de krav norska Jernbaneverket ställer på användningen av BIM i projekt.För att identifiera utvecklingsbehoven, vilka krävs för en norsk anpassning av ROL, genomfördes intervjuer, observationer samt en studie av styrdokument. Kundbehov identifierades och översattes till krav, vilka även låg till grund för de identifierade utvecklingsbehoven.Resultatet av arbetet visade att det finns 56 stycken utvecklingsbehov, vilka behöver uppfyllas för att ROL skall kunna användas vid projektering för den norska marknaden. Av de identifierade utvecklingsbehoven återfinns även åtgärder av verktyget vilka skulle kunna gynna projekteringen på den svenska marknaden. 22 stycken av de 56 utvecklingsbehoven kan Sweco åtgärda med hjälp av sina resurser på företaget. För de resterande 34 utvecklingsbehoven behöver ägarna av ROL, Bentley Systems, ta ansvar för de lösningar som krävs för att behoven skall tillfredsställas.

Information freely generated, widely distributed and openly interpreted is a rich source of creative energy in the digital age that we live in. As we move further into this irrevocable relationship with self-growing and actively proliferating information spaces, we are also finding ourselves overwhelmed, disheartened and powerless in the presence of so much information. We are at a point where, without domain familiarity or expert guidance, sifting through the copious volumes of information to find relevance quickly turns into a mundane task often requiring enormous patience. The realization of accomplishment soon turns into a matter of extensive cognitive load, serendipity or just plain luck. This dissertation describes a theoretical framework to analyze user interactions based on mental representations in a medium where the nature of the problem-solving task emphasizes the interaction between internal task representation and the external problem domain. The framework is established by relating to work in behavioral science, sociology, cognitive science and knowledge engineering, particularly Herbert Simon’s (1957; 1989) notion of satisficing on bounded rationality and Schön’s (1983) reflective model. Mental representations mediate situated actions in our constrained digital environment and provide the opportunity for completing a task. Since assistive aids to guide situated actions reduce complexity in the task environment (Vessey 1991; Pirolli et al. 1999), the framework is used as the foundation for developing mediating structures to express the internal, external and mental representations. Interaction aids superimposed on mediating structures that model thought and action will help to guide the “perpetual novice” (Borgman 1996) through the vast digital information spaces by orchestrating better cognitive fit between the task environment and the task solution. This dissertation presents an ontology centric architecture for mediating interactions is presented in a semantic web based e-commerce environment. The Design Science approach is applied for this purpose. The potential of the framework is illustrated as a functional model by using it to model the hierarchy of tasks in a consumer decision-making process as it applies in an e-commerce setting. Ontologies are used to express the perceptual operations on the external task environment, the intuitive operations on the internal task representation, and the constraint satisfaction and situated actions conforming to reasoning from the cognitive fit. It is maintained that actions themselves cannot be enforced, but when the meaning from mental imagery and the task environment are brought into coordination, it leads to situated actions that change the present situation into one closer to what is desired. To test the usability of the ontologies we use the Web Ontology Language (OWL) to express the semantics of the three representations. We also use OWL to validate the knowledge representations and to make rule-based logical inferences on the ontological semantics. An e-commerce application was also developed to show how effective guidance can be provided by constructing semantically rich target pages from the knowledge manifested in the ontologies.

No description available.

