How could ICT benefit design managers for assessing sustainability of their project?

Sustainability in the construction industry is gaining increased attention which consequently shifted the modus operandi towards improving knowledge and practice. Amongst the key stakeholders involved in the delivery of sustainable buildings are design managers, who have a vital role in terms of managing and coordinating the design process and communicating design information. During this highly complex and iterative process, design managers also undertake tasks and activities which are related to sustainability and its assessment. This study investigated the impact of sustainability assessment on the design managers’ roles and responsibilities. The research specifically focused on ICT as an ‘enabler’ within the sustainability assessment process that aids design managers in achieving a better environment while carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Without an explicit understanding about how ICT can be effectively used within the sustainability assessment process, its impact will remain limited for design managers who are one of the key players in the strive for a sustainable design process. A twofold research methodology was adopted within this project to achieve the primary and secondary research objectives, this included: an extensive literature review on the building design process, design management role and sustainability assessment; and, fieldwork, which consisted of questionnaires and series of interviews with design managers working for contractors in the industry. The research concluded that there are several barriers to the effective management of sustainability assessment by design managers caused by two major factors: the late involvement in the projects and the lack of a structured approach for the sustainability management. The study concluded that in order for ICT to become an effective ‘enabler’ in the assessment process, barriers to effective management of sustainability assessment must be removed first

Defining an improvement plan to address design management practices within a UK construction company

A UK based design and construction civil and building engineering company is trying to improve its design management practices. It has entered into a partnership with Loughborough University and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop and deploy design management tools capable of making significant improvements to its design management performance. Before suitable tools could be identified it was necessary to understand current practices within the organisation. This paper describes the methodology, results and conclusions of this initial study. The results and conclusions discuss current design management practices within the company, identify areas where improvement is necessary and suggests a research scope capable of driving change throughout the company. This paper is likely to be of interest to those involved in design management and the development of tools and practices to help the industry improve design management performance

Decision problem structuring method for the specification and selection of active fire protection systems

The UK along with the EU has witnessed a recent proliferation of designs for potential active fire suppression systems for the mitigation of fire risks in buildings and equipment; from five in 1986 (BSI, 1986) to eleven in 2011 (BSI, 2011a). However, each technology remains limited to the protection of certain types of application only, rather than offering a solution to guard against all possible hazards. This trend occurs at the same time as a transition from prescriptive to performance based standards and against the backdrop of the current nonprescriptive regulatory frameworks including the Building Regulations (HMSO, 2010), The Regulatory (fire) Reform Order (HMSO, 2005) and associated guidance (Approved Documents, standards, codes of practice and guides). Hazards can be difficult to assess and describe and the inequality or absence of satisfactory methods is notable in many recently published guidance documents. Active fire protection systems are installed to meet legislative requirements (to protect life), and / or when identified as appropriate by a cost-benefit analysis (e.g. to achieve risk reduction for business resilience purposes or to historic assets). There are many guidance documents available to assist users and designers in choosing and specifying appropriate active fire protection. These documents vary in age, relevance, scope, quality, impartiality and suitability. The Fire Protection Association (FPA) and several leading insurers who participate in its risk management work, have identified the requirement for assistance with the decision making process of analysing fire hazards and matching them to appropriate candidate systems, in order to make informed and impartial recommendations. This has led to the undertaking of a four year research project aimed at developing a decision problem structuring method and a software tool (Expert System), for the specification and selection of Active Fire Protection Systems. The research aim is to develop a tool that will assist users in making an informed selection of a system that is likely to best suit their needs and thereby contribute to overall improvements in fire safety and outcomes. This paper presents a summary of the work to date, focusing on the demand for the work, development of the methodology and practical application of the emerging Expert System

