Requirement Patterns in the Construction Industry

Ron Claghorn (Saudi Arabia Bechtel Company) Hussam Shubayli (Saudi Arabia Bechtel Company)

Keywords. Construction Specifications;Infrastructure;Building Information Management;Requirements;Specifications;Natural Language Processing;Automation

Topics. 12. Infrastructure (construction, maintenance, etc.); 2.3. Needs and Requirements Definition; 3.4. Information Management Process; 5. City Planning (smart cities, urban planning, etc.); 5.12 Automation;

Abstract. Requirement patterns for construction projects have evolved significantly in recent years to adapt to the digital transformation of the industry. The current pattern for specifications resembles System Modeling Language (SysML) blocks in that it provides a concise set of model-ready properties and operations relevant to construction and asset management processes. This paper compares the characteristics of modern construction requirements to those listed in the INCOSE Guide for Writing Requirements. As a case study, this paper presents the methods and data required to convert a set of 262 legacy specification sections written in “natural language” into requirements that conform to the current pattern for construction specifications. Those specifications, along with project-specific drawings, align much of the subsequent processes in a construction project

Biography

Ron Claghorn (Saudi Arabia Bechtel Company) Ron is currently working for the Saudi Arabian Bechtel Company as the requirements manager for the Royal Commission in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Ron holds a Bachelor degree in Biomedical and Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico, USA. He has more than 30 years of experience in several engineering and management roles in the nuclear and construction industries. He is a Certified Systems Engineering Professional, a Professional Chemical Engineer, and is certified as a Construction Documentation Technologist by the Construction Specifications Institute.

Hussam Shubayli (Saudi Arabia Bechtel Company) Hussam is currently working as a systems engineer for the Royal Commission in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. He holds Bachelor degree in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from Jubail Industrial College, Saudi Arabia, and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Victoria, Canada. He has more than five years of experience in systems engineering processes, specifically, research, systems analysis and development, design development, technical monitoring and control, and requirements management. Hussam recently passed the INCOSE knowledge exam in preparation for ASEP and CSEP certification.