Electronic Documents: Enhancing Construction Management Courses. Introduction

Transcription

1 Kevin R Miller University of Florida Gainesville, FL Jay P. Christofferson, Ph.D. Brigham Young University Provo, UT Construction plans and specification (construction documents) should be incorporated into construction management courses but often it is logistically difficult. This paper discusses the use of electronic documents as a means of incorporating construction documents into construction management courses. Issues such as image quality, file size and methods of distribution are discussed. Key Words: Electronic Documents, Drawings, Plans, Specifications Electronic Documents: Enhancing Construction Management Courses Introduction Construction documents (plans and specifications) are fundamental to the successful completion of construction projects and should be incorporated into many of the courses in construction management programs. However, obstacles exist that makes it difficult to incorporate construction documents into courses. These obstacles include the following: The space constraints of classrooms make it difficult to use full sized documents. Either the classroom is too small or the desk tops or tables are not big enough to use full-sized documents. To prevent students from passing homework answers from one semester to the next semester, a different set of documents should be adopted each semester. The process of finding a project with the elements that an instructor would like to emphasize for a course can be time consuming. After the right set of plans has been identified, the time intervals in securing the required permissions to reproduce the documents often exceed course deadlines. The cost of obtaining the set of plans and specifications for students often exceeds $ This cost is often viewed as a waste of resources because the construction documents are not reused the following semester. While various solutions have been found to minimize the above obstacles, this paper examines the use of electronic documents as a solution to overcome these obstacles. The likelihood of incorporating construction documents into construction management courses will increase as new technology is implemented. Electronic Document Overview Electronic documents are similar to paper documents. The information that has traditionally been printed on paper is now stored electronically. The drawings are stored as graphic files and the specifications are stored as document files. The key to using electronic drawings effectively lies in how the electronic documents are created. Creation of Electronic Documents

2 The electronic versions of the drawings are created either directly from a computer-aided design (CAD) program or from printed documents that have been scanned. The electronic versions of the specifications are created from either word processors or the printed documents that have been scanned. For both the drawings and the specifications, the method that provides the best solution to the instructors is to generate the documents from CAD and a word processor. The reason that this is the best solution is that the readability of the documents are consistently better than scanned documents. Before the electronic documents can be generated, they first need to be obtained. All the project owners and designers who have been contacted by the author have been willing to share the CAD and word processor files for educational purposes. Some of the designers have requested the following prior to providing the documents in an electronic format. Sign a liability disclaimer Remove the licensing stamps from the drawings Remove the contact information on the documents Give students read-only access to the files. The process of receiving the permissions from the project owner and the designers can be somewhat time consuming (often a month). This is then followed by the time required to receive all the files from all the designers (2-3 months). While this process may be slow, the benefits offered to the students and the instructor may be worth the wait. By using electronic documents in construction management courses, the instructor is given another means of getting the students into and understanding the information contained in the construction documents. Drawing Files CAD files allow the instructor several options that are not available with paper documents. The first option is the ability to alter the documents from semester to semester. This allows the instructor to slightly modify the documents each semester. This prevents the previous semester students from providing the answers to the current semester students. The ability to alter the documents between semesters also eliminates the need for a new set of documents to be used each semester. This is helpful because process of finding and then receiving the permissions from the project owner and designers for just the right project for the class can be time consuming. This also allows the instructor becomes very familiar with the documents, which reduces class preparation time. The familiarity with the construction documents also permits the instructor confidently issue changes during the semester which simulates addenda to the projects in industry. Using CAD also allows the instructor to add clarity to the documents through the use of colors and corrections of mistakes that exist in the documents. However, not all of the mistakes on the plans should be corrected because students need to learn how to work with less than ideal plans. After drawings have been adjusted for the new semester course, they can then be output to either a printer/plotter or to a file. Electronic versions of the drawing files are typically one of the following graphic formats: Continuous acquisitions and life-cycle support (CALS) Tagged image file (TIF) Drawing web format (DWF) The three graphic file formats have differences in the way that the information is stored. The differences center on image quality, color and file size. Image Quality Image quality relates to the file format used and whether the drawings were created from CAD or scanned. CALS and TIF formats are raster images and DWF format is a vector image. All three file formats can be

