ISICAD: Interactive System for Integrating CAD and Computer-Based Construction Systems

Abstract

: The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is extremely fragmented. Professionals from various organizations are involved in different project phases requiring constant transfer of data among participants. Islands of automation exist throughout the project life cycle. However, methods for sharing data across discipline boundaries are still precarious. Improved methods for generating, sharing, and maintaining project data not only reduce fragmentation but also increase competitiveness by bridging gaps between and within project phases. The primary objective of this research is to develop ISICAD (interactive system for integrating CAD and computer-based construction systems) which captures selected design data and represents these data in an object-oriented project model during the design stage of AEC projects. In the heirarchy of object-oriented classes and subclasses, the design data get inherited; hence all functional, geometric, structural, construction, and design evolution data from the different design domains—architectural, engineering, contractual, estimation, management, scheduling, etc.—are shared across class boundaries. This design data can be used as input to various computer-based construction systems (e.g., knowledge-based planning system) and to support reasoning about geometric, topologic, spatial, and temporal issues in the project life cycle. Consequently, the decoding of drawings is abolished from the AEC project process. More important, industry integration is increased.