This thesis reports on a research project undertaken over a four year period investigating
and developing a software framework and application for integrating and managing
building product information for construction engineering. The research involved
extensive literature research, observation of the industry practices and interviews with
construction industry practitioners and systems implementers to determine how best to
represent and present product information to support the construction process.
Applicable product models for information representation were reviewed and evaluated
to determine present suitability. The IFC product model was found to be the most
applicable. Investigations of technologies supporting the product model led to the
development of a software tool, the IFC Assembly Viewer, which aided further
investigations into the suitability of the product model (in its current state) for the
exchange and sharing of product information. A software framework, or reusable
software design and application, called PROduct Information Management System
(PROMIS), was developed based on a non-standard product model but with flexibility
to work with the IFC product model when sufficiently mature. The software comprises
three subsystems namely: ProductWeb, ModelManager.NET and Product/Project
Service (or P2Service). The key features of this system were shared project databases,
parametric product specification, integration of product information sources, and
application interaction and integration through interface components. PROMIS was
applied to and tested with a modular construction business for the management of
product information and for integration of product and project information through the
design and construction (production) process
