Potential efficiency gains in the construction industry from the proper use of information technology

Abstract

For many years, technological advances and new software have altered the face of the engineering design sector. Design companies have realized incredible efficiency gains and cost savings due to these improvements, but the construction sector has not been able to do the same. Unlike design firms, contractor businesses as a whole have not embraced IT advancements and taken steps to implement them across all types of construction projects in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Because of this half-hearted attitude towards technological improvements, the same efficiency gains and cost savings found in the design sector have not been attained in the construction sector. The thesis examines different types of IT advancements that have the potential to seriously benefit the construction sector, including electronic document management, 3D modeling, construction sequencing, and laser scanning. Several surveys performed by other engineers and academics interested in the field of information technology in the engineering and construction sector will be examined, and the results of these will provide the basis for discussion regarding the current state of IT saturation in the construction sector as well as its overall effectiveness in providing tangible benefits to users. In addition, this thesis also examines possible reasons for why these benefits are not being attained and offers some ideas and strategies that may improve the implementation of IT advancements in the construction industry.