Concurrent Design for Production (Cdp): Materializing Interface Knowledge on a Us Residential Construction Project Using Computer Aided Design Objects

James E. Folkestad1

1Associate Professor, Construction Management, Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, Phone +1 970/491-7823, FAX 970/491-2473, [email protected]

Abstract

The concept that design is a social process is well established in the research literature. Following the tradition of ethnographic methods used to study design in context, this paper describes a 12-month research study conducted with a US residential homebuilder. The study utilizes the concurrent design process to elicit tacit interface knowledge and explicitly define it using 3D CAD models. Three-dimensional CAD graphics were used as a concurrent design tool to provide visual representations of product and actor interfaces. More importantly, these tools created conversations that otherwise would not have taking place in traditional design process. Out of necessity, and following the spirit of the concurrent design process, the tool was modified to include intermediate production objects (IPOs) for transferring production details to field level workers. The concept of concurrent design for production (CDP) is introduced as an extension of concurrent design that provides a method for improving onsite construction processes.

Keywords

Concurrent design for production, production, residential construction, Computer Aided Design (CAD)

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Reference

Folkestad, J. E. 2006. Concurrent Design for Production (Cdp): Materializing Interface Knowledge on a Us Residential Construction Project Using Computer Aided Design Objects, 14th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 319-330. doi.org/

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