Photo-net: An integrated system for controlling construction progress

A scheduling and progress control system called Photo-net is introduced where a digital movie of construction activities can be played back along with an animation of as-built vs. as-planned performance of these activities. A technique to make time-lapse digital films of construction activities is used. A method to store a digital film is developed allowing thousands of pictures to be stored and managed in a Windows environment. A program is developed that generates critical path method (CPM) derived bar-charts. A recording system is devised enabling the user to specify the day-by-day progress achieved in construction activities, allowing the program to link the playback film with the progress observed on the construction site. A set of input screens are generated by the system that provide a friendly, intuitive and easy way to enter project data. A case study is presented where the system is used, the performance of the system is discussed and the results are analyzed.