Information Technology Symposium - Annual 2003



		4th Joint Symposium on Information Technology in Civil Engineering 4 Track Presentations 2 Keynote Presentations 1 Poster Session Saturday, November 15 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Civil engineers and related professionals from industry and academia with interest in information technology issues are invited to this workshop to help coalesce a realistic vision for the future of Information Technology in Civil Engineering. This two-day event (Saturday and Sunday, November 15-16) will include eight sessions of paper presentations and panel discussions; four keynotes to focus, summarize, and advance the discussions; and one poster session, covering research and applications of IT in Civil Engineering. 8:50 AM Welcome to the Symposium Ian Flood, Ph.D., M.ASCE Rinker School, University of Florida Gainesville, FL Poster Presentation Developing a Vision for IT in Civil Engineering 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM This single-track poster session — focused on "Developments in Information Technology in Civil Engineering Research" - runs parallel to the paper and panel discussion track. It provides researchers with an opportunity to present on-going research and applications. Paper Presentations and Panel Discussions Developing a Vision for IT in Civil Engineering 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Keynote I: Industry Perspective Keynote Speaker: Richard H. F. Jackson, Ph.D. FIATECH, Austin, TX A Realistic Vision for the Future of IT in Civil Engineering and a Plan for Achieving It Dr. Jackson is the first Director of FIATECH, a not-for-profit consortium focused on fast-track development and deployment of technologies to improve substantially how capital projects are designed, engineered, built, and maintained. Its members reap significant benefits by working together to discover and develop high-value technologies and then using those technologies before anyone else. In his role as Director, Dr. Jackson manages the research initiatives of the consortium including for example the Capital Projects Technology Road-Mapping Initiative, the Life Cycle Data Management Project, the e-Business for Capital Facilities Project, the Smart Chips in Construction Project, and the Mobile Computing for Construction, Operations, and Maintenance Project. 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM SESSION 1: Previous Successes and Failures of Information Technology in Civil Engineering Structural design using finite elements, weekly updates of production schedules, online collaboration, electronic procurement - these are just some of the benefits of Information Technology in civil engineering. However, not all predictions made by information technologists have become reality. While other industries, such as aeronautical or auto manufacturing, are capable of fully modeling their products and manufacturing processes, construction still lags behind. Should your company be a leader in using IT? Is there any risk in the "wait and see" approach? How do you separate trends from fads? This session will present case studies of successes and failures. The panel discussion will provide a guide for when and how to invest in IT in civil engineering and construction. CHAIR: Avi Wiezel, Ph.D., Del E. Webb School of Construction, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ SPEAKERS: Steven Fenves, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD Information Technology in Civil Engineering — Lessons Learned Brian L. Smith, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA A Case Study in Successes and Failures of Information Technology in Civil Engineering Avi Wiezel, Ph.D., Del E. Webb School of Construction, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ Successful Failures: Who Is to Blame? 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM REFRESHMENT BREAK 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM SESSION 2: Current Trends and Professional Needs for Information Technology in Civil Engineering The Civil Engineering profession has been changing at an ever-increasing pace, due to the increasing complexity of construction products and time pressure on projects, professional specialization, industry fragmentation, litigation, and globalization. Despite these significant challenges, new and emerging information technologies present promising opportunities to advance the civil engineering profession. This session will bring together faculty, researchers, and industry practitioners involved with the development and utilization of advanced IT applications in civil engineering to discuss ways in which robust, proven IT can satisfy unmet industry needs in innovative ways. CHAIRS: Raymond Levitt, Ph.D., Stanford University, Stanford, CA & Lucio Soibelman, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL SPEAKERS: Robert O'Neill, Ph.D., Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI Role of Computing in Civil Engineering: Part I: Educator's Perspective (2002) Part II: Practitioner's Perspective (2002) William O'Brien, Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Opportunities for IT to Support the Construction Supply Chain Liang Y. Liu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL Needs and Trends of IT-based Construction Field Data Collection Thomas Froese, Ph.D., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Unified Project Management: A New Approach Renate Fruchter, Ph.D., Stanford University, Stanford, CA Innovation in Engaging Learning and Global Teamwork Experiences 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM LUNCH Lunch will be available to symposium participants. 