Unearthing the Value of Data in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 11723

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Interests: construction 4.0; digital twins; organizational change; people–process–technology frameworks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A construction project can be analogized as a nexus from which various stakeholders connect from planning to decommissioning and form information exchange networks to realize the project. A construction project is built on reams of data generated from various sources throughout the project lifecycle. Thus, it would not be an overstatement to say that a critical element of the future of construction companies and industry is data. With the advancement and emergence of a new generation of information technologies, data and data-driven decisions is becoming a commonly used phrase.

This Special Issue of Buildings on “Unearthing the Value of Data in the AEC Industry” goes beyond theory and offers insights into recent research breakthroughs on practical solutions, in order to turn data into action in the AEC industry. Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Data integration and hand-off between project phases and among stakeholders;
  • Data standards;
  • Data-driven decision-making strategies;
  • Ontology-based information modeling frameworks and applications;
  • Data lifecycle management;
  • Data governance;
  • Digital twins solutions;
  • Digital thread solutions.

Dr. Hala Nassereddine
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • data integration
  • data lifecycle management
  • data governance
  • digital twins
  • digital thread
  • decision making
  • ontology
  • data standards

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 5387 KiB  
Article
Development and Application of an Innovative Planning and Monitoring Tool to Optimize Construction Projects
by Salazar Santos Fonseca, Patricia Aguilera Benito and Carolina Piña Ramírez
Buildings 2025, 15(2), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15020160 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 604
Abstract
This research develops and applies a tool that allows the breakdown of time objectives to the same level of detail traditionally applied to cost, while also providing a favorable production scheme to ensure the project quality. This tool introduces an innovative approach to [...] Read more.
This research develops and applies a tool that allows the breakdown of time objectives to the same level of detail traditionally applied to cost, while also providing a favorable production scheme to ensure the project quality. This tool introduces an innovative approach to planning and execution monitoring through cascading dashboards, representing production packages and activities across designated project zones. This approach reinterprets the Last Planner System for jobs on-site in conjunction with the Location-Based Management System. The primary dashboard facilitates the management of complex work structures—typically involving hundreds of rows in Gantt chart representations or numerous lines in Line of Balance diagrams—while enabling the easy identification of activity cycles and gaps between activities in each zone. The tool offers a four-dimensional planning visualization—what, where, when, and who—enhancing the understanding of activity sequences and workflows across project zones, while also contributing to product quality improvement. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated through its application that the tool provides reliable, real-time information that supports decision-making, optimizes resource allocation, and improves overall project competitiveness. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 7018 KiB  
Article
Digital Horizons in Construction: A Comprehensive System for Excellence in Project Management
by Salazar Santos Fonseca, Patricia Aguilera Benito and Carolina Piña Ramírez
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2228; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072228 - 19 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1748
Abstract
In today’s competitive construction industry, companies are under increasing pressure to enhance efficiency and productivity. This research examines how digitalization can address issues such as market instability, low productivity, lack of investment in innovation, workforce issues, and management deficiencies. It explores the potential [...] Read more.
In today’s competitive construction industry, companies are under increasing pressure to enhance efficiency and productivity. This research examines how digitalization can address issues such as market instability, low productivity, lack of investment in innovation, workforce issues, and management deficiencies. It explores the potential of technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Lean Construction (LC) to improve project management. The “House of COANFI” framework, integrating Lean principles with strategy, process, projects, and people, is proposed as a solution for enhancing project management, promoting organizational coherence, continuous improvement, and technological adoption. The methodology includes a literature survey, stakeholder workshops, developing an information system, and validation through case studies. Key findings highlight the benefits of COANFI implementation, including better data management, improved productivity, collaborative integration, and organizational learning. However, challenges such as resistance to change, data quality issues, and integration complexity must be addressed. The study concludes that digitalization, supported by frameworks like COANFI, can significantly enhance efficiency and competitiveness. Future research should validate these methodologies in real-world applications, explore strategies for managing organizational change, and investigate the impact of digital technologies on sustainability, helping the construction sector achieve long-term growth and sustainability. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 1861 KiB  
Article
Exploring Data for Construction Digital Twins: Building Health and Safety and Progress Monitoring Twins Using the Unreal Gaming Engine
by Claire Ellul, Neve Hamilton, Alexandros Pieri and George Floros
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2216; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072216 - 18 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1932
Abstract
Although digital twins have been established in manufacturing for a long time, they are only more recently making their way into the urban environment and present a relatively new concept for the construction industry. The concept of a digital twin—a model of the [...] Read more.
