Quelly Wk 6-1: B5, Databases in Construction

B5: Functionality of Databases during Construction

With my little experience in construction management (working as a construction inspector for PWD), one of the main challenges I faced on the job site was the communication of information from the clients (the PWD design engineers) to the contractor, and back (to me in the field). As database technology continues to develop, there is therefore an increasing applicability in the construction process.

Overview

My main role as a PWD construction inspector was straight forward. I would oversee the work being done on site. I oversaw both sewer/water jobs, and the implementation of Green Stormwater Infrastructure stormwater management practices [systems and subsystems] (GSI SMPs).

As I transitioned into the office, the design engineering team was in the midst of contracting our internal software to model GSI systems, and to track them and their associated metrics (important in its own sense because of the federal EPA compliance standards). Since Philadelphia is leading the national efforts in GSI implementation, the software that is needed to manage the information in the best way just does not exist yet. Some of their requirements for this software/database interface was to be able to take the design from Autocad (though a side project of one of the design consultants to the water department is to test the feasibility of updating to use Civil 3D) and tracking the design, as-builts, and the performance of the systems (including maintenance preformed).

While this system is not unreasonable form a database information storage system, it is challenging to segment whom has the authority to edit what parts of the data, and to prevent data from classhing if altered in atypical ways, since so many people will need to access and update the information at any given time. From a construction point of view, the software needs the ability to add in progress summaries and updates as they happen. [As perfect as I am] I think there are details of the as builts that may have gotten lost in my written records from the point when i created them to the point when they were updated in the [soon to be outdated] system by someone who was not on the job. 

All this being said, I think that the greatest weakness of any database (other then a poorly designed interface) is how accessible the information is to those whom need it. Both from a physical data/connectivity standpoint, but also from how each of the activities works. For example, it is more useful to make progress/system updates as construction is occurring, since systems [thought they are not supposed to be]  are be partially operational while construction continues on others. While small, these numbers will contribute to the total compliance metrics over time too. That, and being able to model changes to the metrics within the database, rather then having to refer to external spreadsheet would save time. And lastly, most of the deviation of the design performance, project cost, estimating, etc. is because of the fluctuations in construction costs/process. The current method of estimating, as well as predicting problems or errors, is dependant on the inspectors and construction engineers reporting back to the design engineers. If this were a factor in the database, there would be a greater quantity of data to produce even more accurate estimates of quantities/cost, as well as alert the correct people when repeated minor issues/slowdowns (that otherwise get lost to the larger-global problems) occur.

References

1. PWD GSID Documents
2. Evernote Database: Delivering on the Promise of BIM

Commentary

1. Andrew, for someone whom this is their first IB class, or does not know any other language then Matlab, what would someone on the outside see that is different then other methods/procedures? Is there any relevance to people not managing the database itself? How does it affect the engineers and designers? What reason does someone care how many queries are made during a request?
2. Josh, I'm interested in how you view the difference between integrated and non integrated GI? We have a green roof, but is it integrated because it is designed from the beginning of the process, or is it not integrated because it is just a nice green "thing" on the roof that prevents runoff? I think it could go either way. 
3. Dee Dee, (to also partially respond to your comment on my blog), I think bring up a good point that it difficult to get municipal/governmental agencies to adopt new procedures or tools. In my short time there (year total) I did not observe any major issues with people editing/changing things incorrectly (with the exception of uploading files to the wrong place). I would say the breakdown is what information gets utilized, or how there are six million different databases that try (and mostly succeed) to interface with each other. The problem is that this takes a great deal of time to make sure it is all updated in each properly. The database form maintenance is created from the maintenance perspective, and may not function the way that a design engineer thinks. Even the generational gap between people satisfied with windows 95 style entries when there are apps for kids with a cleaner and straightforward interface. 

Notes From Class

• NavisWorks
• combined multiple digital models in one workspace
• Freedom, Simulate, Manage
• File types
• NWF-links to other files (combined info but not "double parked")
• NWD-Saved model geometry (exported file for sharing with others)
• NWC-Only single model geometry in order to section out drawings
• Clash Detection - who's going to move?
• BIM - Put BIM on It - revit work - money part of this course, creating families - very important (parametric modeling) - revit can be extended
• Learn Civil 3D
• as-built are not up-to-date - BIM is so essential that they will have an incentive to keep it up to date.  AI to keep buildings up to date. - inspection drones to update them
• BIM - IDP - workflow
• legal - who is responsible when something goes wrong.