1 preface
The process of construction management is actually the process of information flow, and the purpose of management and control is achieved through the vertical flow of information from superior to subordinate or from subordinate to superior and the horizontal flow between peers. However, at present, in the process of construction project management in China, the information flow is mainly compiled by manual statistical data and reports (even if some enterprises use computers, it is mainly used to weave handwritten reports into printed reports), which has a large workload and low efficiency, and it is difficult to ensure the timeliness and effectiveness of information.
With the concept of "digital earth" put forward, the era of "digitalization" has arrived. Compared with other industries and fields, the concept of digitalization in the field of construction engineering is still vague, and the research on digital construction management methods is even more rare. Therefore, starting from the concept of "digital construction management", this paper analyzes the connotation of digital construction management and the possible means to realize it. Digital construction management is an inevitable trend in the field of engineering management. This paper aims to arouse the active discussion of colleagues and bring prosperity to digital construction management.
2 the connotation of digital construction management
Similar to the concept of "digital earth", "digital construction" is to digitize the construction process, including digitalization, networking, intelligence and visualization of all construction process information of the project. "Digital construction management" refers to solving engineering construction problems by digital means on the basis of digital construction and making maximum use of information resources.
Digital construction management is a knowledge-based system, which integrates information and database by using the concept of space. It is a mechanism and process that emphasizes the enjoyment and renewal of knowledge, and focuses on transforming the original data into information after sorting, statistics and analysis, and the information can only be transformed into useful knowledge after being fully utilized and enjoyed.
Therefore, this paper believes that the connotation of digital construction management should include the following parts:
① Spatial information technology;
② System simulation calculation;
③ Visualization and virtual reality;
④ Multi-agent construction. The rise of digital construction management will play a great role in speeding up the project progress, saving the project cost and ensuring the project quality.
2. 1 spatial information technology
Spatial information is the first premise of digital construction management, which includes all spatial information such as topography, landforms, buildings and construction projects on the construction site. Spatial information technology is the most powerful tool for processing spatial information, including remote sensing technology (RS), geographic information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS), that is, 3S. Among them, geographic information system plays an increasingly important role in construction project management.
Geographic information system (GIS) is an interdisciplinary subject between earth science and information science, which has developed rapidly in recent years. It is also a new spatial information technology that combines geospatial data with computer technology. With the support of computer hardware and software, it is a spatial information system that scientifically manages and comprehensively analyzes geographic data with spatial connotation by using the theories of system engineering and information science, and provides needed information for planning, management, decision-making and research.
GIS has the function of storing, processing, transmitting and displaying massive geographic information or spatial data, and is suitable for managing the information of the increasingly huge engineering construction system. At present, scholars have developed the integrated command center of the Three Gorges Project Decision Support System based on GIS and digital media technology, which provides various dynamic and static construction information for decision-making users in various media forms in a visual environment, providing an effective tool for improving decision-making efficiency [3]. GIS can perform spatial analysis and visual expression of information, and these functions are suitable for engineering geological exploration, engineering site selection analysis, engineering risk assessment, construction plane planning and other engineering construction fields. Rich query function is also a remarkable feature of GIS. GIS provides graphic query, text query, event query and process query. Using these functions, we can not only obtain various entity information related to spatial coordinates (such as design parameters and drawings), but also obtain dynamic process information, such as construction process information. Literature [4] uses GIS in highway construction management to dynamically reflect the construction progress of subgrade and structures, and reflect the changes of the project at any time, and realizes the statistical analysis of the construction progress images and all kinds of information of various structures. In recent years, with the maturity of three-dimensional and four-dimensional data models, three-dimensional and four-dimensional GIS has been gradually studied and applied. Tianjin University Zhong combines GIS technology with system simulation technology, which is widely used in the field of water conservancy and hydropower engineering construction, such as three-dimensional visualization of dam area geology, three-dimensional dynamic demonstration of underground cavern and dam construction process, construction management of diversion and closure, and general layout of construction site. , and achieved considerable repercussions in the industry [5-7]. As shown in figure 1, it is the general plan of hydropower project construction site generated by GIS technology. In addition, new geographic information systems combining artificial intelligence, object-oriented, World Wide Web, virtual reality and other technologies are constantly emerging, which conforms to the trend of digitalization of construction management, so they will be more deeply and widely used in the field of engineering construction.
2.2 System simulation calculation
System simulation technology is a new discipline gradually formed with the development of computer technology since the late 1940s. It is a multi-disciplinary comprehensive technology based on similarity principle, system engineering method, information technology and related professional technology in application field, using computer and other equipment as tools, and using system model to dynamically study real or imaginary systems [8]. Simulation is a process of experimental research on the actual system by establishing the system model. With the development of simulation technology, modern simulation technology has become an indispensable means for analysis, research, design, evaluation, decision-making and training of any complex system.
Since 1970s, simulation technology has been applied to the simulation of engineering construction process abroad. A series of softwares represented by cyclic network simulation software have been widely used in tunnel construction, earthwork excavation, bridge construction, pipeline construction and other engineering construction fields, such as Halpin for engineering construction process simulation, CYCLONEMoavenzadeh's tunnel construction simulation software for cost prediction, Clemmins SCRAPESIM for earthwork construction simulation, Kavanagh for CPM's cyclic network simulation system SIRENCIPROS, Odeh's knowledge-based construction planning simulation system; DISCO is used by Huang for dynamic interactive simulation of construction process.
With the in-depth study of modeling methods and the rapid development of computer technology, higher requirements are put forward for system simulation technology. Since 1990s, the research of system simulation has mainly focused on: distributed interactive simulation, object-oriented simulation, intelligent simulation, visual simulation, multimedia simulation, etc. [10]. Figure 2 shows the visual construction management process produced by the combination of visualization and simulation.
In China, Sun Xiheng of Tianjin University [13] introduced the simulation technology into the field of hydropower engineering construction for the first time in the early 1980s. Later, Zhong et al. simulated the construction process of large underground caverns and concrete dams, especially the visual simulation theory and method based on GIS, which were successfully applied in several large-scale practical projects [14-20]. Other research units and scholars have also done some work in the field of construction process simulation. Tongji university [2 1] has
Some theories of strata movement caused by shield tunnel construction adopt computer simulation technology based on data volume visualization algorithm, and develop real-time prediction and control simulation software for shield tunnel construction. Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Power and Dalian University of Technology have both conducted simulation research on concrete dam pouring [22-24]; Sichuan University mainly studies the simulation calculation of underground cavern group construction process [25] and so on. Shamei [26] uses discrete system simulation to simulate the process system design of container terminal, which provides decision support for container port engineering design. Zeng Saixing [27] introduced the SLAM Ⅱ Ⅱ simulation system which can be used for discrete events and continuous events, and conducted a fax test on an earthwork transportation system with multiple service stations.
2.3 Visualization and virtual reality visualization are scientific calculations.
Visual visual calculation [28] refers to the theory, method and technology of using computer graphics and image processing technology to convert the data and calculation results produced in the process of scientific calculation into graphics or images to be displayed on the screen and interactive processing. VirtualRe ality (VR for short) is a realistic simulation environment in a specific range that integrates vision, hearing, touch and smell by using modern high-tech with computer technology as the core. Users can interact with objects in the simulation environment in a natural way through various sensing devices (such as helmet display, stereo glasses, data gloves, data suits, etc.). ), thus creating an immersive feeling and experience.
Compared with visualization, the interaction between users and computers in VR system is just like the interaction between man and nature in reality, that is, it is immersive; In VR system, users are no longer passively receiving information from computers or bystanders, but can use interactive input devices to manipulate virtual objects to change the virtual world, that is, they have good interactivity. Using VR system, users can gain perceptual and rational knowledge from the environment of combining qualitative and quantitative, thus deepening concepts and sprouting new ideas, namely imagination. Due to the above characteristics, the application of virtual reality in the field of construction engineering has become a new hot spot.
Using the visual characteristics of VR to display the whole construction site scene and construction process in three dimensions can fully tap the potential of human vision to obtain information, enable engineers and decision makers to obtain the information of construction process to the maximum extent, and effectively test the feasibility of construction organization design scheme; Users can also enter the environment where the data itself is located and compare different construction schemes through real-time interactive modification of parameters.
The interactivity of virtual reality is an effective tool for school teaching or training personnel. Construction and management of architectural engineering is a practical course, but the actual conditions can't provide all practical links. Using VR to build a virtual engineering construction environment and let students "participate" in it will improve students' "practical experience". Using VR technology to simulate the construction process will also help operators to fully understand the operation process and complete the construction tasks with high quality and safety, especially for some special or dangerous operations, which can greatly improve the safety of training and reduce the training cost.
2.4 Multi-agent construction
Agent refers to an intelligent entity that runs independently in order to achieve its own design goals or tasks, can adapt to its own environment, and can continuously acquire knowledge from the environment to improve its own ability, and has the functions of learning and reasoning. Multi-agent system [34] is a collection of many computable agents, in which each agent is a physical or abstract entity that can act on itself and the environment and communicate with other agents. Its goal is to build super-large complex systems (software and hardware systems) into small systems that communicate and coordinate with each other and are easy to manage. Multi-agent technology is a qualitative leap of artificial intelligence technology. Multi-agent technology is autonomous, distributed and coordinated, and has the ability of self-organization, learning and reasoning. Using multi-agent system to solve practical application problems has strong robustness and reliability, and has high problem solving efficiency. Due to these characteristics of multi-agent technology, it has obvious advantages in solving complex large-scale system problems.
With the development of national economy and the emergence of new technologies, new materials and new processes, the scale of engineering projects is expanding and the forms are becoming increasingly complex. More and more units and individuals are involved in the construction process, and the requirements for overall planning, coordination and timeliness of construction project management are getting higher and higher. For such a complex system, it is very suitable to apply multi-agent technology to ensure the smooth progress of engineering construction tasks.
At present, some scholars have studied the cooperative work method of engineering construction based on Agent, which provides an important tool for efficient management and collaborative design of engineering construction projects [35]. Zeng Ming [36] based on the planning and management of Suzhou River comprehensive regulation project, put forward the organization structure of Agent collaborative work of multi-sector planning coordination support system. Because a large amount of engineering data is needed to calculate the project cost in bidding, Ren Yulong of Chongqing University and others put forward the idea of constructing a multi-agent cooperative work system including engineering quantity calculation agent and cost calculation agent. From the perspective of design resources, the Reserve Station of Northwestern Polytechnical University has deeply studied how to realize the rational allocation of product design tasks through bidding mode by the agent, so as to realize the rational distribution and rational circulation of design resources [38]. The material supply system of large-scale water conservancy projects is a complex system. Therefore, Liu Sandai and others [39] introduced supply chain management theory and Agent technology into the research of large-scale project material supply system.
Generally speaking, the research and application of multi-agent technology in the field of construction engineering are still limited, and the depth and breadth of its application need to be further expanded.
3 the realization of digital construction management
Just like the digital earth, the realization of digital construction is a long-term and complicated project, which requires the perfection and development of various related knowledge and technologies, and both soft environment and hard environment are indispensable. In terms of hardware, it is necessary to arrange high-speed broadband internet access, a large number of on-site tracking camera equipment, computers with wireless internet access, digital equipment and so on. In the project construction area, each site construction personnel should be equipped with advanced digital equipment. At the same time, the site is equipped with multiple tracking cameras and monitoring equipment, and the digital construction is partially realized by combining system simulation calculation during construction. In terms of soft environment, it is necessary to set up an efficient and capable digital construction management organization, do a good job in data collection and preparation before construction, and strengthen management and control during construction.
4 conclusion
Digital construction management is the need of project management modernization and the inevitable trend of digital era. Although the current digital construction management is still a brand-new concept, and the related theory and technology are still immature, we should see that we have made some achievements in some aspects. This paper only briefly discusses the concept of digital construction management and related theoretical methods, in order to cause more discussion and promote the prosperity of digital construction management.
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