Software development management using metamodels and activity networks

This thesis develops the concept, management and control of metamodels for the management of software development projects. Metamodels provide a more flexible approach for managing and controlling the software engineering process and are based on the integration of several software development paradigms. Generalised Activity Networks are used to provide the more powerful planning techniques required for managing metamodels. In this thesis, both new node logics, that clarify previous work in this field, and Generalised Activity-on-the-Arrow and Generalised Activity-on-the-Node representations are developed and defined. Activity-on-the-Node representations reflect the current mood of the project management industry and allow constraints to be applied directly to logical dependencies between activities. The Generalised Activity Networks defined within this thesis can be used as tools to manage risks and uncertainties in both software developments and general engineering projects. They reflect the variation and uncertainties in projects more realistically and improve the planning and scheduling of such projects. [Continues.

A Process-Based Approach for Integrating the Last Planner System In 4D Modeling for Equipment Workspace Planning in Elevated Urban Highway

Transportation developments are shifting from the construction of new highways to the reconstruction of existing ones, especially in urban areas. The reconstruction of elevated urban highways typically requires substantial capital investments and long durations. The prevalence of non-value adding activities otherwise referred to as non-physical wastes according to the Lean Construction (LC) paradigm is one attributable reason for this. Another feature of urban highway projects is the use of heavy construction equipment. Planning the equipment workspace becomes very important to facilitate the reduction/elimination of non-physical wastes and ensure no delays to the project completion arising from spatio-temporal conflicts. Four-dimensional (4D) modelling techniques have proven benefits to effective construction planning. Still, some limitations exist in the lack of a practical approach to support construction planning and incorporate workspace modelling in the 4D model development process. Several studies with different perspectives have been carried out to describe the gains of using 4D models in workspace management. However, none of them considered the effects of the limited usable space in the reconstruction of elevated urban highways. Moreover, the requirements for multiple levels of detail (LOD) in scheduling large and complex projects present a new challenge. To counter these challenges, a considerable amount of time is required to ensure that the LOD of the 4D model is sufficient to account for the following: (1) micro-scheduling of heavy equipment typically used in these types of operations, and (2) producing a 4D model with a sufficient LOD to accommodate daily work plans. The purpose of this study is to categorize and prioritize factors contributing to non-physical wastes using empirical data obtained from a questionnaire survey. The survey results identified "planning" as an important factor in promoting non-physical wastes in elevated urban highway projects. A hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach was proposed to formalize selecting project planning/scheduling methods applicable to elevated urban highway projects where micro-scheduling short duration activities involving heavy construction equipment is critical to project success. Equipment workspace planning was considered a vital aspect in the planning process as conventional planning methods fail to consider spatial planning for short duration activities, especially in highway projects. To facilitate the equipment workspace planning, a research initiative that involved developing a detailed 4D model by integrating the Last Planner System (LPS), a LC planning and scheduling technique in a 4D model with multiple LOD's was proposed. The development of this 4D model can help facilitate the reduction of non-physical wastes during the construction phase of elevated urban highways, improve the reliability of the planning process, and reduce the time waste associated with planning and scheduling urban highway projects subject to space constraints. The research method is described, and a case study is developed to demonstrate the proposed method's feasibility

Measuring knowledge sharing processes through social network analysis within construction organisations

The construction industry is a knowledge intensive and information dependent industry. Organisations risk losing valuable knowledge, when the employees leave them. Therefore, construction organisations need to nurture opportunities to disseminate knowledge through strengthening knowledge-sharing networks. This study aimed at evaluating the formal and informal knowledge sharing methods in social networks within Australian construction organisations and identifying how knowledge sharing could be improved. Data were collected from two estimating teams in two case studies. The collected data through semi-structured interviews were analysed using UCINET, a Social Network Analysis (SNA) tool, and SNA measures. The findings revealed that one case study consisted of influencers, while the other demonstrated an optimal knowledge sharing structure in both formal and informal knowledge sharing methods. Social networks could vary based on the organisation as well as the individuals’ behaviour. Identifying networks with specific issues and taking steps to strengthen networks will enable to achieve optimum knowledge sharing processes. This research offers knowledge sharing good practices for construction organisations to optimise their knowledge sharing processes

The 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association Conference: Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment, Conference Proceedings, 23 - 25 November 2022, Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, Sydney, Australia

This is the proceedings of the 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) conference which will be hosted by Western Sydney University in November 2022. The conference is organised by the School of Engineering, Design, and Built Environment in collaboration with the Centre for Smart Modern Construction, Western Sydney University. This year’s conference theme is “Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment”, and expects to publish over a hundred double-blind peer review papers under the proceedings

Third International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Automation for Space 1994

The Third International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Automation for Space (i-SAIRAS 94), held October 18-20, 1994, in Pasadena, California, was jointly sponsored by NASA, ESA, and Japan's National Space Development Agency, and was hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology. i-SAIRAS 94 featured presentations covering a variety of technical and programmatic topics, ranging from underlying basic technology to specific applications of artificial intelligence and robotics to space missions. i-SAIRAS 94 featured a special workshop on planning and scheduling and provided scientists, engineers, and managers with the opportunity to exchange theoretical ideas, practical results, and program plans in such areas as space mission control, space vehicle processing, data analysis, autonomous spacecraft, space robots and rovers, satellite servicing, and intelligent instruments

4-dimensional process-aware site-specific construction safety planning

The construction industry has one of the worst occupational health and safety records of all industries. In spite of stringent regulations and much attention towards reducing risks in the physical environment, the construction industry continues to be associated with high levels of accidents, injuries, and illnesses. Construction safety management activities are typically categorized into safety planning and execution processes. Despite the interdependent relationship between safety planning and execution processes, current safety planning processes lack a systematic approach because of limited safety tools and site-specific information available. As a result, safety planning and execution processes are generally segregated and, consequently, most safety execution processes rely on ad-hoc safety activities during construction. The objective of this research is to systematically formalize the construction safety planning process in a 4-dimensional (4D) environment to address site-specific temporal and spatial safety information, by leveraging project schedules and information technology to improve current construction safety management practices. Prior to developing a specific framework, this research presents a safety risk generation and control model to describe the phenomenon of dynamic safety risk, incorporating construction domain knowledge. The proposed model addresses how the inherent risk of a worker can be transformed by different measurable contexts of activities. Based on the theoretical model, this research assessed safety risk of different construction trades in a quantitative manner. By integrating multiple national injury databases, safety risks of different construction occupations were analyzed to explain common risk types, sources of injury, and risk scenarios associated with each occupation type. With results of safety risk analysis as a reference, a formalized safety planning framework to aid in developing a long-term safety risk prediction plan was proposed. The proposed framework analyzed activity, work period, and work zone safety by integrating a project schedule and a 3D model. The proposed safety planning process was tested in a real-world project. This research advances safety knowledge, integrating site-specific temporal and spatial information, and significantly affecting the construction safety planning process. The proposed safety planning approach can provide safety personnel with a site-specific proactive safety planning tool that can be used to better manage jobsite safety by predicting activity risk, work period risk, and work zone risk in advance. In addition, visual safety materials can also aid in training workers on safety and, consequently, being able to identify site-specific hazards and respond to them effectively.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin