B5: Uses of databases in construction firms

A database is simply a collection of stored information that can be used by management and applications within a certain enterprise. The construction industry is a prime example of an industry that could benefit from the use of a database. More specifically the construction industry can benefit from relational data model databases. The relational data model is a database that can be organized in a series of relations. On the left-most side, there will be a column of attribute names, with subsequent columns having descriptors of the attributes listed. According to Carnegie Mellon, some data that is important to keep track of in the construction field are: intermediate analysis results during planning and design, design documents, including drawings and specifications, construction schedules and cost estimates, quality control and assurance records, chronological files of project correspondence and memorandum, construction field activity and inspection logs, legal contracts, and regulatory documents. [1]

All this data can be incredibly useful on a construction project, but it is also important that there is a centralized database management system. This ensures that everyone on the project would have access to the data with proper authentication. This reduced redundancy because it eliminates the need for multiple databases for different areas of the project and it also reduces inconstancy because all the data is constant across the board. If one data value is changed then it changes for everyone.

The data here can then be used in certain applications used in construction. These values can be the input to perform tasks such as structural analysis, heat loss computation and material quantity calculations. Having a centralized database also make it easier on the application side of the project. If a project had multiple databases with all different layouts, then each application would have to be configured to work with every database type instead of just one. The additional programming required for that configuration would cost the firm unnecessary time and money.

Comments:

Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira- I agree that SQL is a skill that many more people are going to need in the future. With the use of databases only increasing over the years, we are going to need more people to know how to manage them.  

Tyler Madden- I never thought about location disparities when I was looking into databases for this assignment. I think that’s a very important reason that databases are so important in the industry. A lot of the time, people that are working on a project may not be on the project site. Having a central internet connected database allows anyone to work on the project from anywhere.

Julie Hansted Anderson- Good job at explaining rational database theory. The visual really helps put into perspective how the items are related to each other.

Citation:

[1] https://www.cmu.edu/cee/projects/PMbook/14_Organization_and_Use_of_Project_Information.html#14.4%20Organizing%20Information%20in%20Databases