Construction Scheduling and Progress Control Using

Geographical Information Systems

Stephen E. Poku1 and David Arditi, M.ASCE2

Abstract: Traditional scheduling and progress control techniques such as bar charts and the critical path method 共CPM兲 fail to provide
information pertaining to the spatial aspects of a construction project. A system called PMS-GIS 共Progress Monitoring System with
Geographical Information Systems兲 was developed to represent construction progress not only in terms of a CPM schedule but also in
terms of a graphical representation of the construction that is synchronized with the work schedule. In PMS-GIS, the architectural design
is executed using a computer-aided drafting 共CAD兲 program 共AutoCAD兲, the work schedule is generated using a project management
software 共P3兲, the design and schedule information 共including percent complete information兲 are plugged into a GIS package
共ArcViewGIS兲, and for every update, the system produces a CPM-generated bar chart alongside a 3D rendering of the project marked for
progress. The GIS-based system developed in this study helps to effectively communicate the schedule/progress information to the parties
involved in the project, because they will be able to see in detail the spatial aspects of the project alongside the schedule.
DOI: 10.1061/共ASCE兲0887-3801共2006兲20:5共351兲
CE Database subject headings: Scheduling; Geographic information systems; Project management; Computer aided drafting 共CAD兲;
Construction management; Information systems.

Introduction
Growing pressure to shorten project delivery times, new procure-
ment practices, and the increasing complexity of today’s construc-
tion projects have resulted in an increase in the number of
commercially available computerized planning and scheduling
tools 共Retik 1997兲. But the construction industry has acknowl-
edged that its current scheduling and progress reporting practices
are in need of substantial improvements in quality and efficiency
共Retik 1997兲. Visualization was recognized as one of the most
important tools for achieving this goal 共Research 1997兲.
Research efforts to incorporate visualization into project
scheduling and progress control have been motivated by the fail-
ure of traditional techniques such as bar charts and the critical
path method 共CPM兲 to provide information pertaining to the spa-
tial aspects of a construction project 共Koo and Fischer 2000兲.
Retik 共1997兲 notes that visual simulation of a construction process
might assist a planner in a better perception of a project as well as
in the integration of other parties’ activities in the planning pro-
cess. Furthermore, in large-scale projects, a visual representation
1
Graduate Student, Illinois Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and
Architectural Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management
Program, 3201 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60616-3793. E-mail:
pokuste@iit.edu
2
Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Archi-
tectural Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management Pro-
gram, 3201 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60616-3793. E-mail:
arditi@iit.edu
Note. Discussion open until February 1, 2007. Separate discussions
must be submitted for individual papers. To extend the closing date by
one month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Managing
Editor. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and pos-
sible publication on December 13, 2004; approved on February 13, 2006.
This paper is part of the Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering,
Vol. 20, No. 5, September 1, 2006. ©ASCE, ISSN 0887-3801/2006/5-
351–360/$25.00.
of the schedule can be extended to monitoring not only the con-
struction process itself, but also all the auxiliary activities, includ-
ing onsite plant and equipment 共Adjei-Kumi et al. 1996兲. In
addition, the practical and educational benefits of being able to
visualize construction at a fine level of detail are significant
共Kamat and Martinez 2002兲.
Several research efforts in construction visualization have
been conducted relative to scheduling. They involve linking
activity-based construction schedules and 3D computer-aided
drafting 共CAD兲 models of facilities to describe discretely evolv-
ing construction product visualization, called 4D CAD 共Kamat
and Martinez 2002兲. Research work has suggested that the project
managers that use 4D simulation are more likely to allocate re-
sources more effectively than those who do not 共Fischer 2000兲.
The use of 4D planning also assists the planner in avoiding sched-
uling conflicts, analyzing constraints, and evaluating alternative
construction methods 共Vaugn 1996兲. Given the prototypes pre-
sented in the literature, the closest tool that shows a CPM-
generated bar-chart in synchrony with actual progress is the
system generated by Abeid et al. 共Abeid and Arditi 2002a,b, 2003;
Abeid et al. 2003兲, which displays a time-lapse movie of the
construction site alongside a CPM-generated bar-chart.
Visualizing construction progress in three dimensions along-
side a CPM-generated bar-chart provides the construction project
manager with a more intuitive view of the construction sequence.
Three-dimensional visualization allows the construction manager
to view the construction activities during any stage of the con-
struction process. The objective of this research was to demon-
strate that geographical information systems 共GIS兲 can be utilized
for construction progress visualization in three dimensions along-
side a synchronized CPM-generated work schedule.
4D CAD Applications
Computer-aided drafting 共CAD兲 is widely used during the engi-
neering design stage of construction projects. CAD generally con-

JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 / 351

tains a wealth of information about the facility to be constructed;
this information can be effectively used for construction decision
making. Construction planners typically rely on CAD to develop
CPM-based systems to schedule and coordinate the work of mul-
tiple disciplines on a project. Traditional design and construction
planning tools, such as 2D drawings and CPM diagrams, do not
support the timely and integrated decision making necessary to
move projects forward quickly. They do not provide the informa-
tion modeling, visualization, and analysis environment necessary
to support the rapid and integrated design and construction of
facilities. Synthesis of construction schedules from design de-
scriptions and integrated evaluation of design and schedule alter-
natives are still mainly manual tasks. Furthermore, the underlying
representations of a design and a construction schedule are too
abstract to allow the multiple stakeholders to visualize and under-
stand the cross-disciplinary impacts of design and construction
decisions.
4D CAD is a concept that combines an object-oriented 3D
CAD model with time. 4D CAD is a kind of information visual-
ization that is easier to understand than traditional methods, such
as the 2D drawings and time schedules that are used to manage
construction projects. 4D CAD is a logical way of imagining a
construction. The utilization of 4D visualization allows a more
intuitive comprehension of the construction process than tradi-
tional 2D drawings and schedule information 共Bergsten 2001兲.
A number of 4D CAD applications have been developed since
1987 for use in the construction industry 共Fischer and Kam 2001兲.
Barrett 共2000兲 perceived this technological development as hav-
ing the potential to provide an improved relationship between
construction designers and constructors. Also, 4D CAD was seen
as a natural progression to 3D CAD models, as it adds a further
dimension 共Phair 2000兲. It provides the ability to represent con-
struction plans in three dimensions while adding the temporal
dimension to schedules. It can even be used as a training tool for
inexperienced planners 共Heesom and Mahdjoubi 2004兲.
Heesom and Mahdjoubi 共2004兲 evaluated the characteristics of
six commercially available 4D CAD packages. The following
examples include the six systems reported by Heesom and
Mahdjoubi 共2004兲 as well as other systems reported in the litera-
ture. A system developed by Koo and Fischer 共2000兲 was used on
a commercial construction project that involved three identical
two-story office buildings; Koo and Fischer 共2000兲 were able to
detect problems by analyzing the 4D model of the first building
that was completed and provide recommendations to improve
constructability for the two remaining buildings. Another example
is the Bentley Schedule Simulator developed by Jacobus Technol-
ogy. This system dynamically links 3D design data imported from
various CAD-based design packages and schedule data obtained
from either Primavera Project Planner or MS Project 关reported by
Heesom and Mahdjoubi 共2004兲兴. The SmartPlant Review devel-
oped by Telegraph links information from a project schedule to
objects in a CAD display 关reported by Heesom and Mahdjoubi
共2004兲兴.
Balfour Technologies’ FourDviz technology involves virtual
reality objects that are generated to create the visual scene; tem-
poral characteristics are attributed to these objects by external
programs that perform CPM analysis, but there are no dynamic
links between the CPM-based package and the visualization
关Sheppard 共2004兲, also reported by Heesom and Mahdjoubi
共2004兲兴. Visual Project Scheduler 共VPS兲 imports 3D DXF files
into a common database, creates objects, creates schedule and
