Keywords: information management, construction management, internet, web application, data-driven pages, database, communication, construction industry.

Construction is one of the most information-dependent industries, mainly due to its extended fragmentation. Construction projects are often complex and unique, involve a large number of activities, and require the employment of several human resources with various specializations. As a result, the amount of information generated and exchanged during the construction process is enormous even for small-sized projects. The distance between the construction company headquarters and construction sites augments the communication problem. Thamhain and Wileman [1] stated that communicating effectively among task groups is the third most important factor for the success of a project, while Egan [2] concluded that more efficient information management is a primary mechanism for the construction industry to increase its productivity. In order to surmount the communication deficiency, the internet appears to be an attractive platform for such efforts, as it can transfer information rapidly and economically all around the globe.

In this direction, this paper presents an effort for facilitating the information management and communication process combining database with internet technologies. A web-based system for managing and transferring information generated and exchanged during the construction process is designed, developed, and implemented. The system consists of a structured relational database, a dynamic data-driven web site, a server, and end user terminals.

The design of the database has involved loops of two steps, entity modelling and normalisation. Entity modelling is a graphical technique used to decide which tables, fields, and relationships will be inserted in the database management system (DBMS). The normalisation is a procedure that checks for design anomalies and reduces significantly the possibility of data redundancy. The database design has led to a number of tables, such as projects, construction sites, activity progress, manpower usage, material arrival and usage, equipment usage, headquarters orders, external participants, problems encountered, accidents, weather, etc. The system development has initially focused on information from the daily construction site log, which pays a crucial role in monitoring and controlling the project development progress. Microsoft Access has been selected as the database management system for the pilot implementation of the system.

The dynamic data-driven web site constitutes the system interface. Using a web browser, the end users can access the database through a set of appropriately designed dynamic web pages and perform certain transactions (such as insert, search, view, print, update/modify, and delete data) according to their authorisation, which is controlled with usernames and passwords. Besides information in the format of data strings, end users can browse and upload to the system multimedia files, such as images and videos, along with all the related metadata strings. Macromedia Dreamweaver MX has been used for developing the dynamic web pages with Active Server Pages (ASP) as the server technology, Visual Basic Script (VBScript) as the corresponding programming language, and Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) as the web server. A firewall has also been employed for enhancing system protection against hacking.

With the proposed system, project information may be more easily manageable and widely available (within the desirable access permissions) compared to the traditional way of information exchange. The system is expected to provide structured and reliable information to all project participants, quick/remote access, and prompt updating capabilities. This will lead to enhanced communication and less misunderstanding, allowing more time to be spent on decision making. Consequently, time and cost savings as well as higher construction quality can be achieved.

1

Thamhain, H.J., Wilemon, D.L., "Criteria for controlling projects according to plan", Project Management Journal, 17(2), 75-81, 1986.

2

Egan, J., "Rethinking construction", Report of the construction task force on the scope for improving the quality and efficiency of the UK construction industry, Department of Environment, London, 1998.

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