Bing SHAO Seigo OGATA Ichiro KOBAYASHI Yuji HOSHINO KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND CREATING  THROUGH ASYNCHRONOUS DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM  BASED ON WEB TECHNOLOGY Bing SHAO Seigo OGATA Ichiro KOBAYASHI Yuji HOSHINO Thank you, chairman. The title of our paper is called “Knowledge sharing and creating through asynchronous distributed system based on web technology”. These are our co-authors. Kumamoto University, Kumamoto City, JAPAN

Purpose of our research Improve the competitive ability of architecture, engineering and construction industry by using information technology. Strengthening the relationship between academy and construction company. The purpose of this research is as follow: Improve the competitive ability of architecture, engineering and construction industry by using information technology. Strengthening the relationship between academy and construction company.

CG-CICC 1. Introduction (Computer Graphics supported Collaborative Integrated Communication for Construction) 4D-CICC Since 1997, a research called CG-CICC had been developed in our laboratory. CG-CICC stands for Computer Graphics (CG) supported Collaborative Integrated Communication for Construction (CICC). The purpose of it is to supply construction projects with a computer-integrated communication platform. After that, we added a scheduling support subsystem to CG-CICC. In this way, we can simulate the construction process dynamically. That is to say, we can get the visual output of construction site according the schedule. So we called our system as 4D-CICC. Scheduling support subsystem

2. Theory of knowledge creating Authors: Ikujiro NONAKA First of all, I want to introduce the theory of knowledge creating. This theory is proposed by two famous Japanese researchers of enterprise management in their book, The Knowledge-Creating Company. Professor Nonaka and Professor Takeuchi. Hirotaka TAKEUCHI

2. Theory of knowledge creating 1. Explicit knowledge: Explicit knowledge may be described in formal language, can be transmitted from one to anther easily. 2. Tacit knowledge: Tacit knowledge cannot be described in formal language, is difficult to be transmitted from one to anther easily. Typically refer to ability. Knowledge In their book, they said that knowledge of human being should be divided into two types. One is explicit knowledge and the another is tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge may be described in formal language, can be transmitted from one to anther easily. On the contrary, tacit knowledge cannot be described in formal language, and is difficult to be transmitted from one to anther easily. Typically refer to ability or skill.

2. Theory of knowledge creating Tacit Explicit To Externalization Tacit Socialization From It is the movement between these two kinds of knowledge that form the process of creating new knowledge among individual, team and organization. The spiral process contains four stages: Externalization, Combination, Internalization and Socialization. Explicit Internalization Combination

3. Outline of 4D-CICC: CG-CICC Client’s Office (Ashikita) Construction Site Company A (Tokyo) Company B (Osaka) Company C (Kumamoto) Kumamoto University Community Local World Wide Web Site… As I introduced above, our system is divided into two parts: CG-CICC and Scheduling Support System. Firstly, I will introduce CG-CICC. This is the illustration of CG-CICC. CG-CICC is a collaborative construction management environment, where most of the information is visualized by using of CG technology. The whole system is supported by web technology in order to access conveniently anywhere.

3. The Information integrated in CG-CICC : CAD drawing This is one example of CAD drawings. We can upload or download the CAD drawings to or from website server.

3. The Information integrated in CG-CICC : CG animation Frame Accurate Animation (FAA) The CG (Computer Graphics) animation is the most useful in construction engineering. Usually, CG animation can be divided into two kinds. First kind is FAA (Frame Accurate Animation). This kind of animation cannot be controlled once it is played.

3. The Information integrated in CG-CICC : CG animation Real Time Animation (RTA) The second kind of animation is RTA (Real Time Animation). This kind of animation can offer construction site scene from any angle or viewpoint. During it plays, you can control it to go to anywhere you want to go, if it is possible.

3. Other information integrated in CG-CICC BBS Information PIF Information (Virtual Name Card) Photograph Information Document (PDF file) This is other information integrated in CG-CICC.

3. Analysis of construction process Plan Do Check Action Traditional PDCA cycle Schedule Management Actual Construction Plan Do Check Action The traditional process of construction is PDCA, that means Plan, DO, Check and Action. If you found some problems in the progress, you should re-plan and repeat the process once more. So it is a waste of time and money. With computer technology, we can simulate the actual process in computer in advance. If you found some question, you can revise the design in advance. In this way, it is avoided to waste time and money. Simulation & Examination Computer simulating system

3. The structure of 4G-CICC CG-CICC Discussion Consensus making Scheduling support system Visualizer subsystem Optimizer subsystem The whole structure of our 4D-CICC is as this. Firstly, the design scheme is discussed among the team, and then consensus is formed. Secondly, the design should be optimized in the optimizer subsystem according the schedule. Then, the output of optimizer subsystem is leaded to visualizer subsystem as its input. Here, using CG an VR technology, every task of project should be visualized. If there were some problems, the idea should be discussed once more… Here the Discussion and Consensus make CG-CICC. And the visualizer and the optimizer make the scheduling support system.

3. 4D-CICC is the Knowledge-Creating process Discussion Consensus making Socialization Externalization Visualizer subsystem Optimizer subsystem Internalization Combination I think that our 4D-CICC process is similar to the knowledge-creating process. The Discussion is actually the Socialization. The Consensus-making is responding to the Externalization and so forth.

4. Requirements of 4D-CICC BBS System Discussion Consensus making Visualizer subsystem Optimizer subsystem Superscape VRT In order to build up 4D-CICC system, what we need are briefly a website including BBS and email system, MS-Project98 and VRT software of Superscape company, and so on. MS-Project98

4. Requirements of 4D-CICC Consensus making Visualizer subsystem Optimizer subsystem Discussion Template Between the optimizer block and visualizer block, there are many kind of tasks. We inducted them into four kinds.

4. Requirements of 4D-CICC (d) Temporary template (c) Constructive template Completion 1 Time t1 t2 (b) Destructive template (a) Permanent template t’1 t’2 Here are the four templates: Permanent template Destructive template Constructive template Temporary template From these charts, you can understand their meanings.

5. Pilot application—The homepage of Sashiki Bridge http://gdp1.civil.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/sashiki-bridge/index2.html Our system has been used successfully in several construction projects. Here is one of the examples, the pilot application in the Sashiki-bridge construction project. If you are interested in it, please refer to this website address.

5. Pilot application—Sashiki Bridge In this construction project, the whole construction process and every task are visualized in computer. Here are some examples.

6. Conclusion 4D-CICC is a new method to improve the construction engineering using computer technology, concretely the CG (computer graphics) and VR (visual reality) technology. 4D-CICC can also be called 4D-CAD. But it prefers focusing on the construction work. So you can call it 4D-CAD or 4D-CAW (Computer Aided Work). The process of 4D-CICC is also the process of knowledge creation. Using this system, distributed people can get new ideas or designs asynchronously. We have used 4D-CICC system in some construction sites successfully, such as Sashiki-Bridge construction project. 4D-CICC is a new method to improve the construction engineering using computer technology, concretely the CG (computer graphics) and VR (visual reality) technology. 4D-CICC can also be called 4D-CAD. But it prefers focusing on the construction work. So you can call it 4D-CAD or 4D-CAW (Computer Aided Work). The process of 4D-CICC is also the process of knowledge creation. Using this system, distributed people can get new ideas or designs asynchronously. We have used 4D-CICC system in some construction sites successfully, such as Sashiki-Bridge construction project.