Byggbranschen står inför stora förändringar i framtiden i och med att BIM (Building Information Model/Modelling/Management) successivt introduceras inom området. BIM innebär en förändrad arbetsmetod som kan ge förbättrade möjligheter att minska tidsåtgången och omarbetningar i ett förprojekteringsskede samt skapa ett effektivare projekterings- och produktionsskede med färre fel. BIM är ett relativt nytt sätt att inom byggbranschen bedriva projekt och innebär en förändring för olika skeden inom byggprocessen vilket påverkar inblandade parter. Syftet med denna studie är att ta reda på hur Peab i Kiruna på bästa sätt kan nyttja möjligheterna som finns med BIM samt redogöra för några av de förändringar BIM kan innebära jämfört med nuvarande arbetsmetoder. En teoretisk del beskriver BIM och dess för- och nackdelar inom olika områden samt vilka hinder det finns för arbetsmetoden. Ett resultat baserat på den teoretiska delen förklarar att BIM i dagsläget främst bör nyttjas av Peab i Kiruna i ett anbudsskede, där ett förfrågningsunderlag görs om till en BIM-modell. Detta kan leda till underlättande för företaget att se fel i förfrågningsunderlag samt att utförande av mängdavtagning och kalkylering kan ske på ett enklare sätt. Detta kräver dock att företaget har kompetensen som krävs för att kunna skapa BIM-modeller samt att de bekostar licenser förnödvändiga programvaror. Vidare förklaras det i rapporten hur tillämpning av BIM i ett anbudsskede kan ske, via ett praktiskt genomförande där möjligheterna och nyttorna med att utföra mängdavtagning av en BIM-modell beskrivs. Mängdavtagningen utfördes i CAD-programmet Autodesk Revit där en byggnad användes som modell. Genom att i programmet använda lämpliga funktioner, kan valfria nyttovärden erhållas från valfritt material i byggnaden. Om Peab kan använda BIM på detta sätt i sin arbetsmetod kommer det att underlätta för företaget vid framtida projekt och kan möjligtvis även utgöra ett första steg för en implementering av BIM i dess projekterings- och produktionsskede. / The construction industry is facing major changes in the future, as a result of BIM (Building Information Model/Modelling/Management) that gradually makes its arrival. BIM implies a changed working method that can provide improved possibilities to reduce time and rework in the pre-planning stage and create a more efficient design and production stage with fewer errors. BIM is a relatively new way of conducting projects in the construction industry and implies a change in different sections of the building process, which affects involved parts. The purpose of the study is to find out how Peab in Kiruna in the best possible way can take advantage of the potential of BIM, also describe some of the changes BIM can mean compared to current practices. A theoretical part describes BIM and its advantages and disadvantages in different areas and explains the barriers that exist for the working method. A result based on the theoretical part explains that BIM today primarily should be utilized by Peab in Kiruna in a tender stage where a contract document is converted to a BIM model. While this may help them to see errors in the specifications, they also can perform quantity takeoff and calculation in an easier way. However, this requires that the company has the expertise necessary for creating BIM models and that they pay for licenses for the essential software. Further, it is explained in the report how this can be done, by a practical implementation carried out where an outlining of the potential and benefits of performing quantity takeoff of a BIM model is shown. The quantity takeoff is performed in the CAD software Autodesk Revit, where a building was used as a model. By using suitable functionsin the program, optional utility values can be obtained from optional materials in the building. If Peab can use BIM in this manner in their working method, it will make it easier for them in future projects and could even be a first step for an implementation of BIM in their design and production stage.

In a typical utility control center, there could be hundreds of applications running to take care of day-to-day functionality. In many cases, these applications are custom-built by different vendors. With the expectation for high reliability of the electric power grid, many utilities are increasingly moving towards sharing data with each other and with security coordinators. But this data exchange is hampered by incompatible electrical applications built on proprietary data formats and file systems. Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI‟s) Common Information Model (CIM) was envisioned as a one-sizeits-all data model to remove incompatibility between applications. This research work utilizes the CIM models to exchange power system models and measurements between a state estimator application and sensor web application. The CIM was further extended to include few unique devices from the shipboard medium voltage DC power system. Finally, a wide-area monitoring test bed was set up at MSU to perform wide-area monitoring using phasor measurement units (PMU). The outputs from the Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) were then converted into CIM/XML documents to make them compatible with the sensor web application. These applications have created advancements in power system monitoring and interoperability

No description available.

