Panagiotis Georgakis

Model-Based Groupware Solution for Distributed Real-Time Collaborative 4D Planning through Teamwork

AbstractConstruction planning plays a fundamental role in construction project management that requires teamwork among planners from a diverse range of disciplines and in geographically dispersed working situations. Model-based four-dimensional (4D) computer-aided design (CAD) groupware, though considered a possible approach to supporting collaborative planning, is still short of effective collaborative mechanisms for teamwork because of methodological, technological, and social challenges. Targeting this problem, this paper proposes a model-based groupware solution to enable a group of multidisciplinary planners to perform real-time collaborative 4D planning across the Internet. In light of the interactive definition method, and its computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW) design analysis, this paper discusses the realization of interactive collaborative mechanisms from software architecture, application mode, and data exchange protocol. These mechanisms have been integrated into a groupware solution...

Time compression design with decision support for intelligent transport systems deployment

The time-to-market of a product is related to the time used in the design process of the product. This is particularly important in fast developing areas of intelligent transport systems (ITS) and products. More powerful design toolkits using advanced computers and software design are helping to shorten time-to-market with improved ITS products. The key to achieving these improvements is a methodology called Time Compressed Product Design And Optimisation (TOPDO). Based on the methodology, a state of the art software and computer framework has been developed for automating the design process, optimising integrated designs through rapid product modelling and analysis, performing systems simulation and capturing a knowledge base for devices, products and systems. This paper focuses on aspects of the computer framework based TOPDO technique that presents the design process as a total systematic framework.

Perceptions of Building Contractors Concerning Plant Theft

The theft of plant and equipment is a significant problem in the construction industry. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that the cost of theft of construction plant is around £500 million. However, the focus of attention has been the eects of plant theft to the construction industry rather than the causes. Determining the significances of the causes of plant theft will enhance the development of appropriate strategy for mitigating theft. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present an analysis that was carried out to measure the significances of identified factors related to the theft of construction plant. The contribution indices and probabilities of contribution of the factors were derived in the analysis. The analysis shows that the highest contributing factor to plant theft is site location.

Fuzzy Logic Based Built Environment Impact Assessment for Urban Regeneration Simulation

Integration and adaptation of artificial intelligent designs with fuzzy inference techniques is an active area of research that can be used to meet the challenges of regeneration processes. Urban regeneration activities in built environment are complex and require a close collaboration between designers and planners in order to achieve a design plan that is environmentally robust and sustainable. Regeneration teams’ inability to manually analyze complex maps for various regeneration choices induces human errors in the regeneration process. This often results in a prolonged impact on the economic, social and environmental wellbeing and sustainability of the region. This paper, presents the development of an urban regeneration fuzzy inference system (FIS) aimed at tackling the issue of regeneration simulation in built environment through the measurement of impact of certain socioeconomic parameters to the regeneration plan. The impact assessment logic is embedded in the form of an expertly guided rule-base of an FIS. The impact is calculated using the four core principles of urban smart growth (crime, accessibility, employment and health), with respect to a measure of Euclidean intra-regional distance based accessibility function between the regeneration area(s) and the surrounding built environment neighborhood. The FIS evaluates the suitability of various regeneration sub-areas in terms of the aforementioned four principles affecting the concept of a walk-able, sustainable and eco-friendly neighborhood.

Performance indicators for urban transport development in Nigeria

Developing countries are experiencing simultaneous growth of population, income and private vehicle ownership, which significantly affects urban transport environment and poses challenges to policymakers and urban transport professionals. Experience shows that the performance of urban transport service delivery in many developing countries is low; policy makers have incomplete information to make decisions and managers and professionals rarely have a clear picture of their operational performance, best practices elsewhere or the desired level of their service provision, which is the case of urban transport services in Nigeria. Urban transport in Nigeria is largely an unregulated market and inadequate both in quality and quantitative terms. Urban transport technology in use in Nigeria is a combination of Para-transit modes, consisting of shared taxis, minibuses, motorcycles and tricycles. Only in the cities of Lagos and Abuja are conventional buses in use, but even in both cities the use of Paratransit modes of transport is obviously dominant. As a matter of fact, Nigeria remains the only country in the world where densely populated cities with over 6 million people do not have an organized urban transport system based on a combination of conventional buses and rail. It will be therefore imperative to identify Key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used to measure and improve the performance of urban transport services in Nigeria. This paper is focused on the identification of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for urban transport development in Nigeria. The KPIs that have been identified in this paper following the performance measurement framework can be used to monitor and evaluate urban transport performance in Nigeria and eventually guide the further development and modernization of urban transport system in Nigeria, in the sense that the KPIs will assist in identifying key areas for improvement and also serve as a guide for transport policy makers in making decisions. The KPIs presented in this paper have been categorized into Safety, Security, Environmental pollution, Financial perspective, Traffic management and Customer satisfaction.

