Construction Technology

The evolution of the construction industry is closely linked with the introduction and evolution of information technologies. Today, collaboration, distributed document management, and instant communications are joining classic scheduling and estimating applications as the standard tools employed by construction professionals. However, the next generation of information technology applications is already having an impact; the emerging fields of visualization, Building Information Modeling and construction simulation are being applied to projects and demonstrating initial opportunities. This reference set provides a comprehensive perspective on the role of information technologies in the construction industry. Beginning with the seminal works on computerizing scheduling operations, these volumes provide both a breadth of representations of construction technologies as well as depth of understanding in each area. They focus on: 1) traditional applications including scheduling, estimating, and operations simulation; 2) second generation applications including collaboration and document management applications; and 3) next generation technologies including 4-D simulation, virtual worlds, and safety modeling. Within each of these focal points, the volumes provide the reader with a cross-section of papers that introduce both the theory and the application of the technologies. The theoretical perspectives provide an understanding of the technologies as well as an argument for the necessity of the development in today's industry context. Similarly, the application perspective provides a spotlight on the deployment of technologies in both controlled and field conditions. The collection is introduced by the Editor in a section which provides the context of the industry as a basis for Construction Technology emergence - driving forces include innovation, customer expectations, and worksharing. These volumes present a comprehensive review of the role of technology in responding to the continuous changing environment of the construction industry.