Abstract
While estimating activity production rates, cost estimators rely on historical production rates. To have realistic and useful cost estimates based on historical production rates, such production rate data should be augmented with historical contextual information that depict conditions under which activity production rates were achieved in past projects. This information is needed in determining which production rate to use among alternates for a similar activity existing in a new bid. Estimators need contextual information especially when they are unfamiliar with the work being estimated. Hence, such information items need to be identified, collected, and stored for estimators' use in new projects. This paper details a construction-method specific and an extensible approach that is developed for enabling cost estimators to define contextual information items that need to be collected on job sites and stored as part of project histories. Based on this approach, the writers implemented a prototype system, called as ContextGen, and performed user-tests with estimators with different experience levels. Results showed that the developed approach captures method-specific information needs of estimators and is extensible to incorporate new contextual information items that can have different data representations. The developed approach is also precise in retrieving contextual information items specific to a construction method from a set of predefined contextual information items available in a library.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 129-139 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2010 |
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Keywords
- Automated information retrieval
- Automation
- Classifications
- Construction costs
- Cost estimating
- Customized data collection
- Data collection
- Faceted classification
- History
- Information management
- Precision and recall
- Project history
- Project management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computer Science Applications
- Civil and Structural Engineering
Cite this
Automated generation of customized field data collection templates to support information needs of cost estimators. / Ergan, Semiha; Akinci, Burcu.
In: Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 2, 2010, p. 129-139.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Automated generation of customized field data collection templates to support information needs of cost estimators
AU - Ergan, Semiha
AU - Akinci, Burcu
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - While estimating activity production rates, cost estimators rely on historical production rates. To have realistic and useful cost estimates based on historical production rates, such production rate data should be augmented with historical contextual information that depict conditions under which activity production rates were achieved in past projects. This information is needed in determining which production rate to use among alternates for a similar activity existing in a new bid. Estimators need contextual information especially when they are unfamiliar with the work being estimated. Hence, such information items need to be identified, collected, and stored for estimators' use in new projects. This paper details a construction-method specific and an extensible approach that is developed for enabling cost estimators to define contextual information items that need to be collected on job sites and stored as part of project histories. Based on this approach, the writers implemented a prototype system, called as ContextGen, and performed user-tests with estimators with different experience levels. Results showed that the developed approach captures method-specific information needs of estimators and is extensible to incorporate new contextual information items that can have different data representations. The developed approach is also precise in retrieving contextual information items specific to a construction method from a set of predefined contextual information items available in a library.
AB - While estimating activity production rates, cost estimators rely on historical production rates. To have realistic and useful cost estimates based on historical production rates, such production rate data should be augmented with historical contextual information that depict conditions under which activity production rates were achieved in past projects. This information is needed in determining which production rate to use among alternates for a similar activity existing in a new bid. Estimators need contextual information especially when they are unfamiliar with the work being estimated. Hence, such information items need to be identified, collected, and stored for estimators' use in new projects. This paper details a construction-method specific and an extensible approach that is developed for enabling cost estimators to define contextual information items that need to be collected on job sites and stored as part of project histories. Based on this approach, the writers implemented a prototype system, called as ContextGen, and performed user-tests with estimators with different experience levels. Results showed that the developed approach captures method-specific information needs of estimators and is extensible to incorporate new contextual information items that can have different data representations. The developed approach is also precise in retrieving contextual information items specific to a construction method from a set of predefined contextual information items available in a library.
KW - Automated information retrieval
KW - Automation
KW - Classifications
KW - Construction costs
KW - Cost estimating
KW - Customized data collection
KW - Data collection
KW - Faceted classification
KW - History
KW - Information management
KW - Precision and recall
KW - Project history
KW - Project management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77149158804&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77149158804&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000017
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000017
M3 - Article
VL - 24
SP - 129
EP - 139
JO - Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
JF - Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
SN - 0887-3801
IS - 2
ER -