A framework for an automated and integrated project monitoring and control system for steel fabrication projects

This paper presents an automated and integrated project monitoring and control framework that facilitates decision making by enabling project managers to take corrective actions immediately after deviations occur and to mitigate potential damage to ongoing steel fabrication projects. An automated data acquisition system integrated with computer simulation provides a reliable platform for the proposed framework, as the former reduces the time required to obtain as-built data while the latter simulates different scenarios for possible corrective actions in advance. The framework employs High Level Architecture (HLA) as its infrastructure and is composed of several individual monitoring and control components which cooperate and interact with each other in real-time within a unified environment. To verify the concept and test the feasibility of this framework, a model consisting of several components, including automated data capturing, simulation, and visualization, was developed and implemented in the fabrication phase of steel construction.