3 created in CAD, but each file format has properties that effect the image quality. The raster format stores the graphics at a resolution of x number of dots per inch. If you zoom in on an area, the number of dots does not increase, rather, the dots appear larger on the screen. Because of this, the raster format loses image quality as the image is enlarged. The DWF file is stored as a vector-based format. The vector-based format essentially stores the end points of lines and scales the image as it is enlarged. The vector-based format greatly enhances the readability of the drawings when compared to raster files. The readability differences between the formats become apparent as an image is enlarged. The image quality of scanned documents cannot be better than the quality of the source documents. If the source document quality is poor, the quality of the scanned images will also be poor. The typical scanned file formats are TIF and CALS raster images, which loose clarity as the drawings are enlarged. Color DWF and TIF file formats allow for color whereas the CALS file format does not. It is noted, however, that TIF-formatted Electronic documents used in plan rooms are nearly always black and white. The benefits of color in the electronic documents are discussed under the heading of Classroom Instruction. File Size Below is a list of file sizes that all originated from one DWG file in AutoCAD DWG (461,447 bytes) 2. DWF (64,447 bytes) 3. CALS (199,552 bytes) 4. TIF (640 x 480) (216,468 bytes) 5. TIF (1600 x 1280) (663,666 bytes) The DWF file format is approximately seven times smaller than the native DWG file format. The next closest file size, CALS, is approximately three times the size of the DWF file. The next closest is the TIF file format which is approximately 3.35 times larger than the DWF file. This becomes important when considering the storage space available to students and the speed of connection to the internet that students can afford. The DWF, CALS, and TIF formats are also read-only (Autodesk, 1997). By read-only it is meant that the outputted file could possibly be modified by another product, but that the modifications would not be made to the original drawing file (DWG). The important because the designers do not want their designs to be copied, then slightly modified, and reused by competing designers. The DWF, CALS, and TIF formats are not readily imported into CAD programs, therefore, designers are more willing to allow these file types to be widely distributed. Specifications Specifications can also be either in an electronic format or scanned. The electronic format eliminates the time needed to print and scan the documents. The major file formats available for the specifications are Corel s WordPerfect, Microsoft s Word, Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and portable document format (PDF) (Adobe Acrobat Reader, 2000). WordPerfect and Word formats allow the specifications to be altered to help the instructor emphasize important points. One drawback of WordPerfect and Word files are they are approximately three times larger than the HTML and PDF specification files. Both WordPerfect and Word can create HTML and PDF files. However, when a word processor file is converted to HTML, some of the formatting may be lost resulting in decreased readability of the file. The PDF file looks identical to the printed specifications and can be made to be a read-only file. This eliminates the possibility of the students modifying the

4 specification files. Adobe Acrobat (not Acrobat Reader) can be used to create PDF files from either of the word processors. As with electronic drawing files, specifications can be scanned but typically have poorer image quality and would not have the flexibility of altering the specifications each semester. Classroom Instruction In the classroom, instructors can use computers connected to projection systems to show the needed plan views, details, and elevations for each lecture. If plan details are too small to discern the various components of the details, the instructor can zoom in on those areas and make them large enough that the smallest of details can be seen. Electronic drawing files allow instructors to use color in drawings to help students identify different drawing components. Figures 1 and 2 are representing a roof truss with a midspan angle iron brace. Figure 1 illustrates how color can be used to aid in aiding students understanding of the drawings. Figure 1. Color detail. The following colors identify the various components of Figure 1: 1. Blue identifies the top and bottom chords of the truss 2. Red even though it is not in the notes, identifies the webbing between the truss chords 3. Purple identifies the 2 x Green identifies the angle iron that is attached to the 2 x 12

5 Figure 2. Black & white detail. If you compare Figure 2 to Figure 1, the assistance that the color offers become apparent. While after graduate students may not have access to colored drawings, the author has found it extremely helpful in building students understanding of the construction documents. Electronic Documents in Industry Electronic documents are becoming available throughout the construction industry. The Army Corps of Engineers has been distributing their construction documents since approximately 1995 (Peters, 1996; Watson, 1998). The web site that lists the various Corps divisions that uses electronic documents is Many plan rooms nationwide are offering construction documents to their clients electronically. An example of a nation-wide plan room offering electronic documents is F. W. Dodge ( A couple of regional plan rooms that offer their documents electronically are the Central Florida Builders Exchange ( and Builders Exchange of Washington ( (Dodge, 1999; Robinson, 2000). F. W. Dodge and the Builders Exchange of Washington offer samples online of electronic documents. The electronic document sources listed above require fees and registration except for the Army Corps of Engineers, which only requires a registration to obtain the documents. Advantages of Electronic Documents in the Courses Electronic documents provide the instructor with additional tools to help students read and understand construction documents. The distribution options and the use of colors makes the use of electronic documents a win-win situation for the instructor and the students. Electronic documents give instructors options to vary the size and the media of drawings that are provided to students. From the electronic documents, instructors can choose what format best meets the needs of the course. The drawings can be distributed from electronic documents using any combination of the following options:

