Information management to integrate cost and schedule for civil engineering projects

A construction information classification system (CICS) is useful for controlling a project with consistency in information management during construction. However the existing CICSs, including Masterformat, put the emphasis on architectural construction. Furthermore, project managers have difficulties in using the existing CICSs when they need to manage information throughout all construction phases, because most CICSs attach weight to specified phases, such as construction operations, which are carried out on site. This study suggests a tentative CICS for civil engineering projects, and the CICS consists of four facets with mnemonics in a notation system. Facility and space facets are grouped by the classified items for the management in upper levels through construction phases, and element and operation facets are classified to apply to the management in lower levels. The proposed CICS with four facets enables project managers to control a project with common information both for cost estimating and for schedule planning. Creating the CICS with such a common information system is helpful for connecting project cost for a project organizer with the construction schedule for a site manager, and the connection between cost and schedule will make better information management for a construction project.