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM KEYNOTE II: Government Perspective KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Kent A. Reed, Ph.D., NIST, Gaithersburg, MD The Future of Information Technology in Civil Engineering Dr. Reed coordinates the planning and execution of projects across the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) that support the technical and business objectives of the BFRL Major Product on the Computer Integrated Construction Environment. These projects cover work on information representation, sharing, and exchange in his own group and on construction metrology and automation, electronic commerce of technical data, and supporting business cases. Dr. Reed is responsible for planning and executing projects in the Computer Integrated Construction Group that support objectives of the similarly titled BFRL Major Product. Projects have included the analysis, synthesis, and expression of codes and standards, development of protocols to exchange graphical and non-graphical information about buildings and facilities, and development of knowledge-based expert systems. 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM SESSION 3: Measuring the Success of Information Technology in Civil Engineering Applications The adoption of IT by civil engineering organizations has become commonplace in today's professional industry. From everyday tasks such as word processing to advanced specialty tasks such as structural analysis, IT has supplanted existing methods to become the standard operating procedure for the industry. However, this rush to automation often occurs with little regard to measurement of success. Is IT making the civil engineering profession more successful? Are individual companies becoming more profitable and successful due to IT adoption? Are companies changing their corporate culture to enhance success through IT? Attendees at this session will learn the basis for measuring an organization's IT success and determining how to develop a vision for success with IT as a central component. CHAIRS: Paul Chinowsky, Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder, CO & Anthony D. Songer, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA SPEAKER: James T. O'Connor, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX Impact of Integration and Automation Technology on Project Success Measures 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM REFRESHMENT BREAK 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Session 4: Emerging Information Technologies Relevant to Civil Engineering Needs This session will provide a platform for civil engineering educators and professionals to share their experience in identifying and integrating new information technology in their respective fields. As civil engineers are required to deal with a major overhaul of an aging infrastructure in a fast moving and highly competitive global economy, IT will play a key role at all decision-making levels. It is thus important to examine the needs of the civil engineering profession in this subject and establish a track record of assessment of the applicability and usefulness of emerging information technologies. CHAIRS: Souhail Elhouar, Bradley University, Peoria, IL & Renate Fruchter, Ph.D., Stanford University, Stanford, CA SPEAKERS: Yun Peng, Ph.D., Stanford University, Stanford, CA The Emergence of Web Services for Civil Engineering Yoke-Chin Lai, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark Semantic-Web Supported Knowledge Management System to Enhance Collaborative Building Design Renate Fruchter, Ph.D., Stanford University, Stanford, CA Turning A/E/C Knowledge into Working Knowledge Amin Hammad, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Mobile Infrastructure Management Support Systems Considering Location and Task Awareness Khaled Nassar, Bradley University, Peoria, IL Automatic Generation of Discrete Event Simulation Models From Building Plans for Simulating Pedestrian Movement in Buildings 4th Joint Symposium on Information Technologyin Civil Engineering Sunday, November 16 Paper Presentations and Panel Discussion: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM 4 Track Presentations 2 Keynote Presentations DEVELOPING A VISION FOR IT IN CIVIL ENGINEERING 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM KEYNOTE III: Academic Perspective (European) SPEAKER: Ian Smith, Ph.D., EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Challenges, Opportunities, and Risks of IT in Civil Engineering Dr. Smith is a Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at EPFL where he is involved in research, teaching, collaboration with industry, and managing a laboratory. He has also been active in consulting related to monitoring structures, applications of information technology, structural design, evaluation and repair of existing structures, and accident analysis in Europe, North America, and Japan. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo, ON, in 1978, and his Ph.D. in Engineering at the University of Cambridge, UK, in 1982. His academic interests include structural engineering, mechanics, performance-based structural engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, CSCW, HCI, infrastructure monitoring and repair, intelligent structures, global sustainability, and intelligent CAD. 