About Project
Built upon these existing systems and the research strengths in the four departments at the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, this proposed ITF project aims to develop an RFID-enabled service-oriented BIM platform for enhancing prefabrication housing production in Hong Kong. Three scenarios will be particularly covered by the integrated platform: (1) Seamless communication and coordination among multiple stakeholders through improved information interoperability between processes; (2) more efficient cross-border prefab logistic and supply chain management (LSCM) through improved its real-time information visibility and traceability; and (3) seamless communication and coordination around construction site to enable a Just-In-Time (JIT) housing production. The proposed platform performs several key functionalities.
- Specialized smart data collection devices enabled by RFID and other technologies will be innovated considering special requirements from prefab construction.
- Smart gateway systems are developed for prefab sites, cross-border logistics and construction sites for integrating operational logics and process intelligence.
- Service-oriented decision supports are developed and provided for key stakeholders in private and public sectors to manage and visualize real-time construction information, and to monitor business operations and facilitate adaptive decision making in different stages of prefab construction.
- A data integration service is innovated for interoperability among heterogeneous enterprise information and application systems.
This research project is particularly espoused by the proved technologies such as smart objects, Work-Cell Gateway, and XML-based Data Exchange. The platform, once it is developed, will be made available to both government or private developers and constructors and benefit all stakeholders including contractors, sub-contractors, materials vendor, and workers. With a great potential to extend the platform to operation and maintenance stage, stakeholders will be able to improve productivity and quality, reduce the wastes of construction resources, cut the costs in construction logistics, reduce the risk and improve the efficiency in the whole housing provision in Hong Kong.