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VDC and the Engineering Continuum VDC and the Engineering Continuum Gregory P. Luth, Ph.D., S.E. Gregory P. Luth & Associates, Inc. Abstract In this paper we provide a brief overview of the historical underpinnings of the design-construction industry and the development of design engineering and construction engineering as independent, but related sub-disciplines of civil engineering. The effects of the 1st and 2nd generation of computer tools on the design engineering are identified. The complementary and evolving definitions of Construction Engineering and Design Engineering are examined, specifically in the context of Structural Design Engineering activities and deliverables and the corresponding Construction Engineering activities and deliverables. The concept of an “Engineering Continuum” is introduced and the process is recast in light of that concept. Several case studies are used to examine the promise of third generation design-construction computing technologies such as Virtual Design and Construction and their potential beneficial impact on the cost and schedule of the typical design- construction project. Refinements to the definitions of construction and design engineering that have the potential to maximize the benefits of 3rd generation technology are proposed with an eye towards the form of 4th generation computing technologies that are on the horizon. Keywords: VDC, integration, detailed construction model, simulation 1 Introduction It is always fascinating to study the historical context that underpins the current topics of discussion. Civil engineering dates back over 5000 years to when the technical focus was on the art of transporting and stacking large rocks for projects such as Stonehenge and the Pyramids. Structural engineering evolved as distinct discipline within civil engineering in the mid-19th century in response to the increased complexity that came with better understanding of the science, development of analytical tools, and the evolution of long span bridges and high rise buildings enabled by the perfection of steel making in the latter half of the century. Bridges such as the Eads Bridge in St. Louis (James Eads, 1874) and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York (John Roebling, 1883) were designed and built by teams working under the direction of the chief civil engineer who designed the bridge, obtained financing, organized the construction, developed innovative construction methods (pneumatic caissons in the case if Eads), and supplied the material (cables in the case of Roebling). The architect William LeBaron Jenney and his protégé, Louis Sullivan, brought the new technology to buildings with the Home Insurance Building in Chicago and the 10 story Wainwright Building in St. Louis and both are credited with being the “father of the modern skyscraper” – but the engineer who designed the structures for both, Dankmar Adler, is seldom given the credit for his work. Other engineers toiled in anonymity working for steel fabricators as did the engineer who designed the Denver Tramway Building in 1910 for Whitney – Steen, Engineers and Builders. The drawings for that building, prepared by the eminent Denver firm of Fischer and Fischer, had meticulous millwork drawings, but no structural plans or details. By the time they had excavated a square block for the basement using horses and wagons to haul away the material, built the 3 story long span steel car barn, and the 7 story reinforced concrete tower of the Denver Tramway in the astonishing time of 11 months, the company that constructed it had become Whitney – Steen, Builders; a portend of a professional division that would ripple across the next century of construction in the US. For a brief 25 year period of time from 1890 to 1915, buildings were constructed through a collaboration of architects, engineer, and builders. Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, is the process of: incorporating detailed construction knowledge and planning into the design to support; the construction means, methods, and sequences; of all trades required to construct the building; to optimize the construction activities on site; to minimize cost and schedule; to maximize the value of the architecture to the owner and society. Integrated Project Delivery is where the industry was a century ago and where it has to go to in the future to regain its competitiveness. Good building teams never stopped doing it. Even while specializing, they developed the ability to team and collaborate across contractual boundaries to accomplish the project goals. 2 Evolution of Construction Engineering and Design Engineering The 20th century was a century characterized by a philosophy of “divide and conquer” when it came to the accomplishment of increasingly complex objectives whether it was assembling an automobile or constructing a high rise building. The individual tasks were identified, categorized, and assigned to specialists who could perform a very small part of the whole process efficiently. Construction engineering developed in the middle of the 20th century in response to the ever-increasing complexity of construction systems and the need to understand and manage those systems. When disputes inevitably arose about responsibilities for various parts of the process, lawyers were only too happy to wade into the fray applying post-project definitions of the process. In self-defense, the participants developed well defined scope descriptions within which they could operate, creating silos of activities. However, design and construction, by their nature, are collaborative, risky, and opportunistic undertakings that cannot be successfully executed from within the confines of the silos. As significant as the cost of litigation is, it pales in comparison to the costs due to the loss of efficiency, the suppression of creativity, the barriers to communication, and resulting loss of innovation caused by defensive design and adversarial construction that result from this process. At the beginning of the 21st century, the industry finds itself at a cross road trying to reinvent the process to take advantage of the promise of the new technologies that continue to develop at a breathtaking rate while correcting the deficiencies of a process that has become unwieldy and inefficient. The path forward will of necessity involve changing how we do things. In order to do that we find ourselves at an uncharacteristic moment of introspection asking: “What things should we be doing?” 2.1 Definition of Construction Engineer Construction engineering comprises a series of technical activities throughout the project to assist in meeting the project goals (Tatum, 2005) in the areas of schedule, cost, functionality, aesthetics, quality, and the efficient use of labor and material resources. Construction engineers need to understand the engineering fundamentals used in each discipline, how they are applied in analysis and design of the permanent facility and temporary works, and what are reasonable results. (Tatum, 2010) The construction engineer must have detailed knowledge of the common means, methods, and sequences of construction (“construction plan”) of the building systems and must be able to communicate with the design engineers, architects, and the construction tradesmen for the purpose of applying that knowledge in the unique project context to optimizing these systems for constructability. Construction engineering activities are critical for project success in meeting all types of objectives. Completing many of these activities early in the project increases the alternatives available for design, construction, and the value chain, along with the potential for integration and innovation. (Tatum, 2010) This requires that the construction engineer be capable of focusing on the essential characteristics of the problems at an abstract level while manipulating the concepts. The construction engineer must be adept at dealing with the uncertainties and ambiguities of the design process where multiple versions of the complete building design must be processed in parallel and studied in various combinations until a reasonably optimized design is achieved. To the characteristics suggested by Tatum, the author would add that the construction engineer must be able to use first principles to adapt the available knowledge to new contexts and must be capable of communicating concepts effectively to both design and construction personnel. The construction engineer must be capable of developing new construction means, methods, and sequences in response to unique project or context constraints, assessing and mitigating the risks involved in applying an untested construction plan, and developing alternative strategies in response to unanticipated events that occur during construction. The construction engineer must be willing and able to mobilize knowledge from diverse resources both on the team and outside the team to achieve the project goals. While the above description might seem to require superhuman capabilities on the part of the “construction engineer,” it is not inconsistent with the characteristics of the most effective individuals in construction with whom the author has worked over the years. It should also be noted that on large projects the requisite knowledge and experience requirements can only be met by a team of individuals that is so well integrated that its process is as seamless as if it were a single individual. Based on the above, the following definition of construction engineering is offered: A construction engineer has familiarity
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