Towards Linking Virtual Models with Physical Objects in Construction using RFID:Review of Ontologies

Virtual models have in recent years proven their worth in practice relating to building design. Today virtual models of the complete project are created before the project is carried out in practice. The immediate advantages of this are great; it introduces fewer errors, gives a better production basis, improved clarity and enhanced communication methods compared to traditional 2D drafting methods. However, there is still much unutilized potential in the virtual models, especially in the construction and operation phases. It is expected that a digital link between the virtual models and the physical objects in the construction process can improve the information and knowledge handling from design to construction, operation and maintenance. The link can be created by use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. This paper describes a review and assessment of existing ontologies relevant in relation to creating this link. The ontologies are categorised according to their applicability to specify technical services, resources, organisational relations, business processes and overall frameworks for ontology descriptions and their relations. It is concluded that, with few modifications the technical service and resource ontologies are applicable for industrial use and the meta, organisational and business process ontologies needs further development and industrial maturity to be applicable. KEYWORDS

Radio Frequency Identification in Construction Operation and Maintenance:Contextual Analysis of User Needs

Abstract: As early as in 1995 it was stated that automatic identification of objects using RFID was a promis-ing technology for the construction industry. However, 13 years later the applications of RFID in the con-struction industry are rare and mostly used in prototype projects or used for theft prevention and access control. Recently maintenance applications have been proposed to hold the trigger needed to launch RFID more widely in the construction sector. Therefore the purpose of the research presented in this paper is to identify the actual user needs for automatic identification in construction operation and maintenance. Re-search results from a contextual design process are presented and supplemented with practical experiences from implementing an RFID-supported operation and maintenance system. The greatest obstacles for suc-cessful implementation of RFID-based O&M systems have been found in structuring working processes and information rather than in making the hardware work

User Driven Innovation in the Building Process

Abstract: During the late years there has been an ever-increasing focus on the possibilities to change the building process to raise quality on the final building products as well as the activities of actors involved in the building process. One reason for this interest is the new opportunities evolving due to introduction of ad-vanced information and communication technology (ICT). The paper focuses on creative changes of the building process powered by user driven innovation activities. An overview of existing user driven innovation methodologies is given as well experiences from the ongoing Virtual Innovation in Construction (VIC) project. One important driving force for change is the opportunity for users to develop and articulate real needs con-cerning for example different functionalities of a building and its parts, but also on artifacts supporting the ac-tual needs capture and requirements formulation during building design. A general methodological frame-work and meta ontology for Virtual Innovation in Construction is presented as well as findings from imple-mentation of the method. Key words: innovation; user driven; needs; requirements; creative design; construction; system developmen