6 5. Full-sized prints 6. Reduced sized prints including 11"x17" prints 7. Internet 8. Intranet 9. Local area network CD A combination using 11"x17" paper drawing and DWF files on either the Internet or CDs has worked successfully. By using 11x17 paper, the reproduction costs are minimized and students have plans that are to scale. The cost of 11" x17" plans typically range from $5 to $10 which is considerably less than fullsized documents. Twelve x eighteen inch digitizers can be incorporated into classes. Smaller digitizers save valuable space in already congested computer labs. Students appreciate the portability of 11" x 17" documents. These documents can be folded and stored in a three-ring binder and can be easily used in the classroom on the small desktops. The 11" x17" drawings are slightly more difficult to read than full-sized prints but by altering font sizes in the electronic drawings, readability problems can be reduced. Additionally, students can be given access to the electronic copy of the documents in a DWF format on the internet or on CD. The electronic copy of the documents in the DWF format provides the means for students to zoom in on areas that may be unreadable on the 11" x 17" drawings. The internet provides access to the documents from wherever they may be as long as they have an internet connection. This gives students access to the documents when they are at remote locations and do not have their printed documents with them. DWF files provide the smallest file size which means the shortest download time on the Internet. DWF files also allow color and the highest image quality to the students. Another advantage of DWF files is the ability to turn layers on or off. This has helped students with doing takeoffs, especially when the drawings are complex. Care has to be taken when turning layers off because designers may not have drawn all objects on the correct layers. Some students prefer to have the documents on CD. This allows students to view the electronic documents without having to connect to the internet. The only time, then, that students need to connect to the internet, is to receive updates or clarifications that are provided during the semester. The greatest advantage of using the electronic documents is that the instructor can choose which media is best for the course that is taught. The instructor is not limited to only using bulky, two-tone paper sheets, rather, the instructor can use various media to help the students get into and understand the construction documents. Disadvantages There are also some disadvantages of using electronic documents. First, the instructor needs to know how to use CAD to modify and generate the drawings for the course. Second, documents need to be obtained from the designers and then cleaned up for use in the course. Often, the drawings contain references to external drawings and the file paths need to be corrected so that all the information is displayed in the drawings. When using electronic drawings in the classroom, the instructor needs to be very specific in informing the students which page and what area on the page is being shown. Otherwise, the students do not know what is being shown or how to locate them on the drawings. Conclusion The increased use of electronic documents in the construction industry indicates a growing trend for the future. Students of Construction Management would benefit by the use of electronic documents in the classroom. Electronic documents provide a means by which construction documents can be incorporated into more courses in construction management programs. Electronic documents overcome obstacles that often prevent construction documents from being used in the classroom.

7 By using electronic drawings, the instructor can reproduce the drawings on 11" x 17" paper. This size of paper can be easily used on the small desktops in the classroom and is portable for the students to carry. By using the electronic documents, the instructor can modify these documents between semesters to prevent students from providing homework answers to future students. By using a modified set of plans instead of a new set of plans, the time required to find a new project is eliminated and the instructor remains familiar with the documents reducing class preparation time. The document reproduction cost is minimized. This helps to decrease the financial burden on the student of obtaining an education Using DWF file types for drawings and PDF file formats for specifications works effectively for reducing costs and providing available construction documents in the classroom. The DWF file format enables the use of color to help students understand drawings better. PDF formatting provides a portable format that retains the document format while maintaining a small file size. References Adobe Acrobat Reader (2000). [Internet]. Adobe Systems Incorporated. Available: [2000, December 5]. Autodesk. (1997). Autodesk whip, [Internet]. AutoDesk. Available: [2000, March 29]. Dodge, F. W. (1999). Dodge Plans, [Internet]. F. W. Dodge. Available: [2000, 10-18]. Peters, K. M. (1996, September). Bidding farewell to paper. Government Executive, 28, Robinson, S. (2000). New online bid process simplifies matters for state. Puget Sound Business Journal (June 9, 2000 edition). Watson, M. S. (1998, August). A new spin on bid sets. Civil Engineering, 68,