Automation in construction/project management

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The aim of this research proposal is to advance the body of knowledge; expanding upon the development made by the applicant and his coworkers, over the term of the current Discovery Grant and its DAS supplement in two major areas: 1) intelligent systems and methods for sustainable civil infrastructure systems (CISs), focusing primarily on municipal infrastructure (MI), which represents 70% of CISs in Canada, electric power grids and bridges, and 2) information technology (IT)-based construction management techniques and decision support systems for optimized delivery of constructed facilities. The deteriorating condition of civil infrastructure in North America gave rise to public concern and attracted considerable attention from government agencies, industry professionals and academics over the last 20 years. The ASCE's 2013 "Report Card" assigns near failing grade (D+) to CISs and (D) for the condition of water and wastewater and roads infrastructure in the USA; projecting needed investment of $3.6 trillion by the 2020. The picture is not much different in Canada's estimated $1.6 trillion civil infrastructure. The proposed program of research will address the following key areas (1) study, model and develop non-invasive, non-destructive and smart inspection and innovative condition assessment methods for bridges, water, wastewater and sewer, and road networks, considering their spatial and functional interdependencies. As well, to investigate, plan and develop algorithms, methods and automated systems to support optimized intervention plans and rational budget allocation for sustainable civil infrastructure; and (2) explore and expand upon the innovative research conducted on automated site date acquisition and on IT-based construction engineering and management methods using rapid prototyping for testing performance of designed configurations of remote sensing hardware and related software, optimization algorithms, intelligent systems and spatial, wireless sensors networks and web enabling technologies for data capturing, organization and processing with a focus on improving productivity, safety and competitiveness of Canada's $290+ billion (capital expenditures) construction industry according to Statistic Canada for 2013. The proposed program, accordingly, contributes to efforts being made to protect and improve public health, safety and economic wellbeing, and towards the training of highly qualified personnel in vital sectors of the Canadian economy. It leverages the resources provided by a major CFI research infrastructure grant that provides the required computing facilities for the proposed research and internal financial support to qualified graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.********