O presente trabalho de mestrado estuda a aplicação de tecnologias e ferramentas de modelagem virtual e prototipagem rápida em projeto de Arquitetura, abordando casos em escritórios brasileiros e instituições de ensino que utilizam laboratórios de prototipagem rápida no desenvolvimento de projeto. A partir da revisão bibliográfica abrangendo processo de projeto, projeto paramétrico, modelagem virtual, Building Information Model(ing), prototipagem rápida, buscou-se desenvolver a ligação do trabalho acadêmico desses temas com a prática e o desenvolvimento de projeto a fim de estudar as interferências, potencialidades e desdobramentos que tais tecnologias podem oferecer no desenvolvimento de projeto de arquitetura. Dois estudos de campo foram desenvolvidos para observar como as tecnologias estão influenciando a prática de projeto: através do estudo de campo descritivo junto a cinco escritórios de arquitetura do estado de São Paulo, levantaram-se os diversos usos que têm sido feitos dessas ferramentas na prática de projeto. Utilizou-se também o estudo de campo exploratório que contou com três instituições de ensino de excelência que utilizam métodos atuais com inserção de ferramentas de modelagem virtual paramétrica junto aos laboratórios de Fabricação Digital da FEC/UNICAMP, Brasil, AA, Londres, Inglaterra e UTL, Lisboa, Portugal observou-se as mudanças na prática do ensino de projeto. Conclui-se que a inserção dessas tecnologias no ensino e na prática de projeto tem um papel transformador na forma de se projetar envolvendo mudança nas práticas decisórias, simulação, experimentação, representação de projeto, geração de documentos, colaboração entre projetistas, etc. Porém, esses grupos acadêmicos, que utilizam a tecnologia em prol da concepção e produção de uma arquitetura contemporânea, não refletem a realidade da prática profissional pesquisada onde os escritórios utilizam software com conceito BIM isoladamente já que escritórios de projetos complementares não utilizam a mesma tecnologia. / This master research work studies the employment of tools like virtual modeling and rapid prototyping on architectural designs trough educational institutions and commercial offices case studies from that use Rapid Prototyping Laboratories during the design process. Based on a literature review regarding design process, parametric design, virtual modeling, Building Information Model(ing) and rapid prototyping, connection between academic knowledge and potential design were performed in order to study the potentials, interferences, and future these technologies can offer to architectural design process. Two field studies were employed to investigate how technologies are influencing the design projects. The descriptive work presents the professional practice reality in São Paulo, Brazil, through interviews with five architectural design offices that are using these tools in different ways during the design project. The exploratory study was performed at three schools of excellent: University of Campinas, Brazil, Architectural Association in London, UK and Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal where the methodology employs parametric virtual modeling technology, giving evidence of changes in design teaching using the Digital Fabrication facilities. It concludes that the use of these technologies on design project teaching and practice a hanger the way of design, involving decision-making, simulation, design drawings, documents generation and collaboration between designers. However the academic research groups that use the technology for contemporary design conception and production do not represent the professional practice reality once they are using the BIM software on an isolated way given that complementary design offices don\'t have access to the same technology.

O presente trabalho de mestrado estuda a aplicação de tecnologias e ferramentas de modelagem virtual e prototipagem rápida em projeto de Arquitetura, abordando casos em escritórios brasileiros e instituições de ensino que utilizam laboratórios de prototipagem rápida no desenvolvimento de projeto. A partir da revisão bibliográfica abrangendo processo de projeto, projeto paramétrico, modelagem virtual, Building Information Model(ing), prototipagem rápida, buscou-se desenvolver a ligação do trabalho acadêmico desses temas com a prática e o desenvolvimento de projeto a fim de estudar as interferências, potencialidades e desdobramentos que tais tecnologias podem oferecer no desenvolvimento de projeto de arquitetura. Dois estudos de campo foram desenvolvidos para observar como as tecnologias estão influenciando a prática de projeto: através do estudo de campo descritivo junto a cinco escritórios de arquitetura do estado de São Paulo, levantaram-se os diversos usos que têm sido feitos dessas ferramentas na prática de projeto. Utilizou-se também o estudo de campo exploratório que contou com três instituições de ensino de excelência que utilizam métodos atuais com inserção de ferramentas de modelagem virtual paramétrica junto aos laboratórios de Fabricação Digital da FEC/UNICAMP, Brasil, AA, Londres, Inglaterra e UTL, Lisboa, Portugal observou-se as mudanças na prática do ensino de projeto. Conclui-se que a inserção dessas tecnologias no ensino e na prática de projeto tem um papel transformador na forma de se projetar envolvendo mudança nas práticas decisórias, simulação, experimentação, representação de projeto, geração de documentos, colaboração entre projetistas, etc. Porém, esses grupos acadêmicos, que utilizam a tecnologia em prol da concepção e produção de uma arquitetura contemporânea, não refletem a realidade da prática profissional pesquisada onde os escritórios utilizam software com conceito BIM isoladamente já que escritórios de projetos complementares não utilizam a mesma tecnologia. / This master research work studies the employment of tools like virtual modeling and rapid prototyping on architectural designs trough educational institutions and commercial offices case studies from that use Rapid Prototyping Laboratories during the design process. Based on a literature review regarding design process, parametric design, virtual modeling, Building Information Model(ing) and rapid prototyping, connection between academic knowledge and potential design were performed in order to study the potentials, interferences, and future these technologies can offer to architectural design process. Two field studies were employed to investigate how technologies are influencing the design projects. The descriptive work presents the professional practice reality in São Paulo, Brazil, through interviews with five architectural design offices that are using these tools in different ways during the design project. The exploratory study was performed at three schools of excellent: University of Campinas, Brazil, Architectural Association in London, UK and Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal where the methodology employs parametric virtual modeling technology, giving evidence of changes in design teaching using the Digital Fabrication facilities. It concludes that the use of these technologies on design project teaching and practice a hanger the way of design, involving decision-making, simulation, design drawings, documents generation and collaboration between designers. However the academic research groups that use the technology for contemporary design conception and production do not represent the professional practice reality once they are using the BIM software on an isolated way given that complementary design offices don\'t have access to the same technology.

