Computer Technology in the Construction Industry: Conference Proceedings

332 Pages·1985·33.465 MB·English

THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
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COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
IN
CONSTRUCTION
COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
IN
CONSTRUCTION
Proceedings of a conference organized
by The Institution of Civil Engineers and
held in London on 25-27 September 1984
^.1 Thomas Telford, London
Conference jointly sponsored by the Institution of Civil Engineers,
the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Institution of
Structural Engineers, the Institution of Water Engineers and Scientists,
the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors, the Local Authorities
Management Services and Computer Committee, and the Construction
Industry Computing Association.
Conference Organizing Committee: D. Taffs (Chairman), I. M. Smith,
I. Hamilton, W. J. Hadnutt, S. P. Jaggard, P. Mead, P. R. B. Wren and
M. Wyatt
Published for the Institution of Civil Engineers by Thomas Telford Ltd,
PO Box 101, 26-34 Old Street, London EC IP 1JH
First published 1985
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data
Computer technology in construction
1. Construction industry—Data processing
I. Institution of Civil Engineers
338.4*5624 HD9715.A2
ISBN: 0 7277 0234 3
© The Institution of Civil Engineers, 1984, 1985, unless otherwise stated
All rights,i ncluding translation, reserved. Except for fair copying, no part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Managing Editor,
Thomas Telford Ltd, 26-34 Old Street, London EC IP 1JH
The Institution of Civil Engineers as a body does not accept responsibility
for the statements made or for the opinions expressed in the following pages
Printed in Great Britain by Billing and Sons Ltd, Worcester.
CONTENTS
The structure of the industry
1. The UK construction industry. P. DUNICAN 1
2. International aspects of the construction industry.
A. D. McDOWALL 1 3
3. Inter-relationships between planners, contractors and
clients. C. R B. BROWN 19
4. Estimating and cost control. A. K. BRAINT 29
Discussion 37
Growing complexity of design and construction
6. Computer aided materials evaluation. N. GREIG and
N. TRIGWELL 39
7. Evolution of concrete and steel. J. M. WASILEWSKI 53
8. Geotechnical design and instrumentation. I. M. SMITH 65
9. Overall experience of managing CAD in a highways
department. I. W. NELSON and D. CLIFF 79
10. Technological evolution, intellectual revolution.
C. A. HANSON and S. P. JAGGARD 87
Information management
11. Information needs and data coordination: a reappraisal.
D. BISHOP 97
12. Computers in construction information retrieval.
V. J. NURCOMBE 115
13. Specifications and quantities in relation to information
management. M. J. McCAFFREY 137
Discussion 145
Office systems
14. Review of the market and its development J. M. S. SELLERS 151
15. Office systems—communications. R W. L. SIMS 161
16. How office computer systems can be accessed from
construction sites. R. A. CULLINGHAM 173
Discussion 177
Computers and the profession
17. Is CAD worth the cost? T. L. G. DEUCE 179
18. Review of computer draughting systems and their use.
I.HAMILTON 187
19. Computer draughting—a case study. J. K. BANYARD 191
20. The effect of a system on inter-disciplinary working.
P. BULLMAN and P. R. WEBSTER 203
21. Who needs a computer anyway? R BENAIM 213
Discussion 219
Education of the computer user
22. What skills are required and where are the pitfalls?
A. J. M. SOANE 225
23. New directions for undergraduate training. R. J. ALLWOOD 235
24. Adding new skills to old. A. D. RANCE and F. H. SEDDON 245
Discussion 255
Guidelines for evaluation
25. Evaluation and selection of equipment. N. H. LEE 259
26. The programs—selection and development B. J. BLUNT 267
27. Professional responsibility—who carries the can? D. ALCOCK 277
Discussion 287
Advances and applications
29. Micro chip in construction plant. K. LAWSON 291
30. Expert or knowledge based systems—consequences for the
industry. D. TAFFS 297
Discussion 307
Papers 5 and 28 were not submitted for publication.
The structure of the industry