1. CONCUR Project Tactical Approach
Review Industrial Practice
The partners rigorously examined the processes undertaken by commercial construction organisations when preparing a bid. The results were presented in the form of IDEF0 diagrams with notes. The processes include: client brief, inception design, concept design, scheme design and preparing estimates.
Implement File based Architecture for Tendering
CONCUR prepared a mid-term demonstration which linked the software applications using file tranfers between the applications. The transfer files used comma separated variable, STEP Physical files (IAI-IFC). STEP Data Access Interface was also used. This demonstrated that interoperability was possible but was not commercially robust and flexible.
Implement Client/server based Architecture for Tendering
The second half of the project concentrated on using a web based IMS system to support realistic exchanges including an integration with a STEP database to provide a model server. Significant advances in using IFCs were also made. The results demonstration supported a realistic business scenario and is described in this web site.
Implement Enhanced Production Software Applications
The project encouraged the development of IFC translators by major software vendors to the industry, encouraged the enhancement of existing software to support the new ways of working required by the CONCUR partners, initiated the development of new commercial software applications to support the new ways of working and created prototype software for inception modelling and browsing IFC information models. New approaches for capturing and manipulating construction industry terms were also initiated.
Deploy in Trials
The CONCUR industrial showed a realistic exchange in a demonstration and are starting to implement the technology in their businesses. Taylor Woodrow are using the approach in their supply chain to integrate with architects, structural designers and steelwork fabricators; Fortum Engineering are integrating their internal use of information and Skanska are implementing an integration of 3D modelling, cost estimation and time programming systems using information from a company database of resources.