Semi-automatic process generation with reusable process and knowledge modules

This paper addresses an essential problem in construction process management. Currently, due to their complexity and dynamicity construction processes are handled in conventional manner and are only weakly integrated with engineering models of the building, the construction site, the supply chain and other relevant information and knowledge. Process concurrency is also insufficiently supported. To enable the comprehensive modelling of construction processes it is fundamental to provide an approach that is capable of highly flexible and efficient designing as well as adaptation of already designed processes for similar projects. In the paper we describe the main concepts of a novel approach based on the idea of reusable process knowledge modules enabling the semiautomatic generation of construction schedules. It carries on further the concepts process matrix and business process object (BPO) developed by the authors and others, extending the BPO concept towards reusable process knowledge modules and allocating them to the relevant phases of the reference modelling process.