BYG 601 – Review based on Questions

Maturity in design:

Experiences indicate that the design of complex construction projects gradually matures. The
designers learn gradually during projects, thus getting a better understanding of the scope, and the
issues are solved gradually towards a “good enough” design.
In other words, there is much trial and error in the early stages of design, and trial and error is, in
this context, an apparent part of the learning process with active experimentation, concrete
experience, and reflective observation/evaluation. Furthermore, abstract conceptualization will be
included in some cases, e.g. during structural analysis.
LoD is a method for management of maturity of design. Core to the LOD is that defines the content
and reliability of BIM elements at different stages or milestones.
The basis for the LODXXX system is that numbers describe different “levels of development”
assuming model elements pass through these levels and therefore increasing the numbers as the
geometry and content gets more specific and final/ specific/ trustworthy. The main levels are
described below:

• LoD100: Approximately information, often generic representation. Seldom geometry.

• LoD200: Approximately geometry as a system or element with size, form and location.
• LoD300: Element represented as a specific system or object with size, form, location and
amount.
• LoD350: As 300, including interface with other building elements. Example: Assembly
plate between columns and foundation
• LoD400: The element is modelled sufficient to exact production as bases for fabrication.
• LoD500: The element gives an exact picture of the real element. As built.
Scrum:

Agile refers to a set of “methods and practices based on the values and principles expressed in the
Agile Manifesto,” which includes things like collaboration, self-organization, and cross
functionality of teams.
Scrum is a framework that is used to implement Agile development.
Scrum is one of several agile methods addressing variability and differs from traditional project
management in that it does not work with WBS, but rather functionalities, and the decision-making
function is decentralized.
1-That Product Owner is in charge of making the Backlog, a list of tasks and requirements the final
product needs.
2- at the start of each sprint a planning meeting is held to discuss the work that is to be done. The
product owner and the team meet to discuss the highest-priority items on the product backlog. Team
members figure out how many items they can commit to and then create a sprint backlog, which is
a list of the tasks to complete during the sprint.
3-Next up is the Sprint. A Sprint is a predetermined timeframe within which the team completes
sets of tasks from the Backlog. The length of time depends on the needs of the team, but two weeks
is pretty typical.
4-Teams meet every day to give progress updates in the Daily Scrum. Many people also call these
“Daily Stand-Ups.”
5-Each Sprint ends with a review, where the team reviews their work and discusses ways to improve
the next Sprint.
at the end of each sprint the team produces a potentially deliverable product increment.
 Scrum is a solution for focus on reciprocal interdependency because all design focus
simultaneously on one sprint to do. More collaboration can be provided. It can be integrated into
last planer system for improving the system for such interdependency.
In my opinion it is not very applicable in design of building because design of a building can not
be divided into sprint that are multidisciplinary. I mean for example we cannot design a part of a
building. But may be in offshore structure it is applicable. Because different parts can design
separately as a multidisciplinary sprint.
Design phenomena:
Design phenomena is related to understanding, mastering and explaining the processes behind our
design like iteration, complexity, interdependencies, …
He regards the design process as simultaneous learning about both the nature of the problem and
range of possible solutions.
a negotiation between the problem and solution through the three activities of analysis, synthesis
and evaluation.
Design management:
Is method to manage the design phenomena. How plan our design to understand the reciprocal
interdependence. For example, integrated milestone networks can be an example. Or how we can
remove the negative iteration in design by using DSM.
Last planer system:

The aim is to achieve greater control and predictability in construction work compared to that which is
offered by conventional project management, known as the critical path method (CPM). Brodetskaia et al.
(2011) argue that the scope of the CPM is generally restricted to master scheduling. Although being an
effective contract management tool for clients, it does not provide general contractors with a weekly or
daily production control tool.

Koskela and Howell (2002) and Koskela and Ballard (2006) describe conventional production control as
the “thermostat model”, and LPS as the “scientific experimentation” model
The LPS is based on extensive cooperation between different contractors and subcontractors who commit
to coordinating their activities in increasing detail as the practical implementation approaches. Furthermore,
in hindsight the last and most detailed production plan is evaluated, and experiences with regard to what
caused divergence between planned and actual implementation (PPC: percentage planned completed) are
reported back to the collaboration partners.

