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The emergence of lean construction in the Norwegian AEC industry

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Building design management in the early stages

The AEC is an industry in change due to developing demands in environmental, sustainability, technology, and other regulatory demands. For projects to successfully comply with the changes this needs to be dealt with in the early stages of projects in the design phase, where the influence of solutions are high and the cost of changes are low. This PhD work examines building design management at the early stages of design. The PhD thesis is conducted as a PhD by publication and consists of ten publications, and this thesis as the overarching essay. Each of the publications addresses different topics relevant to building design management. The research is based on qualitative case studies, learning from the practitioners to achieve an in-depth understanding of building design management. The main research question of this PhD thesis is: How should building design management handle the early stages of the design phase in building projects? This is answered first through trying to define what building design management is. The definition used is: Building design management involves planning, organizing, and managing people, their knowledge, and the flow of information to obtain specific project goals and objectives. Further, the thesis examines the challenges in the design phase of the early stages, to provide characteristics of the design process that need to be addressed. The challenges lie in the complexity of the interdependence of the design task, where tasks need to have reciprocal interdependencies to create a better solution, while constraints in time, for example, need the design to stop at a certain deadline. The fragmentation of the AEC also creates challenges at the organizational and personal levels. These challenges need to be handled by building design management. The thesis also examines the success factors of building design management. A list of ten success factors is presented based on the literature and is discussed based on empirical findings. However, the research also shows that the success factors needs to be aligned with the project, the actors of the project, and building design management since they might not have the same relevance for all projects. Moreover, the thesis examines the learning potential in building design management from similar project-based industries, such as offshore construction and shipbuilding. Offshore construction uses the building information model (BIM) in a more mature way in both planning and progress reporting. The shipbuilding design team works almost autonomously, creating ship designs and rapidly responding to changes. To answer the main research question of how building design management should handle the early stages of the design phase in building projects, the thesis proposes a framework. The framework emphasizes the importance for building design management to plan not only the building design process but also the building design management process. The framework is made to be generic and starts with an assessment stage to assess the specifics of the project, then an initialization stage to plan the design management strategy, and then the execution stage to execute the design management strategy to handle building design management in the early stages

Planning the BIM Process in AEC Projects

The architectural, engineering and construction industry (AEC Industry) needs to focus on the early design phases. The use of Lean Design Management and Building Information Model (BIM) can be used together for reducing uncertainty and improve communication. BIM requires new working methods, and the use of Level of Development (LoD) or model maturity is proposed as a key element to align the challenges in the design phase and to generate an enhanced design process. This paper addresses these challenges and aim to answer three research questions. RQ1: What approaches to model maturity are used or attempted in the Norwegian AEC industry? RQ2: What experiences do the actors of the AEC industry have towards the use of model maturity? RQ3: How can model maturity be implemented in an AEC project? The research method is based on a literature study and a study based on semi–structured interviews. This paper presents an analysis of the interviewees regarding the experiences the industry has with the use of model maturity. There is proposed a framework based on the results, about how to implement model maturity in construction projects. The framework is generic and can be adapted to different construction projects independent of contract form

Planning the building design process according to Level of Development

Question: Q1: What characterizes planning of the building design process in different industries today? Q2: How do the challenges of planning in the building design process stand out from other industries? Q3: How can planning in the building design process be improved? Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the design process in three different industries: 1) Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), 2) Offshore Construction (OC), and 3) Ship Building (SB), and from that learn how the AECindustry can improve building design management. Research Method: A comparative case study using one case from each industry (AEC, OC and SB) with interviews and a case-specific document study were conducted. In total, thirty-two semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect the analysed data from the three cases. Finally, a focus group interview with ten participants was carried out to test and develop a conceptual model. Findings: This paper presents an analysis of the differences between design processes in the three industries and proposes a conceptual model for how building design management can be planned according to the Level of Development (LOD). Limitations: The study is limited to single case studies in companies in three different industries. Implications: The use of the proposed conceptual model with the LOD could improve planning of the building design process. Value for authors: This paper gives project practitioners an insight into how the LOD can be used to structure the planning process and improve the design process. Keywords: Level of Development, Collaborative planning, Design maturity, Building design management

Using building information model (BIM) devices to improve information flow and collaboration on construction sites

The AEC (Architectural Engineering and Construction) industry has been successfully using BIMs (Building Information Models) as a tool for improving the design process for some time now. Lately we have seen an increase in use of BIMsin the construction process with BIM devices like BIM stations and tablets. The research presented studied the advantages and challenges with BIM devices on a construction site and used communication theory to explain why these tools are more effective than traditional approaches. A survey with 82 respondents employed by a large Norwegian contractor revealed the most prominent challenges in the interface between design and construction to be both deficiencies and errors in the design. To further investigate these challenges and how BIM can help mitigate these challenges, mixed-method research plan with a case study approach was undertaken. In total, 24 semi-structured interviews with key actors from both the design and construction sides, a study of over 400 different documents from three cases implementing BIM devices, and a survey of craftsmen using BIM devices, with a total of 73 respondents, were carried out. The analyses indicate that reaping the full benefits of BIM devices demands insight in communication theory. The main finding is that BIMs used as a mediating artefact in synchronous communication provide far more effective communication than other types of synchronous communication. BIMs as a documentation option in the construction process are superior to all other media because it has a higher bandwidth and is self-documenting at the same time. Any new system or tool that is implemented will require some sort of training, and this study shows how proper training of all the involved practitioners will be necessary when implementing a BIM device. This study can help practitioners to focus on the right strategy when implementing BIMs and the use of BIM devices in AEC projects

The dual nature of design management

Design management profession has probably got the least attention in the construction industry. One reason could be the lack of explicit conceptualizations about its nature, subject matter and principles. In this article, a conceptual design management framework is proposed on the premise that design management is the management of a structured system of object and subject-oriented, technical and social design activities. Additionally, an example of a mediating visual model is proposed to facilitate the discussions about design activities and design management in academia and practice. The two major premises of this research are 1) as design management is the management of design activity, it is dependent on the way design is conceptualized; and 2) design is a human activity, but not a thing (e.g., representation) or an event (e.g., decision-making).Peer reviewe