Although digital twins have been established in manufacturing for a long time, they are only more recently making their way into the urban environment and present a relatively new concept for the construction industry. The concept of a digital twin—a model of the physical environment that has a real-time two-way link between the physical and the digital, with the virtual model changing over time to reflect changes in the real world—lends itself well to the continually changing environment of a construction project. Predictive capabilities built into a twin also have great potential for construction planning—including in supply chain management and waste disposal as well as in the construction process itself. Underpinning this opportunity is location data, which model where something is happening and when and can be used to solve a wide range of problems. In particular, location (the power of where) can integrate diverse data sources and types into a single system, overcoming interoperability challenges that are known to be a barrier to twin implementation. This paper demonstrates the power of location-enabled digital twins in the context of a highway construction project, documenting and addressing data engineering tasks and functionality development to explore the potential of digital twins in the context of two case studies—health and safety and construction monitoring. We develop two demonstrators using data from an existing construction project (building on data and requirements from industry partner Skanska) to build twins that make use of the powers of 4D data presentation offered by the Unreal Gaming Engine and CesiumJS mapping, while software development expertise is sometimes available to construction firms, we specifically explore to what extent the no-code approach available within Unreal can be deployed in this context. Our findings provide evidence to construction companies as to the benefits of digital twins, as well as an understanding of the data engineering and technical skills required to achieve these benefits. The overall results demonstrate the potential for digital twins to unlock and democratise construction data, taking them beyond the niche use of experts and into the boardroom. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
An Investigation into the Causes of Payment Delays and Deliberate Delay Tactics in Public Construction Projects in Saudi Arabia
by Abdulrahman Salem Bageis
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061792 - 13 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2778
Abstract
Many scientific publications pointed out delays in the progress of payments by owners as one of the top direct causes of project delays and disputes. This research investigates the causes of payment delays and explores deliberate delay tactics and their reasons within Saudi [...] Read more.
Many scientific publications pointed out delays in the progress of payments by owners as one of the top direct causes of project delays and disputes. This research investigates the causes of payment delays and explores deliberate delay tactics and their reasons within Saudi Arabian public construction projects. This research employs a robust mixed methodology, an extensive literature review, and preliminary semi-structured interviews to identify the causes of payment delays and possible tactics and reasons for deliberate delays or procrastinated payment. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey is distributed among experienced personnel. The survey aims to verify the results of the first phase, assess occurrence rates of the causes of payment delays, study tactical forms used by parties to delay payment, and identify reasons for such practices. The findings of the study reveal that the contractual issues group has the highest score for occurring, deliberate disruptions occur although they are not prevalent, tactics to deliberate delays exist and are practiced, and all the possible forms of deliberate delays under investigation and reasons for deliberate delays are confirmed valid. This study provides valuable insights for businesses and policymakers seeking to comprehend the issue of payment delays in Saudi Arabian public construction projects. Full article
16 pages, 3290 KiB  
Article
Study on Labor Productivity Improvement Based on Situational Awareness and Improved Value Stream Mapping
by Lixuan Jiang, Hongying Shen and Jinhua Zhang
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051253 - 29 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1819
Abstract
This study addresses the issue of poor construction labor productivity, exploring the process and methodology for increasing construction workers’ participation in labor productivity improvement, as well as a situational awareness (SA) development approach for construction workers based on lean construction (LC). A framework [...] Read more.
This study addresses the issue of poor construction labor productivity, exploring the process and methodology for increasing construction workers’ participation in labor productivity improvement, as well as a situational awareness (SA) development approach for construction workers based on lean construction (LC). A framework for enhancing labor productivity through SA has been developed. A case study approach is utilized to describe the LC improvement process, which includes enhancing construction workers’ SA for waste minimization and process optimization and engaging them in LC with improved value stream mapping (VSM). The labor productivity measurement approach, combined with VSM, is used to evaluate the labor productivity improvement with labor productivity improvement rate, resource efficiency, and flow efficiency. The results demonstrate that the labor productivity of the case project has increased by 24.07%, with 11.54% contributing resource efficiency and 88.46% contributing flow efficiency, indicating a greater increase in flow efficiency. This study fills a research gap in terms of the combination of construction workers’ SA enhancement and the involvement of LC practices to boost labor productivity. Furthermore, this study proposes an SA development approach based on LC at three levels: waste perception, VSM implementation, and labor productivity improvement assessment. This provides new perspectives for leveraging construction workers’ SA to increase labor productivity. The improved VSM approach and labor productivity measurements provide an operationalization of workers’ participation in continuous improvement. This research is of great practical relevance for augmenting the competencies of construction laborers and inspiring them to engage in labor productivity enhancement. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 3280 KiB  
Article
Adapting to an OpenBIM Building Permit Process: A Case Study Using the Example of the City of Vienna
by Harald Urban, Simon Fischer and Christian Schranz
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041135 - 17 Apr 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1983
Abstract
The adoption of building information modelling (BIM) enables data-driven decision-making for many participants in the construction process. Building authorities are stakeholders that have not yet benefited from data integration using BIM. In many cases, parts of their processes have already improved through digitisation [...] Read more.
The adoption of building information modelling (BIM) enables data-driven decision-making for many participants in the construction process. Building authorities are stakeholders that have not yet benefited from data integration using BIM. In many cases, parts of their processes have already improved through digitisation initiatives. Now they are on the threshold of a major digital transformation enabled by the integration of BIM into their processes. This study examines a building permit process based entirely on BIM, developed at the Vienna Building Authority in Austria. In a series of workshops with all important stakeholders, the current building permit process was captured in detail and transferred to a data-driven, BIM-based process. The study shows that the complete capture and digitisation of the building approval process not only enables the automation of traditional processes such as code compliance checks and neighbourhood hearings but also supports the introduction of innovative sub-processes such as a pre-check of BIM models and augmented reality-based hearings with neighbours (in a pilot phase). The results suggest that the developed process not only significantly increases the efficiency and transparency of building permit procedures, but also represents a decisive step towards integrating the authority into the BIM process of a building. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop