B5-Jinhao Liang-Group E

Uses of databases in construction firms

As we all know, the development of database technology redefines the traditional operation mode of construction firms or architecture firms. Facing to the emergence of hundreds of databases, most of the construction firms have to adapt to them and consume a large amount of energy on learning and mastering these system. Obviously no construction firms like to use multiple systems in the same time because too much unorganized information presented to managers can result in confusion and decision making especially for the companies that require a more professional technique.

Just like what Orchestrate.io did, it made the breakthrough to satisfy the increasing demands for uniting these databases. It combined Hbase database, the Hadoop data crunching system into one system, which enormously lifted the efficiency for those companies ranged from small regional companies to internationally recognized companies. In my idea, Database could fortify the relationship among members. Here is a case. Russell Curtis, as a leader of an architecture company in London, turned to using Evernote as their sharing center to manage their team and allocate their tasks. Evernote, similar to Google drive, was a useful and open database helping this team best store and share something interestingly that mostly referred to helpful materials and creative building ideas. With the database, the construction firms could be operated in a more effective way to dispatch documents to each other and push them to have a teamwork in a single system. Additionally, any members belong to the firm could immediately pull out the information they want from anyplace and anytime through other mobile terminals like mobile phone, iPad or laptop.

Besides that, this time, I will emphasis on introducing computer-aided design (CAD), whose technique is widely used in many crucial areas such as automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace industries, architectural design and so forth. The software based on CAD technique is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing. Although similarly it provide multiple functions for designing 2D and 3D models, CAD has outstanding capabilities on making animations that promote engineers better visuals their products. Construction firms could make an animation to show the explorers how it looks like in the future and make the modification to some defections in advance.

The advantages of CAD could shorten the design cycle and lower product costs. For database, CAD enables designers to layout and develop work on screen, print it out and save it for future editing. As a future’s structure engineer, through CAD we can do almost all analysis without entering SAP, stress, strain and the material effect in certain temperature could be acquired here.

Reference

Curtis, Russell, 2012, EVERNOTE, web.

<http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2012/09/05/evernote-an-architects-toolbox-and-quality-management-system/ >

Organization and Use of Project Information, web. <http://pmbook.ce.cmu.edu/14_Organization_and_Use_of_Project_Information.html>

Wikipedia, computer-aided design,web.

 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design>

Comment to others

Voznyak: In the beginning, you discussed the functions of database and the 

concept of DBMS. And you introduced 4 main types of DBMS. For these contents, I am not quite understand. Could you please give more specific supplements to explain Hierarchical, Network, Relational, and Object Oriented? But you really did sufficient statement on SQL. A table about comic book characters let me know how the SQL looks like. Nice job!!

Young Kwang Lee: you gave three main theories about DML, DDL and DCL. They are the major components of SQL. It’s a good idea for you to separately introduce the function how they operates in the database. I totally agree what you thought in the article. The database is everywhere, but only a few people know what it is. I also really want to know about SQL that will be helpful to my major.

Angie Castro: you talked about three types of databases like cost databases, material databases, or structural databases. I have a same idea about that the database fortify the efficiency of construction firms and make the design process quicker and simpler especially in terms of cost estimation and material aspects. You’d better give more supplements to the material or structure databases.