Automation in Construction 11 Ž2002.

23–33
www.elsevier.comrlocaterautcon

Integrating barcode and GIS for monitoring construction progress

Min-Yuan Cheng ) , Jiann-Chyun Chen
Department of Construction Engineering, National Taiwan UniÕersity of Science and Technology, PO Box 90 130, Taipei, Taiwan
Accepted 21 December 2000

Abstract

This study focuses on developing an automated schedule monitoring system for precast building construction. Erection of
prefabricated structural components is the major critical activity for precast building construction. An efficient lifting
schedule and control plan can significantly reduce construction conflicts and project delay. In this research, the system
ArcSched was developed to assist engineers in controlling and monitoring the erection process in a real time basis. ArcSched
is composed of a Geographic Information System ŽGIS. integrated with a database management system. Through systematic
monitoring of the construction process and representation of the erection progress in graphics and colors, the scheduled
components for erection are repetitively tracked and well controlled to implement the lifting schedule as planned. q 2002
Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: GIS; Construction progress; ArcSched

1. Introduction lutions and the reduction of construction time. The

Prefabrication of concrete structures is one of the
most important advances made in the last decades
towards industrialization of the building process. The
construction sequence of precast building involves a
close relationship between the design, construction,
detailing, execution, and manufacturing of elements
w3x. It is very difficult to obtain a successful project if
the interrelationship between all aspects of prefabri-
cation is not understood by all engineers involved. In
the planning and design phases, designers have to
design and divide the structural system while consid-
ering the advantages of prefabrication, economic so-
)
Corresponding author. Tel.: q886-2-27376596; fax: q886-2-
27376606.
E-mail address: myc@hp.ct.ntust.edu.tw ŽM.-Y. Cheng..
structural elements are prefabricated in the manufac-
turing plant and transported to the job site for instal-
lation. The schedules for prefabrication and transport
of the structural elements to the job site are devel-
oped based on the construction installation schedule.
Also, the storage and management of the prefabri-
cated elements, installation sequence, schedule, and
construction path planning should be well-planned
before the construction commences. Full considera-
tion of constructability in planning, design, and man-
ufacturing phases to improve construction efficiency
can significantly effect the success of precast build-
ing construction w13x.
Erection of prefabricated structural components is
the major critical activity for precast building con-
struction. An efficient lifting and control plan can
reduce construction conflicts and project delay.
Hence, project managers should bear in mind the

0926-5805r02r$ - see front matter q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 9 2 6 - 5 8 0 5 Ž 0 1 . 0 0 0 4 3 - 7
24 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33
possibilities, restrictions, advantages and disadvan-
tages of precasting, detailing, manufacturing, trans-
port and erection, and servicing stages before devel-
oping a final construction installation plan on the
basis of precast design. This study enhances the
management and control of the construction erection
process by developing a real time schedule monitor-
ing and control system. In the development of the
system, industry ‘rules of thumb’ and the latest
technology in schedule control and monitoring were
reviewed and compiled in a systematic format. Using
the concept of distributed data collection and central-
ized management, an on-site control center is estab-
lished for collecting and analyzing the construction
information. The bar code system combining with
wireless radio transmit technology is applied to col-
lect and transmit the job site data to the control
center automatically. Through a real time monitor of
the construction process, the scheduled components
for erection are repetitively tracked and well con-
trolled to assure the lifting schedule is implemented
as planned.
1.1. Research objectiÕes
The primary purpose of this paper is to develop
an automated schedule control and monitoring sys-
tem for precast building construction. The objectives
required to achieve the primary purpose are the
following: Ž1. apply a bar code system integrated
with radio frequency transmit technology to improve
the efficiency of job site data collection, Ž2. develop
an on-site control center provided with the real time
schedule monitoring system to control and monitor
the lifting operations, Ž3. identify the differences
between the planned schedule and construction
progress, Ž4. display the erection progress status and
sequence in graphics with different colors and labels,
and Ž5. allow for graphical query of the detailed
shop drawings and the related tabular attributes.
1.2. Scope definition
In this study, the system ArcSched was developed
to assist construction managers in controlling and
monitoring the lifting process for precast building
construction. With appropriate modifications, Arc-
Sched can be applied to steel structure for con-
trolling and monitoring the steel erection process.
Considerations of design automation and using au-
tomatedrknowledge-based system for erection
scheduling in a manufacturing plant are beyond the
scope of this study. However, it would be a worth-
while study to integrate these subjects with auto-
mated controlling and monitoring of construction
process in order to assist the project manager in the
management of the project.
2. Construction integration using an automated
bar code identification system
Construction integration is achieved by applying
the automated bar code identification system in dif-
ferent phases of the precast construction life cycle
w2,6,7,11,12x. Bar code applications are implemented
in three phases: Ž1. design, Ž2. manufacturing, and
Ž3. construction erection. Through the application of
the bar code system, the data integrity and consis-
tency between different phases are ensured.
Ž1. Design phase: During the design phase, the
structural components for prefabrication are analyzed
and divided after detailed design layout and struc-
tural analysis are completed. According to the princi-
ples of the prefabricated element coding system,
each prefabricated unit is assigned with a unique
code. This code is the identification of the element,
which will be used for manufacturing, transport,
storage, and construction installation.
Ž2. Manufacturing phase: The structural compo-
nents are produced in the plant based on the schedule
of production. The bar code assigned for each ele-
ment in the design phase is used for the creation of
shop drawings, production schedule, and inventory
control of the finished products in the storage yard.
Ž3. Construction erection phase: Before the con-
struction commences, managers have to prepare the
installation schedule according to the construction
plan and develop a lifting schedule database. The
manufacturing and transport schedules are recon-
firmed based on the installation schedule and fed
back to the manufacturer as a reference for planning
and revising the production plan. The consistency of
information between manufacturing and construction
phases can be assured. Through the identification of
the bar code, the managers can record the prefabri-
 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33
Fig. 1. Construction integration using bar code.
cated elements transported to the site, identify the
storage area, and inquiry into the erection sequence
and schedule by using ArcSched installed in the
main computer of the control center.
The process of integration through the application
of bar code is shown in Fig. 1.
3. Architecture of the schedule monitoring and
control process
The architecture of the schedule monitoring and
control process is developed according the needs of
the management of the erection process ŽFig. 2.. The
operational structure for job site scheduling control
has four parts including: Ž1. wireless bar code trans-
mit system, Ž2. on-site control center, Ž3. automated
data collection using bar code collector, and Ž4. V8
video monitoring.
Ž1. Wireless bar code transmit system: The wire-
less bar code transmit system is a technology com-
bining the bar code system with radio frequency
ŽRF. transmit technology. It is applied to collect and
transmit the data generated on the job site to the
control center. RF has primary applications in areas
where environmental constraints prohibit the use of
other automatic identification technologies w10,14x.
Especially for construction site, the places for gather-
ing and entering data may change along with the
25
progress of construction. Also, the working environ-
ment is severe and the area of the site always has a
certain amount of scale. Thus, it is very suitable to
apply RF technology for gathering and transmitting
the job site data.
Ž2. On-site control center: The on-site control
center is established in the job office. Using the
concept of distributed data collection and centralized
management, an on-site control center is established
for collecting and analyzing the construction infor-
mation. When the bar code of the prefabricated
element is wirelessly transmitted to the center, the
data is imported into the ArcSched database for later
inquiry and analysis. As the central administration,
the control center is used for bar code readrwrite,
data importrexport, data query, and scheduling con-
trol. Through real time monitoring of the construc-
tion process, the scheduled components for erection
are repetitively tracked and well controlled to imple-
ment the lifting schedule as planned.
Ž3. Automated data collection using bar code
collector: Data collection efficiency is improved by
using the automated bar code collector to gather and
enter the job site data w1,4x. There are two stages for
using the wireless bar code transmit system to collect
the bar code of the prefabricated unit: Ža. job site
entrance and Žb. storage yard. When the prefabri-
cated units are transported to the job site, the bar
codes of the prefabricated units are read by the bar
26 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33

Fig. 2. Operational structure for on-site schedule monitoring and control.

code collector at the site entrance. Through wireless
RF transmission, the data is transmitted to the con-
trol center and saved in the associated database. To
lift the units from the storage yard for installation,
the bar codes of the units are also read and transmit-
ted to the control center to check the related erection
information such as position, sequence, and date.
Ž4. V8 video monitoring: V8 is installed on the
top of the tower crane to monitor the installation
process. The camera’s shooting directions can be
changed along with the movement of the tower
crane. Thus, the camera always monitors the erection
operation in progress. Moreover, operators can re-
motely control the camera to change its shooting
directions to the designed locations. The purposes of
using V8 for automated monitoring of construction
progress include: Ža. project managers can timely
monitor the erection process in the job site office
with no need to go out into the field, Žb. prevent the
occurrence of element displacement, and Žc. due to
the improvement of communication efficiency, the
erection accuracy and efficiency is increased. The
videotapes can also be saved as construction records
for improvement of the erection process and training.
Coaxial cable is the transmission media used to
transmit the video image to the control center.
4. System development
4.1. System usage
System usage essentially involves identifying the
needs of the users. According to user’s needs, the
information flow for controlling the erection pro-
cess is identified. The functional modules of the sys-
tem are developed based on the information flow
ŽFig. 3..
4.2. System architecture
The architecture of the system involves identifica-
tion of the tools used to develop the system’s func-
tional modules and the means by which each will
interface with one another and the user. Fig. 4 shows
 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33 27

Fig. 3. Information flow for schedule monitoring and control.

the architecture of the system. The user and program The prime components of the system, including
interface for ArcSched is established at three levels: Visual Basic, ArcrInfo, and MS-Project, are devel-
application user interface, command user interface, oped under a Window environment. The user com-
and program data interface. municates with the components of the system through

Fig. 4. System working environment.

