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Civil-Comp Proceedings
ISSN 1759-3433
CCP: 9/10
PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING COMPUTING
Edited by: B.H.V. Topping
Paper I.3

PC CAD Comes of Age

L.A. Cheney and R.A. Ryder

Elstree Computing Ltd., Boreham Wood, England

Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper
L.A. Cheney, R.A. Ryder, "PC CAD Comes of Age", in B.H.V. Topping, (Editor), "Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Civil and Structural Engineering Computing", Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, pp 17-21, 1989. doi:10.4203/ccp.9.1.3
Abstract
For years Computer Aided Design has presented a sledgehammer image to construction industry professionals seeking cost-effective design tools. Expensive hardware and general purpose software limited the penetration of advanced CAD to those with huge computing budgets. Most other organisations - which includes at least 95% of the construction industry - have yet to benefit from CAD beyond the automated draughting of traditionally produced designs.

The emergence of high-performance 32-bit supermicrocomputers (386PCs) has dramatically altered the potential for CAD in construction. Initially, CAD on PCs suffered from underpowered hardware and low resolution graphical displays. Now, for under £10,000, the new breed o f processors and high resolution screens offers the opportunity to develop interactive graphics systems tuned specifically for construction design. The age of PC-CAD for building and civil engineering design has arrived.

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