cost models, and associates the objects with the schedule through
different color schemes 关Sheppard 共2004兲, also reported by
352 / JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
Heesom and Mahdjoubi 共2004兲兴. Common Point 4D 共CP4D兲 is a
tool that emerged from research activities undertaken at the Cen-
ter for Integrated Facility Engineering 共CIFE兲 at Stanford Univer-
sity. This tool uses 3D Industry Foundation Classes 共IFC兲
compliant models that can be generated by using AutoCAD dwg
or DXF formats. Schedule information is read from Primavera
Project Planner 共P3兲 or MS Project file formats. The linking of
products to processes is undertaken manually. Objects can be
manually grouped together and attached to one or multiple tasks.
Annotations can be added to each 4D product group to provide an
explanation of the 3D objects during the simulation. CP4D was
used successfully in two major commercial applications, a hospi-
tal expansion project and a large amusement park construction
共Fischer 2003兲. Kamat and Martinez’s 共2002兲 4D CAD system
provides a visualization of the interaction between the continu-
ously evolving construction and the involved resources, such as
machines, labor groups, and material. Retik and Shapira 共1999兲
developed a system for virtual planning and monitoring of the
construction process, including the building, cranes, other equip-
ment, and temporary structures.
4D CAD models have their limitations 共Heesom and
Mahdjoubi 2004兲. For example, the few 4D-modeling tools that
allow a user to link a 3D model with a construction schedule to
visualize construction over time on a computer screen are based
on object-oriented concepts and can be queried by the user about
their content and relationships. But the resulting 4D model is
purely a visualization tool, rather than a tool that can be used for
analytical purposes 共Heesom and Mahdjoubi 2004兲. The use of
4D CAD models has been primarily for planning, design phase
analysis, and postmortem or appraisal types of analysis, with only
a few that have been used for construction phase decision making
and administration 共Martinez and Halpin 1999兲. Most of these
tools have an ad-hoc modeling approach that makes updating and
maintaining these systems cumbersome by anybody but the origi-
nal creator 共“4D Modeling” 2004兲. Furthermore, 4D CAD models
have a single level of detail, which hinders the collaboration of
general contractors and subcontractors, because they work to-
wards the same goal, but at different levels of detail. Also, most
4D CAD applications do not support computer-based analyses
of cost, safety, and other performance metrics 共Heesom and
Mahdjoubi 2004兲. Finally, some of the 4D CAD models are avail-
able only for single-user desktop environments, whereas many
project participants need to participate in building and critiquing a
4D model.
Geographical Information Systems
Geographic information science is the discipline that tries to un-
derstand the world by describing and explaining human relation-
ships with the Earth. Geographic information science goes
beyond description; it also includes analysis, modeling, and pre-
diction 共Huxhold 1991兲. According to the Environmental Systems
Research Institute 共Introduction 1995兲, a GIS is defined as “an
organized collection of computer hardware, application software,
geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture,
store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geo-
graphic referenced information.” Estes defines a GIS as “an in-
formation system that is designed to work with data referenced by
spatial or geographic coordinates” 共Huxhold 1991兲. Thus, a GIS
is both a database system with specific capabilities for spatially
referenced data, as well as a set of operations for working with
the data.