Development of a fixed firefighting system selection tool for improved outcomes

The UK along with the European Union has experienced a recent proliferation in design approaches for potential fixed firefighting systems. Such systems are installed to mitigate fire hazards in buildings and equipment. In the UK, for example there were five general design approaches to fixed firefighting systems protection in 1986. This had increased to eleven in 2011. This is against the backdrop of the current non-prescriptive regulatory frameworks including the Building Regulations, the repeal of so-called ‘local acts’, the Regulatory (fire) Reform Order and associated guidance (Approved Documents, standards, codes of practice and guides). In response to this trend, as was intended, the market place is becoming increasingly competitive. However, the capability of each technology remains limited to protection against certain hazards, rather than offering a solution to guard against all possible scenarios. When selecting a fixed firefighting system, fire hazards and interactions can be difficult to assess and describe and the inequality or absence of satisfactory methods is notable in many recently published guidance documents. The absence of good quality guidance for non-expert practitioners (specifiers) and regulatory changes means a good quality source of impartial and expert knowledge is increasingly desirable. The challenge is to amass this knowledge and render it in an accessible format to the non-expert user. This paper reports on progress to-date; understanding the problem, amassing and structuring the knowledge base and developing a suitable knowledge management tool

A review of approaches to supply chain communications: from manufacturing to construction

With the increasing importance of computer-based communication technologies, communication networks are becoming crucial in supply chain management. Given the objectives of the supply chain: to have the right products in the right quantities, at the right place, at the right moment and at minimal cost, supply chain management is situated at the intersection of different professional sectors. This is particularly the case in construction, since building needs for its fabrication the incorporation of a number of industrial products. This paper provides a review of the main approaches to supply chain communications as used mainly in manufacturing industries. The paper analyses the extent to which these have been applied to construction. It also reviews the on-going developments and research activities in this domain

An evaluation of current collaborative prototyping practices within the AEC industry

'Collaborative working' and 'prototyping' have both been identified by many within the industry as two methods of working that can help organisations become more profitable and productive. However, when used collectively the potential exists to bring improvements to the Architectural, Engineering and Construction sectors through the eradication of waste and re-work. The concept of 'Collaborative Prototyping' provides a process that challenges existing cultural attitudes and working processes and advocates a change in the way conventional projects are managed, in order to achieve a more competitive industry. This paper presents the results of a study on the evaluation of current Collaborative Prototyping practices within the Architectural, Engineering and Construction industry. It reviews existing collaborative methods of working along with current developments. An evaluation of the role of 3D modelling and prototyping practices has also been conducted, and the current levels of the industry’s use are established. This paper concludes that the industry makes little use of Collaborative Prototyping, and therefore at present does not maximise the potential that prototyping and collaborative working offer in improving working practices

Using business impact analyses to enhance resilient fire engineering building design

As an engineering discipline within the United Kingdom, fire engineering is relatively young. It has been accepted as an alternative to traditional prescriptive means of meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations since the publication of the 1985 edition of Approved Document B. Performance-based fire engineering design methods have facilitated architectural design freedoms and supported creative construction. However, it has become evident that since fire engineering has become more established, significant concerns have been raised regarding various elements of the design process including the ability to consider aspects other than life safety. In response to these concerns, this article introduces novel application of concepts to assist the building design team to consider their client’s resilience requirements. This is by utilising business continuity planning methods, specifically business impact analyses within the fire engineering qualitative design review. By using these concepts in this new way, the architectural design team will be able to identify those processes which are of greatest importance to their client’s organisation, allowing the most appropriate fire engineering strategy to be established

Information exchanges in a cross-disciplinary supply chain: formal strategy and application

A supply chain is often considered as a network of facilities and distribution options provided by industrial companies. Many industrial organisations encounter interoperability problems amongst their software systems, particularly when the organisations belong to different industrial sectors, such as manufacturing and construction. Incompatibility amongst syntax and semantics of the languages used is the most common cause of this problem. The Process Specification Language (PSL), now ISO 18629 standard, has the potential to overcome some of these difficulties by acting as a neutral communication language. The aim of this paper is to propose a formal strategy facilitating those exchanges