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM SESSION 5: The Future of Information Technology in Civil Engineering: A European Perspective Through general discussion papers and examples of promising technologies, this session will discuss issues related to where and how IT will be used in Europe within civil engineering contexts. Other possible topics include opportunities and risks as well as educational requirements for tomorrow's engineers. Finally, this session will focus on identifying and evaluating differences between the European and American situations in order to gain new insights into common challenges. CHAIR: Ian Smith, Ph.D., EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland SPEAKERS: John Miles, Ph.D., University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK IT for Design — A European Perspective Bimal Kumar, Ph.D., Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK A Tale of Two SITIES Yaqub M. Rafiq, Ph.D., University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK Rethinking IT for Rethinking Construction Walid Tizanim, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK Incremental Virtual Prototyping as an IT Tool for CE projects Dietrich Hartmann, Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, Bochum, Germany Using Multi-Paradigmatic Methodologies for IT in Civil Engineering Chimay J. Anumba, Ph.D., Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK Toward a Web of Construction Knowledge and Services Adam Borkowski, Ph.D., Institute of Fundamental Technology, Warsaw, Poland IT in Civil Engineering in Poland after Joining EC 10:30 AM - 1l:00 AM REFRESHMENT BREAK 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM SESSION 6: The Future of Information Technology in Civil Engineering: A North American Perspective In this session, a wide-range of perspectives will be presented from IT communities in industry, academia, and government on those information technologies that will be important for the future of civil engineering, and those civil engineering applications that will drive the development of new information technologies. Presentations will be short, insightful, and thought-provoking, allowing for ample discussion of future directions for IT in civil engineering. CHAIR: James H. Garrett, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA & Dr. Raja R. A. Issa, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL SPEAKERS: Claude Bedard, Ph.D., Concordia University, Montreal, QB Changes and the Unchangeable: Computers in Construction James H. Garrett, Jr., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA One-Future Direction of IT in Civil Engineering: From IT-Supported Offices Towards IT-Supported On-Site Activity William O'Brien, Ph.D., Rinker School of Building Construction, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Moving from Information Tunnels to Configurable, User-Model Driven Environments: A Vision for Future Project Information Technologies Steve Thomas, Bovis-Lend Lease-Americas Software Project Success from a Real Customer Perspective Ken P. Chong, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA Nanotechnology in Civil Engineering 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM LUNCH Lunch will be available to symposium participants. 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM SESSION 7: Barriers and Potential Solutions to the Development and Implementation of Information Technology in Civil Engineering IT is the driving force behind rapid changes in the civil engineering profession. The use of computers and various IT-related tools is transforming the way we teach and learn civil engineering, and how we conduct various civil engineering processes, including design, construction, and maintenance. We are often confronted by the issue of how to optimize the development and implementation of IT, ie., how to minimize our efforts, or how to maximize the positive impact of IT on our productivity and the quality of our products. This session will address the challenging issue of barriers to the development and implementation of IT in civil engineering and find potential solutions. CHAIR: Tomasz Arciszewski, Ph.D., George Mason University, Fairfax, VA SPEAKERS: O. O. Ugwu, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Key Enablers in IT Implementation - A Hong Kong Construction Industry Perspective Ian Flood, Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Barriers to the Development, Adoption, and Implementation of Information Technologies: Case Studies from Construction Chris Gordon, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA The Need for Value Analysis and Planning for Effective Quality Control Technology Decision-Making E. C. Oguejiofor, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia Barriers to the Implementation of IT in Civil Engineering Education 3:10 PM - 3:40 PM REFRESHMENT BREAK 3:40 PM - 4:10 PM KEYNOTE IV: Academic Perspective (North America) SPEAKER: Feniosky Pena-Mora, Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA DARE Dr. Pena-Mora received his S.M. (1991) and Sc.D. (1994) from MIT. His areas of specialization are: information technology support for design rationale capture and conflict mitigation; collaborative meeting, change, and negotiation management; as well as process integration during the development of large-scale civil engineering systems. 4:10 PM - 5:00 PM SESSION 8: Towards a Vision for Information Technology in Civil Engineering This session is entirely dedicated to a panel discussion that will integrate all paper presentations and individual panel discussions from earlier in the symposium. The objective is to debate the more important points raised during the symposium and to work toward a comprehensive, relevant, and implementable vision for IT in Civil Engineering. DISCUSSION MODERATOR: Ian Flood, Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL SPEAKER: James H. Garrett, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Speaker's Summary of the Symposium's Most Important Issues 8:30 AM - 10:30 PM Post-Conference Meetings A host of meetings will occupy this timeslot. Among those meeting will be the committees planning ahead for future Annual Civil Engineering Conferences: Baltimore 2004 and Los Angeles 2005! We'll hope to see you at future events!