User-centred design for collaborative 4D modelling

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the CSCW in collaborative 4D modelling and its user interface (UI)/interaction designs for prototyping. Four-dimensional (4D) modelling technology has potentials to integrate geographically dispersed planners to achieve collaborative construction planning. However, applying this technology in teamwork remains a challenge in computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW). Design/methodology/approach – The research adopted user-centred design (UCD) methodology to investigate a usable 4D collaboration prototype through analysis, design and usability testing. By applying CSCW theories, it first clarified the meaning of 4D CSCW to formulate design propositions as design target. By leveraging UCD theories, subsequently, the first-stage research sought an optimal standalone 4D modelling prototype following a parallel design approach. At the second stage, it further investigated into a collaborative 4D modelling prototype using an iterative design. It adopted collab...

A Big Data Architecture for Traffic Forecasting Using Multi-Source Information

An important strand of predictive analytics for transport related applications is traffic forecasting. Accurate approximations of the state of transport networks in short, medium or long-term future horizons can be used for supporting traveller information, or traffic management systems. Traffic forecasting has been the focus of many researchers over the last two decades. Most of the existing works, focus on single point, corridor, or intersection based predictions with limited efforts to solutions that cover large metropolitan areas. In this work, an open big-data architecture for road traffic prediction in large metropolitan areas is proposed. The functional characteristics of the architecture, that allows processing of data from various sources, such as urban and inter-urban traffic data streams and social media, is investigated. Furthermore, its conceptual design using state-of-the-art computing technologies is realised.

Performance Indicators for Rail Transport System in Nigeria.

Rail transport has and continues to play a key role in the movement of goods and passengers in many countries around the world including Nigeria. However, while rail transport continues to enjoy relative importance in terms of investment, growth and contribution to the national economy in several countries, it has suffered neglect and relegation in Nigeria, resulting in a decline in its modal share contribution. Particularly, in the last decades following independence, not much has been achieved in terms of structural transformation of the Nigerian Railways. However there are new developments and investment on rail and some measures are being put in place to revive the Nigerian rail transport system. Old and unused railways are being modernised, rehabilitated, commissioned and brought into service. Therefore, it is vitally important to understand and analyse the performance criteria that can be applied in measuring and managing the Nigerian rail sub-sector. Currently this measurement criteria has not being established. The focus of this paper is on identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the Nigerian rail sub-sector. The KPIs that have been identified in this paper following the performance measurement framework, can be used to measure the performance of the rail subsector and eventually guide the further development of rail transport in Nigeria, in the sense that the KPIs will assist in identifying key areas for improvement in the sector and also serve as a guide for transport policy makers in making decisions. The KPIs presented in this paper have been categorised into: Safety; Security; Environmental pollution; Internal Business perspective; Financial perspective; Intermodal perspective; Innovation and Learning perspective and Customer Satisfaction.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF INTEGRATED EXTERNAL SPEED ADAPTATION WITH COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM FOR INTELLIGENT TRUCKS.

In this paper, the design and development cycle for integrated systems architecture for External Speed Adaptation (ESA) and Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS) is presented. It subsequently presents a new method of modelling the integrated system architecture based on structured analysis. Moreover, a vehicle kinematics model is developed and used as the basis for designing the systems decision logic. A description of an experimental hardware and CAN software simulation show the potential of the systems integration. In the experimental system, the speed limiter (vehicle throttle control and ECU) is a mechatronic sub-system and the collision avoidance system that deactivates the acceleration of the truck and controls the speed of the truck to a preset speed limit to avoid collision. This is based on communication between a roadside sensor and the vehicle and an interface between the collision avoidance and speed adaptation systems.