Information technology support to improved construction processes: Inter-disciplinarity in research and practice

Abstract

Research and innovation in the built environment is increasingly taking on an inter-disciplinary nature. The built environment industry and professional practice have long adopted multi and interdisciplinary practices. The application of IT in construction is moving beyond the automation and replication of discrete mono and multidisciplinary tasks to replicate and model the improved interdisciplinary processes of modern design and construction practice. A major long-term research project underway at the University of Salford seeks to develop IT modeling capability to support the design of buildings and facilities that are buildable, maintainable, operable, sustainable, accessible, and have properties of acoustic, thermal, and business support performance that are of a high standard. Recent advances in technology are beginning to make such a modeling tool feasible. Some of the key problems with its further research and development, and with its ultimate implementation, will be the challenges of multiple researches and built environment stakeholders sharing a common vision, language, and sense of trust. This chapter explores these challenges as a set of research issues that support the development of appropriate technology to support realizable advances in construction process improvements.

Keywords Built environment, Information Technology, Construction, Stakeholders sharing