Koskela et al. (2010) described its implementation as consisting of five steps:

1. Preparation of a master schedule, reflecting the major project milestones.

2. Phase planning, which commonly involves using reverse-phase scheduling – i.e. working backwards
from the desired delivery date (milestones), tasks are scheduled in reverse order, allowing them to be
performed at the” last responsible moment”, thus minimizing unnecessary accumulation of work in
progress.
3. Preparation of a lookahead plan for the medium-term future.
4. Preparation of a weekly work plan in consultation with the last planners
5. Monitoring of the execution and preparation of a report of the percentage planned completed (PPC) in
order to learn about planning failures and to institute continuous improvement.

Then authors discussed in these different parts how LPS provides coordination. They emphasize that there
is weak relation between the classical LPS and coordination theory at the production level, where mutual
adjustment is often required. Authors suggest for coordination by mutual adjustment arranging joint
building site inspections or through practical cooperation on a daily basis could solve this shortcoming.

Design is more reciprocal, and we need mutual adjustment so classic LPS need to completed by other
method like scrum to better solving mutual interdependencies.
Construction is more sequential.
The management of the design process itself is, however, more complicated than the management of the
production phase due to characteristics such as iterations, gradual maturity, learning, creativity, reciprocal
interdependencies
Process- oriented milestone:
Milestones are an important part of project planning and management, whether traditionally oriented or
based on the concepts of Lean Construction (LC). In LSP the master plan is a milestone plan.
A traditional way (WBS)to establish milestones for construction is to split the building period into phases,
usually with a milestone for the transition between phases. installation, groundwork, foundation, framework
superstructure…
The difference from a purely WBS-based milestone plan is that here, we rely on a pull-based network of
sequential dependencies on the general level, whereas the traditional method consists more of isolated
nodes.
This means the use of reverse planning to identify milestones. Our additional point in this paper, is that we
argue for the development of a pull-based network of milestones in the early phases of core processes
confer the pull planning approach in LP vs. push in the critical path method.
it is doubtful whether project planners can foresee all the activities at the beginning of the project” and
further “the kind of activities that should be undertaken depend on the results, the successes and
misfortunes, of earlier activities”

a. Identify all core processes (and dedicate one owner per process)
b. Identify maximum 15-20 milestones per core process
c. Find the logical sequence for the minor milestones in each core process by pull scheduling
d. Identify the network and logical sequence between the minor milestones in all core processes
e. Establish basic process information (input/activity/output/due date) for each minor milestone
where the Output information should satisfy predefined Conditions of Satisfaction (CoS) such as
acceptance, confer Table .

1. Target Value Design

The main idea of TVD is to make a client’s value (specific design criteria, cost, schedule, and
constructability) a driver of design, thereby reducing waste and satisfying or even exceeding the
client’s expectations.
It is related to Lean construction theory. It is also related to “Plan, Do, Check, Act”. It is an action
research which means cooperation between all involved parties including designers, builders,
suppliers, estimators and Owners. Achieving the optimal deign scenario based on the owner
financial situation is the key point.
TVD features
1) the project definition process – TVD roots target cost into the allowable cost and client’s
business goals as well as engages designers and builders in validating the business plan;
2) cost and target management – design to cost and value, decentralised management;
3) systemic approach to project management that aligns project organisation, operation system
based on lean principles and commercial terms.
Essential to TVD is the practice of designing to targets rather than designing, then checking whether
budgets, schedules, etc. have been exceeded.
TVD limitation:
 • the lack of a rigorous basis for clients’ determination of asset worth and allowable cost; e.g., an
operations cost model;

• a need for an accurate method of benchmarking project costs from programmatic data;

• when cost savings are not assured until late in the design phase, limiting client investments in value-
adding enhancements;

• a failure to adjust allowable costs, and hence project budgets, to changes in whole life costs and
benefits from design innovations;

• an inflexibility of financing changes in the project budgets, even when the return on investment is
otherwise compelling.

In CBA method cost is involved at the end and alternatives are assessed based on other parameters.
However, in TVD, the cost (target value) is considered in the whole process.