28 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33
Fig. 5. System structure of the functional modules.
a custom interface developed in Visual Basic. A set
of the application user interface objects including
pull-down menus, pop-up menus, and forms were
developed for the system. In addition to automating
the system design and directing the program flow of
control, the command user interface is used to inte-
grate the tools applied for the development of the
functional modules. The program data interface
writesrreads the information torfrom the associated
Fig. 6. Data entry menu at site entrance.
databases. In this way, the data files that are stored
in a standard dBASE file format act as the communi-
cation media.
4.3. System functions
ArcSched is composed of a Geographic Informa-
tion System ŽGIS. integrated with a database man-
agement system ŽDBMS.. The system has three ma-
jor modules, the precast component information
management module, erection schedule planning and
control module, and GIS schedule display and query
module ŽFig. 5.. With application of the bar code
system and program data interface, the three func-
tional modules are integrated by storing, retrieving,
and managing the information torfrom the associ-
ated databases w5,9x.
Ž1. Precast unit information management module:
The precast unit information management module is
developed using Visual Basic. According to the ca-
pabilities and information needed for the user to
conduct construction installation, four major func-
tions of the module are identified: Ž1. data entry and
storage management ŽFig. 6., Ž2. V8 video monitor
ŽFig. 7., Ž3. erection schedule query, and Ž4. sched-
ule estimation ŽFig. 8.. The management and mainte-
 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33 29

Fig. 7. Real time erection monitoring menu.

nance of the erection schedule database is directly
controlled by this module.
Ž2. Erection schedule planning and control mod-
ule: MS-Project is the tool used to create and control
the scheduling plan. To develop the erection plan,
the quantity of daily erections is calculated based on
the consideration of constructability, construction
plan, manufacturing plan, lifting capacity, and the
categorizations of the precast units. This module
allows the user to prepare the network of the erection
sequence and formulate the logic of the contem-
plated program. Fig. 9 shows the structure of the
scheduling plan. The scheduling plan is classified in
two levels: preliminary and detailed schedules. The
functions of the module include: Ž1. network display,
Ž2. activity selection, Ž3. progress update, and Ž4.
duration calculation and difference analysis.
Ž3. GIS schedule display and query module: Geo-
graphic Information System ŽGIS. is a set of tools to
model, store, retrieve, manipulate, and analyze spa-

Fig. 8. Schedule estimate for transportation.

30 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33

Fig. 9. Erection schedule control plan.

tial data. The generic GIS can be viewed as a
number of specialized spatial routines laid over a
standard relational data base management system w8x.
GIS combines CAD with a relational database man-
agement system ŽDBMS. and stores the descriptive
information as attributes of the graphical features. In
this study, the graphical display and query is carried
out using the GIS ArcrInfo functional modules such
as Starter Kit, Arcplot, and Tables. The fundamental
information representation functions of ArcrInfo en-
able the efficient representation of erection sequence,
position, schedule and progress in graphics and la-
bels. The primary functions of this module are de-
scribed as follows: Ž1. file management: Allow the
user to access, retrieve, delete, display, and manipu-
late the related files; Ž2. design display: Display the
design drawings along with the erection sequence
and position represented in labels ŽFig. 10.; Ž3.
Adrawing-to-dataB query: The drawing-to-data query
is a graphic representation of the site features, design
drawings and the associated tabular attributes. It is a
communication, which assists the user to identify the

Fig. 10. Design drawing erection sequence display.

 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33 31

Fig. 11. Drawing-to-data query.

storage area, erection sequence, erection position,
and erection schedule. The querying of the tabular
attributes is the function used to display the labels
associated with the design drawing and the inte-
grated information of a particular entity in the cover-
age. Hence, the user can proceed the installation
process in real time according to the inquired infor-
mation. The erection accuracy and efficiency is im-
proved ŽFig. 11.; Ž4. Adrawing-to-drawingB query:
This is a graphical query of the detailed shop draw-
ings. When the design drawing is displayed in graph-
ics using GIS, the user can double click the graphical
features to query the related shop drawings. This
function serves as a graphic file manager that en-
hances the system flexibility by making it easy for
the user to access, retrieve, and display the related

Fig. 12. Drawing-to-drawing query.

