Virtual Design and Construction

Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) is the use of integrated multi-disciplinary performance models of design-construction projects, including the Product (i.e., facilities), Work Processes and Organization of the design - construction - operation team in order to support explicit and public business objectives.

The theoretical basis of VDC includes:

* Engineering modeling methods: product, organization, process
* Analysis methods (model-based): including schedule, cost, 4D interactions and process risks
* Visualization methods
* Business metrics and focus on strategic management
* Economic Impact analysis (i.e., models of both the cost and value of capital investments)

VDC Project Model

"VDC models are virtual because they show computer-based descriptions of the project. The VDC project model emphasizes those aspects of the project that can be designed and managed, i.e., the "product" (typically a building or plant), the "organization" that will define, design, construct and operate it, and the "process" that the organization teams will follow, or POP. These models are logically integrated in the sense that they all can access shared data, and if a user highlights or changes an aspect of one, the integrated models can highlight or change the dependent aspects of related models. The models are multi-disciplinary in the sense that they represent the Architect, Engineering, Contractor (AEC) and Owner of the project, as well as relevant sub disciplines. The models are performance models in the sense that they predict some aspects of project performance, track many that are relevant, and can show predicted and measured performance in relationship to stated project performance objectives. Some companies now practice the first steps of VDC modeling, and they consistently find that they improve business performance by doing so." (Kunz & Fischer 2007)

Construction Industry VDC Capable Companies

* Swinerton Builders
* Parsons Brinckerhoff
* ConXtech
* DPR
* Design + Construction Strategies
* Skanska
* Turner Construction
* Walt Disney Imagineering
* The Weitz Company
* [http://lucrosol.com Lucrosol]
* [http://www.gplainc.com Gregory P. Luth & Associates, Structural Engineers]
* Whiting-Turner Contracting

VDC Software Tools

* Autodesk Navisworks JetStream 4D
* Autodesk Revit
* VICO Software Virtual Construction
* SDS/2 from Design Data
* Tekla Structures from Tekla Corporation
* Advance Concrete
* Advance Steel
* Advance Design

VDC related Methodologies

* Linear scheduling method
* Critical path method
* Work breakdown structure
* Object-oriented programming
* List of project management topics
* Location Based Scheduling
* Clash Detection

ee also

* Industry Foundation Classes
* Interoperability
* List of computer vision topics
* Building Information Modeling
* Fourth dimension
* Vitruvius
* Qualitative research
* Quantitative research
* Ontology
* Metadata
* construction management
* construction engineering

External links

*Construction Research::: CIFE [http://cife.stanford.edu] , mosaic [http://www.ce.cmu.edu/mosaic] , APPC [http://www.technion.ac.il/~civil/navon] , FSCAL [http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/caldas/fscal/index.html]

*vico software www.vicosoftware.com

References

CIFE Mission Statement [http://cife.stanford.edu/Mission/index.html]

"Virtual Design and Construction: Themes, Case Studies and Implementation Suggestions" John Kunz & Martin Fischer [http://cife.stanford.edu/online.publications/WP097.pdf]