2. Design management with Virtual Design in Construction (VDC)

Virtual design and construction can be used by construction companies to demonstrate the organizational
and collaborative skills that are essential to successfully completing the project. With VDC, engineers and
architects can work together to create a visual model of the project for presentation to the client. Integrated
models that include information about products that will be used in construction, processes that must be
performed to achieve the final result and the organization of those processes demonstrate expertise and help
construction companies win more projects.

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. 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.

VDC models show the physical elements of the product and the abstract elements of the organization, i.e.,
the teams or “actors” and the abstract elements of the work process, i.e., the activities. The POP model lists
these physical and abstract project elements, and the individual VDC models show them in a visually
meaningful way, describe their attributes and attribute values, and describe the dependencies among them.

BIM visualizes and predicts the performance of the project and tracks the elements of construction but VDC
model the Product (elements), Organization (team), and Process (POP) of project (construction).

VDC is a “verb” or taking action on BIM. VDC is simply a visual management methodology using BIM
as part of our proven construction analysis and work processes.

The design team utilize VDC as part of their work processes such as lighting or engineering analysis. The
construction team core work processes are scheduling a project, estimating a project and analyzing the
design for constructability.

Features:
VDC strategy can enable companies to achieve significant breakthrough objectives

Different stakeholders have different responsibilities: All these stakeholders can participate in the VDC
method of modeling to support business objectives, and they can benefit from the shared vision, models
and methods.

Stakeholders collaborate by sharing visualizations: provides 4D schedule animations that most

stakeholders can understand

VDC enables better project management: VDC gives an integrated project framework to describe, track
and manage changes in the product, organization and process over time, which today can be visualized and
managed socially. The multiscreen iRoom already makes the display, comparison and management of
different versions feasible.

• The overall objective of BIM and VDC is to improve communication through the visual medium. This
leads to effective team collaboration.

BIM and VDC are very closely related, but not the same. Building Information Modeling (BIM) involves
the 3D modeling and data input of physical objects. It involves virtually building an object statically and
with associated information. VDC, on the other hand, uses BIM models to plan the construction process
from beginning to end. It focuses on the construction planning of the BIM model and includes elements
such as budget, cost estimation and scheduling.

The BIM project model emphasizes those aspects of the project that can be designed and managed, i.e., the
product (typically a building or plant [and infrastructure]), the Organization that will define, design,
construct and operate it, and the Process that the organization teams will follow, that is Product-
Organization-Process or POP.

The Product, Organization and Process (POP): The POP model specifies information that is shared among
models, not a complete project model with which individual modeling applications send and retrieve
information.

3. Design as a phenomenon

Self-reading

4. Design management and early phase in design

- refence – LoD (2-4 from reader)

Phases of Design process;

the level of influence at each stage – early stages have higher influence on the cost than later phases.
Possible Impact on BIM in the design process:

With a shared BIM-model capable of showing information like 4D and 5D, the communication between
designers and construction practitioners will be increased. Furthermore, such a transparent information flow
is vital for an efficient project team, as it fosters trust between participants.

Using BIM decision plan can help owners to control the decision process, enhance the understanding of the
designed product and make decisions with reduced risk for changes.

Maximizing Costumer Value in early design process;

Refer to choosing by advantage (CBA) and early planning, participation of parties in the planning stages
etc.

Learning theory:

Experience-based learning theory: Kolb well-known model for experiential learning. In this model, the
process and structure of learning are depicted as a four-stage cycle involving four adaptive learning modes.
These evolve from 1) concrete experience; 2) reflective observation; 3) abstract conceptualisation; and 4)
active experimentation. This learning cycle can be understood as a continuous spiral where the different
cycles of adaptive learning are repeated in order to allow for further learning.

Workplace learning: Illeris’ model integrate an understanding of individual learning into an understanding
of learning in working life. Learning progress is linked to each employee’s background and stage of life, as
well as to his or her capacity to be open to and benefit from learning. Learning takes place in a dynamic
interaction between the learning environment and the individual’s learning progress.

Illeris distinguishes between different forms of learning in the cognitive dimension. He describes
“assimilative” learning as a general form of learning: it is used in everyday life in the encounter with new
impressions and impulses. This is also the most common form of learning in schools, as the students’
knowledge is gradually built up over time. “Accommodative” learning is a more demanding form of
learning, as it transcends boundaries.