ABSTRACT
Within the framework of a national development program, IT Bygg och Fastighet (2002), a number of pilot studies were carried out on construction project networks, digital document management and cooperation over construction information models. These studies focused on solving the technical problems of information management, although practical experience showed that there is a general resistance toward introduction of the technology within the construction industry. This resistance was not based solely on a perception of technical shortcomings; there were also significant non-technical elements, such as methods and routines, the roles of the various parties involved and the legal and economic prerequisites. Similar experiences have been noted in studies carried out in other countries which have often highlighted the need for improved integration of design and production and cooperation with the client on construction projects. In recent years, the primary causes of the construction industry’s poor performance have been identified as its ineffective communication practices, organizational fragmentation and the lack of integration between design and production processes (Dainty et al., 2006). So far, research and development initiatives in the industry have been dominated by the purely technological development of information and communications technology (ICT). These efforts have not resulted in a comprehensive understanding of how new technology works in project communication if considering human, organizational and process-related factors, as well as those of a purely technological nature. A former chairman of the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) has even questioned the work approach of IAI in the development of the international building product model standard, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). After 11 years of IFC development, its adoption and use in the construction industry is marginal. The ambitious approach of IAI may have focused too much on the model-based world instead of the real world. This has succeeded in IFC being regarded as a theoretical model specification or an academic exercise rather than a useful industry standard for professionals
in practice (Kiviniemi, 2006). At the same time, industry has already begun implementing and using new technologies and applications. The large-scale adoption of ICT in construction stands to derive major advantages only if experience of its use can be gained at an early stage. It is in this context that project communication – a newly introduced subject at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm – seeks to study ICT in its practical context. Within the realm of this research area, an investigation has been carried out into communication during the design stage for two construction projects: the design work of a new building for the National Defense College in Stockholm and a project run by AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik for the rebuilding of the subway train station at Sockenplan (Wikforss, 2006). The scope of the studies was then expanded to include communication during construction, focusing on mobile work activities on the site and the particular needs of communication (Löfgren, 2006). A comparative study was also undertaken of how four regularly used, Internet project websites function as a means of communication between project participants. This led to a discussion on the need for information technology specifically designed for project management purposes (Wikforss, 2006). This chapter describes some of the fundamental collaborative communication issues in the planning, design and production phases of construction projects. The chapter introduces the perspectives of project communication research and outlines an initial conceptual framework for developing communication practices combined with supportive ICT as a facilitator for improved organization and management of future construction projects.