32 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33
Table 1
Control status of prefabricated units
Element color Control status GIS code
Black not delivered code A0B
White not installed code A1B
Red installed code A2B
graphic files ŽFig. 12.. The drawings including site
coverages, design drawings and shop drawings are
hierarchically saved in the form of a tree. Depending
on the user’s needs, the site coverages and various
drawings can be displayed on the screen in either a
detailed or abstract form. Also, the functions, design
display, Adrawing-to-dataB query, and graphical dis-
play of erection progress, can be activated along with
the operation of this function; and Ž5. graphical
display of erection progress: Display the status of
erection progress in graphics with different colors
ŽTable 1.. For example, on the design drawing, the
graphic feature displayed in black represents that the
prefabricated element has not yet been delivered to
the site. White color shows that the element was
delivered to the site, but not installed, and red color
signifies that the element was installed. As the instal-
lation of the prefabricated unit is completed and
confirmed by the user through V8 monitoring, the
color of the associated graphic feature is changed to
reflect the lifting progress. Nevertheless, the video-
tape can be saved as construction records for train-
ing. The erection progress cannot only be controlled
by the construction managers through directly graph-
ical display and query of the drawings, but also the
erection accuracy and efficiency are insured.
5. Conclusions and recommendations
The endeavor of this paper focuses on developing
an automated schedule monitoring system to assist
the managers to control the erection process for
precast building construction. ArcSched improves
the data collection efficiency by integrating bar code
system with the wireless RF transmit technology.
The development of the computer-integrated con-
struction system successfully improves the efficiency
of lifting operations for precast building construc-
tion. Also, the integration of schedule and design
information makes it easy for the project manager to
monitor and control the erection progress. Owing to
ArcrInfo’s ability to integrate locational and the-
matic information, the graphical display and database
queries including graphic file management, design
display, drawing-to-data query, drawing-to-drawing
query, and graphical display of erection progress are
achieved. In comparison with current methods, this
paper creates a new way of thinking to represent the
construction progress in graphics using GIS.
ArcSched improves schedule control efficiency by
integrating spatial and thematic information into a
single environment. The application of the real time
schedule monitoring system cannot only improve the
construction constructability, but also positively im-
pact the construction efficiency.
References
w1x J.F. Alexander, R.J. Coble, B.R. Elliott, Hand-Held Commu-
nication for Construction Supervision. Proceedings of the
1997 5th ASCE Construction Congress ŽMinneapolis, USA.,
1997, pp. 972–979.
w2x L.C. Bell, B.G. McCullouch, Bar Code Applications in Con-
struction. Construction Industry Institute, Austin, TX, 1988,
Source Document No. 33.
w3x A.S.G. Bruggeling, G.F. Huyghe, Prefabrication with Con-
crete. Balkema Publishers, Brookfield, USA, 1991.
w4x Interscan User’s Manual, INTERMEC ŽWashington, USA,
1994..
w5x N. Dawood, Integrated Intelligent Planning Approach for
Modular Construction. Computing in Civil Engineering,
ASCE, New York, 1996, pp. 410–416.
w6x D. Echeverry, Adaptation of Barcode Technology for Con-
struction Project Control. Computing in Civil Engineering,
ASCE, New York, 1996, pp. 1034–1040.
w7x D. Echeverry, A. Beltran, Bar-code Control of Construction
Field Personnel and Materials. Proceedings of the 1997 4th
Congress on Computing in Civil Engineering ŽPhiladelphia,
USA., 1997, pp. 341–347.
w8x M.F. Goodchild, Geographic information system in under-
graduate geography: a contemporary dilemma. Oper. Geogr.
8 Ž1985. 34–38, USA.
w9x C.J. Kibert, K.C. Hollister, Enhanced Construction Specific
SQL. Autom. Constr. 2 Ž4. Ž1994. 303–312.
w10x F.S. Liou, Keyless Data Acquisition in Construction. Archit.
Sci. Rev. Ž1992. 9–16, USA.
w11x W.J. Rasdorf, M.J. Herbert, Bar Coding in Construction
Engineering. J. Constr. Eng. Manage., ASCE 116 Ž2. Ž1990.
261–280.
 M.-Y. Cheng, J.-C. Chen r Automation in Construction 11 (2002) 23–33 33

w12x G. Stukhart, Bar Code Standardization in Industry Construc-
tion. Construction Industry Institute, Austin, TX, 1989,
Source Document No. 47.
w13x C.B. Tatum, J.A. Vanegas, J.M. Williams, Constructability
Improvement Using Prefabrication, Preassembly, and Mod-
ulization. Construction Industry Institute, Austin, TX, 1987,
Source Document No. 25.
w14x J.C. Whitaker, Radio Frequency Transmission Systems. Mc-
Graw-Hill, New York, 1991.