For senior-level courses in Construction Project Management, and undergraduate/graduate-level courses in Computer-Aided Construction Management. This text views basic project management concepts from an information technology perspective. It contains comprehensive coverage of quantitative construction management techniques for planning, scheduling, estimating, cost optimization, cash flow analysis, bidding, and project control. All concepts are presented both manually and on computer applications, with a single case study to clearly demonstrate the evolution of concepts in the successive chapters.

The contributions in this volume portray, in terms of the current state of the art, research on computer-aided construction in the building industry. A complete overview is given within the areas of computer-aided design, product modelling in construction, and robot-oriented design and construction together with a summary of the commercial developments in computerized systems within those areas. The papers will be essential reading for all those interested in future automation in relation to the building construction industry with the accent on design and engineering.

This book focuses on the intelligent application of advanced information technology tools (such as CAD and KBES) to design and planning in construction. It describes and explains the current applications of computer tools, presents new ideas for their use in design and planning processes, and in particular, concentrates on the preliminary design stage. Computer Integrated Planning and Design for Construction aims to demonstrate the implementation of these ideas and uncover the extraordinary opportunities for design improvement as a result.

In the latter half of the 20th century, forces have conspired to make the human community, at last, global. The easing of tensions between major nations, the expansion of trade to worldwide markets, widespread travel and cultural exchange, pervasive high-speed communications and automation, the explosion of knowledge, the streamlining of business, and the adoption of flexible methods have changed the face of manufacturing itself, and of research and education in manufacturing. The acceptance of the continuous improvement process as a means for organizations to respond quickly and effectively to swings in the global market has led to the demand for individuals educated in a broad range of cultural, organizational, and technical fields and capable of absorbing and adapting required knowledge and training throughout their careers. No longer will manufacturing research and education focus on an industrial sector or follow a national trend, but rather will aim at enabling international teams of companies to cooperate in rapidly designing, prototyping, and manufacturing products. The successful enterprise of the 21st century will be characterized by an organizational structure that efficiently responds to customer demands and changing global circumstances, a corporate culture that empowers employees at all levels and encourages constant communication among related groups, and a technological infrastructure that fully supports process improvement and integration. In changing itself to keep abreast of the broader transformation in manufacturing, the enterprise must look first at its organization and culture, and thereafter at supporting technologies.

Issues for 1955 accompanied by supplement: Construction volume and costs, 1915-1954.