BIM (Building Information Modelling) är idag ett exponentiellt ökande område inom byggindustrin, som inte visar några tecken att sakta ner. I takt med att BIM som koncept och process används i större omfattning både internationellt och nationellt, dyker problem dock oundvikligen upp vid dess implementering. De faktorer som orsakar dessa problem har i detta examensarbete givits termen CSF, ett begrepp som hittills ej använts inom svensk byggindustri. CSF står för Critical Success Factors, vilket innefattar det som i svenska arbeten annars till exempel kallats ”kritiska faktorer”, ”hindrande faktorer”, ”bromsande faktorer” etc. Syftet med detta arbete är därmed att utforska både begreppet CSF och dessa faktorer, samt deras betydelse och relevans. Utifrån tidigare studier, främst utländska, identifierades och introducerades termen CSF samt 14 sådana punkter, vilka gavs en utförligare beskrivning. För att ge dessa 14 punkter en lokal anknytning, intervjuades fem personer i svensk byggindustri med olika erfarenheter av BIM. Det framträdde då klara likheter mellan tidigare diskussion kring de identifierade punkterna och intervjuresultaten. De centrala tankar som kontinuerligt återkom under arbetets gång var värdet av gemensam och delad förståelse, samt vikten av att ta vara på redan etablerad kunskap inom byggindustrin. Det finns i branschen en ofta påtalad klyfta mellan olika generationer, vilket enligt detta arbete ses som det tydligaste exemplet både på en bristande förståelse och ett dåligt utnyttjande av tidigare kunskaper. Vid ett ineffektivt möte mellan olika erfarenheter och kunskaper så leder detta till friktion istället för utveckling, med bortslösade resurser och kunskaper som resultat. Ett stort fokus med detta arbete blev därför att betona den mänskliga aspekten av BIM-implementering snarare än de tekniska delarna. Slutligen konstaterar detta examensarbete att de 14 utvalda punkterna samt användandet av deras övergripande term CSF har ett mervärde både för framtida studier och framtidens implementeringar av BIM, vilket därmed även uppfyller rapporten syfte. / BIM (Building Information Modeling) is an exponentially growing field within the construction industry, with no signs of slowing down. However, as the process continues to spread on both an international and national scale, issues with implementation inevitably arise due to many different factors, in this work identified as CSF (Critical Success Factors). The purpose of this work is therefore to examine these factors, as well as the term CSF itself, with regards to meaning and relevance. Based on previous studies the term CSF, as well as 14 factors, were established. To correlate these internationally described factors to the Swedish market, five interviews featuring people with experience of BIM in Sweden were conducted, after which similarities and patterns could be recognized. The core concepts continually established throughout the work was the value of mutual and shared understanding, as well as the importance of utilizing previously established knowledge within the construction industry. The report concludes that the identified factors as well as the term CSF are both valid and beneficial for future discussions and implementations of BIM