ABSTRACT
Construction is an information intensive process. Many activities involve the creation and consumption of large amount of information ranging from product data to technical publications, from building regulations to best practice guides. With the increased use of computers in the industry, much of the information is available in digital forms. There is a growing demand for exchanging construction information electronically over computer networks. In recent years, the World Wide Web (WWW) has emerged as the most popular vehicle for information dissemination on the Internet. It is estimated that the volume of information on the WWW is doubling every 50 days. The amazing growth of the WWW is an indication of its strength. However, as more and more information becomes available, the task of finding the right information becomes more and more difficult. This chapter discusses the existing and emerging solutions to the on-line information search and retrieval problem.
