Main Article Content

Abstract

Mobile computing technology has an enormous potential in civil engineering, mainly in the field of construction management. This paper presents an approach by using mobile computing in a civil engineering construction project, exploring how information can be exchanged at a construction site, and how billing of quantities (BOQ), drawings and specifications are shared for the benefit of the project. One of the major obstacles in using information technology (IT) when applied to civil engineering is due to the dynamic changes in the construction activities and the diversity of construction methods as compared to other industries. This has proved to be a great disadvantage when trying to give construction sites adequate IT support. Computers require infrastructure, which can be transferred easily to the head office, but rarely to the construction site itself in a systematic way. Therefore, the impact of IT on the way the construction industry actually works has not been significantly utilized. This paper consists of two main parts. The first part defines the concept of mobile computing, describes some recent research, and stresses the potential for the construction industry. The second part is focuses on an approach, implementing mobile computing in a real construction site.

 

Keywords

Mobile computing Networking Personal digital assistant (PDA) Site Soil

Article Details

How to Cite
Jadid, M., & Idress, M. (2005). Using Mobile Computing and Information Technology in Civil Engineering Construction Projects. The Journal of Engineering Research [TJER], 2(1), 25–31. https://doi.org/10.24200/tjer.vol2iss1pp25-31

References

  1. Amor, R., Betts, M., and Coetzee, G., 2002, “Information Technology for Construction: Recent Work and Future Directions,” ITcon 17: pp. 245-258.
  2. Daito Trust Construction Co. (2000), Annual Report, http://www.kentaku.co.jp/e/tcs/.
  3. Garrett, J.H., Buergy, C., Reinhardt, and Sunkpho, J., 2002, "An Overview of the Research in Mobile/Wearable Computer-Aided Engineering Systems in the Advanced Infrastructure Systems Lab
  4. at Carnegie Mellon University," In the CD Proceedings of the BAUEN MIT Computern (Computer-Aided Construction) conference, Bonn, Germany, April 11-12, 2002.
  5. Matthew, S. and Gast, 2003, "802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide,” (O'Reilly Networking).
  6. Reinhardt, J., Garrett, J.H. and Scherer, J., 2000, "The Preliminary Design of a Wearable Computer for the Supporting Construction Progress Monitoring," Internationales, Kolloquium Uber die Anwedung der informatik under Mathematik in Architecture und Weimar, Germany, June 2000.
  7. Saudi Consulting Services, 2001, King Faisal University Permanent Campus, Soil Report, Saudi Arabia.
  8. Xybernaut wearable computers. www.xybernaut.com/