A formalism for utilization of sensor systems and integrated project models for active construction quality control

Defects experienced during construction are costly and preventable. However, inspection programs employed today cannot adequately detect and manage defects that occur on construction sites, as they are based on measurements at specific locations and times, and are not integrated into complete electronic models. Emerging sensing technologies and project modeling capabilities motivate the development of a formalism that can be used for active quality control on construction sites. In this paper, we outline a process of acquiring and updating detailed design information, identifying inspection goals, inspection planning, as-built data acquisition and analysis, and defect detection and management. We discuss the validation of this formalism based on four case studies. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.