OpenBIM methods and tools for schedule and cost management

3Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodologies and approaches are becoming topics of increasing interest within several infrastructural engineering applications. As far as Construction Management (CM) is concerned, BIM technologies provide a valid support-decision tool, which includes a repository of CM related data, useful for any further development and use. This work presents current Infrastructural Building Information Modeling (InfraBIM) implementation possibilities regarding the correlation between information digital modeling, schedule, and cost management dimensions. The methodology is applied to case studies simulation of excavation and construction phases in underground structures to generate budgeted cost and time schedules linked to BIM models. The major benefit in applying such an approach results in obtaining a model with different types of information that can be updated during the design and construction phases. Also, the associated workflow management system allows to update the 3D model, time schedule, and cost estimation while maintaining relations and interconnections previously defined between model components and specific information on their activities and cost. Another key result is about the chance to communicate design and construction schedules via Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR) techniques, which provide a consistent support tool for the visualization of infrastructure projects.partially_openembargoed_20210915Fonsati, Arianna; Osello, Anna; De Marco, AlbertoFonsati, Arianna; Osello, Anna; De Marco, Albert

Design and Implementation of a Method Base Management System for a Situational CASE Environment

Situational method engineering focuses on configuration of system development methods (SDMs) tuned to the situation of a project at hand. Situational methods are assembled from parts of existing SDMs, so called method fragments, that are selected to match the project situation. The complex task of selecting appropriate method fragments and assembling them into a method requires effective automated support. The paper describes the architecture of a tool prototype offering such support. We present the structure of its central repository, a method base containing method fragments. The functions to store, select and assemble these method fragments are offered by a stratified method base management system tool component, which is described as wel

BlogForever D5.2: Implementation of Case Studies

This document presents the internal and external testing results for the BlogForever case studies. The evaluation of the BlogForever implementation process is tabulated under the most relevant themes and aspects obtained within the testing processes. The case studies provide relevant feedback for the sustainability of the platform in terms of potential users’ needs and relevant information on the possible long term impact

A design recording framework to facilitate knowledge sharing in collaborative software engineering

This paper describes an environment that allows a development team to share knowledge about software artefacts by recording decisions and rationales as well as supporting the team in formulating and maintaining design constraints. It explores the use of multi-dimensional design spaces for capturing various issues arising during development and presenting this meta-information using a network of views. It describes a framework to underlie the collaborative environment and shows the supporting architecture and its implementation. It addresses how the artefacts and their meta-information are captured in a non-invasive way and shows how an artefact repository is embedded to store and manage the artefacts

The added value of implementing the Planet Game scenario with Collage and Gridcole

This paper discusses the suitability and the added value of Collage and Gridcole when contrasted with other solutions participating in the ICALT 2006 workshop titled “Comparing educational modelling languages on a case study.” In this workshop each proposed solution was challenged to implement a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning situation (CSCL) posed by the workshop’s organizers. Collage is a pattern-based authoring tool for the creation of CSCL scripts compliant with IMS Learning Design (IMS LD). These IMS LD scripts can be enacted by the Gridcole tailorable CSCL system. The analysis presented in the paper is organized as a case study which considers the data recorded in the workshop discussion as well the information reported in the workshop contributions. The results of this analysis show how Collage and Gridcole succeed in implementing the scenario and also point out some significant advantages in terms of design reusability and generality, user-friendliness, and enactment flexibility

Mapping AADL models to a repository of multiple schedulability analysis techniques

To fill the gap between the modeling of real-time systems and the scheduling analysis, we propose a framework that supports seamlessly the two aspects: 1) modeling a system using a methodology, in our case study, the Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL), and 2) helping to easily check temporal requirements (schedulability analysis, worst-case response time, sensitivity analysis, etc.). We introduce an intermediate framework called MoSaRT, which supports a rich semantic concerning temporal analysis. We show with a case study how the input model is transformed into a MoSaRT model, and how our framework is able to generate the proper models as inputs to several classic temporal analysis tools

A Case Study in Optimization of Resource Distribution to Cope with Unanticipated Changes in Requirements

It is a known fact that requirements change continuously, and as a consequence, it may be necessary to reschedule development activities so that the new requirements can be addressed in a costeffective manner. Unfortunately, changes in requirements cannot be specified precisely. Moreover, current software development methods do not provide explicit means to adapt development processes with respect to unanticipated changes in requirements. This article first proposes a method based on Markov Decision Theory, which determines the estimated optimal development schedule with respect to probabilistic product demands and resource constraints. Second, a tool is described that is built to support the method. Finally, some experimental results are presented on the applicability of the proposed method

ePortfolios: models and implementation

This paper explores the use of ePortfolio tools to support teaching, learning and the personal and professional development of postgraduate students at the Institute of Education, University of London (IOE). The needs of tutors and students are considered alongside the affordances and limitations of specific tools in relation to these needs. The study involved five areas of postgraduate study at the IOE, one at PhD level, two at Masters level (MA in ICT in Education and MTeach) and two PGCE courses (PGCE in ICT and Post-Compulsory PGCE). Preliminary discussions with IOE staff revealed five common themes relating to the perceived purpose of an ePortfolio: model, ownership, collaboration, accessibility and support. The first theme relates to the definition of the ePortfolio, whilst the remaining themes address questions relating to ownership, control, use and user needs/development. In this paper, each of the themes and the questions raised within those areas are addressed in detail and a cross-comparative table of responses across each of five teaching scenarios is provided with levels of importance measured on a scale of 1 (low) to 4 (high)

Investigating the use of semantic technologies in spatial mapping applications

Semantic Web Technologies are ideally suited to build context-aware information retrieval applications. However, the geospatial aspect of context awareness presents unique challenges such as the semantic modelling of geographical references for efficient handling of spatial queries, the reconciliation of the heterogeneity at the semantic and geo-representation levels, maintaining the quality of service and scalability of communicating, and the efficient rendering of the spatial queries' results. In this paper, we describe the modelling decisions taken to solve these challenges by analysing our implementation of an intelligent planning and recommendation tool that provides location-aware advice for a specific application domain. This paper contributes to the methodology of integrating heterogeneous geo-referenced data into semantic knowledgebases, and also proposes mechanisms for efficient spatial interrogation of the semantic knowledgebase and optimising the rendering of the dynamically retrieved context-relevant information on a web frontend