Fig. 1. Data relationships in GIS
GIS makes use of two types of databases. One is an attribute
table including geographic data that is contained in a shape file.
The shape file constructs maps with lines, points, polygons, and
elevations in a view 共Fig. 1兲. These are known as features. Point
features such as an elevation benchmark have only one location.
Line features have several locations strung out along the line in
sequence, an example being a river. Area features consist of one
or more lines that form a loop, such as the shoreline of a lake. All
these features represented in a view are known as a theme.
The other type of database file may be numeric, string, or date
information. This is imported from data sources and/or made in
the GIS application. Usually it is linked with the former file so
that the data will be shown in the view 共Fig. 1兲. Thus, GIS can use
information from many different sources, in many different
forms, and can link data sets together by common location data.
GIS can also make it possible to link information that is difficult
to associate through other means.
In recent years, three-dimensional GIS display and analysis
tools have become more widely accessible to mainstream practi-
tioners. These 3D GIS tools allow users to generate fly-through of
high-resolution scenes for presentations and collaborative work.
In addition, 3D GIS enables users to visualize the results of volu-
metric analyses in great detail.
GIS Applications in Construction
GIS applications have proliferated in the construction industry in
recent years. This fact is illustrated by the growing number of
articles finding their way into civil engineering and construction
journals and conference proceedings, in addition to the handful of
special publications devoted to GIS 共Oloufa et al. 1994兲.
GIS was used by Oloufa et al. 共1994兲 to create a database for
storage of descriptive soil data pertaining to boreholes and linked
the descriptive data to the corresponding geographic locations of
the boreholes. Cheng and O’Connor 共1996兲 developed an auto-
mated site layout system called ArcSite that assists designers in
identifying suitable areas to locate temporary facilities, whereas
Cheng and Yang’s 共2001兲 site layout system, called MaterialPlan,
assisted construction managers in identifying suitable areas in a
construction site to locate materials. Cheng and Chen 共2000兲
developed an automated schedule monitoring system called
ArcShed for precast building construction that integrated bar-
codes and GIS for monitoring construction progress on a real-
JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 / 353
time basis. The system developed by Integral GIS Inc. 共1997兲
used GIS for logistics planning during the construction of the
New Pacific Northeast Baseball Park in Seattle. The objective of
Wright et al.’s 共1993兲 GIS-based system was the efficient plan-
ning of road network maintenance routes and snow and ice
control routes for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Udo-Inyang and Uzoije 共1997兲 developed a GIS-based highway
construction, inspection, and management system to provide con-
struction personnel with easy access to construction data and in-
formation with graphical enhancement.
The collection and management of various types of informa-
tion efficiently and on demand is seen as the key to successful
management of construction projects. GIS has helped in the com-
munication of information, particularly because the information is
always referenced to a geographical location such as a location on
a construction site or along a highway network.
Progress Monitoring System with GIS „PMS-GIS…
The intent of the study presented in this paper is to demonstrate
the benefits of using GIS in construction project management,
which is a field of study not ordinarily associated with GIS. In
this study, a system called PMS-GIS 共Progress Monitoring Sys-
tem with GIS兲 is developed using ArcViewGIS, Primavera Project
Planner 共P3兲, and AutoCAD to assist construction managers in
controlling and monitoring construction progress. Successful
project control is a challenging responsibility for all construction
managers. Visualization of information is an important benefit of
PMS-GIS.
The objective of this study is to display the progress and se-
quence of the construction work in CAD format with different
colors and labels and in three dimensions while synchronizing
this information with a formal CPM work schedule. This form of
presentation is expected to help all parties involved in a construc-
tion project to visualize the progress in a natural way, hence mini-
mizing delays and cost overruns. In addition to monitoring the
schedule, the system can also be extended to monitor quantities of
materials, costs, and resources.
Fig. 2 shows the information flow among the various applica-
tions in the system. It also shows the procedure that needs to be
followed in using the system. A typical single-family house con-
struction is selected as a case study. The steps that were per-
formed to generate PMS-GIS progress reports are described in the
following sections.
Step 1: Creating Architectural Design
The design of the single-family house was created using
AutoCAD, a widely used software package in architectural design
practice. Fig. 3 shows the floor plan and front elevation of the
house used in the case study.
Step 2: Creating Work Breakdown Structure
Fig. 4 shows the four parts of the project. This was done to make
project control effective and manageable. The first part involves
groundwork, i.e., activities related to trench excavation, founda-
tion concrete, foundation walls, backfilling, compaction of soil
and gravel, and concrete floor slab. The second part involves the
superstructure, i.e., activities related to exterior walls, interior par-
tition walls, doors and windows, floor finishes, plumbing, and
kitchen appliances. Part three involves activities pertaining to roof
 Fig. 4. Work breakdown structure

Step 3: Initiating Scheduling Process

Primavera Project Planner 共P3兲 was used as the scheduling tool.
The project was scheduled based on the activities identified in the
work breakdown structure described in Step 2. P3 was used to
schedule the project, showing the start and completion dates, lo-
cating the critical path共s兲 and float times of activities, and also
showing the sequence and interrelationships between the activi-
ties. Fig. 6 shows the bar-chart schedule generated by P3 for the
house whose floor plan and elevation are presented in Fig. 3.

Table 1. Activity Information in House Project

Duration
Fig. 2. Design and information flow chart Activity Activity description 共days兲 Work packages
SM 20 Foundation trench excavation 5
SM 30 Foundation formwork 3
construction, and part four involves electrical, plumbing, and SM 40 Foundation reinforcement 2
HVAC. Each of these parts is monitored as a different view in SM 50 Foundation footing concrete 3
ArcViewGIS. SM 60 Foundation wall concrete 5
The design created in AutoCAD was used as a basis for defin- SM 90 Backfilling and compaction 4
ing the various activities that make up the project, such as exca- SM 110 Floor slab concrete 3
vation, exterior walls, and roof assembly. A list of the activities in SM 130 Exterior walls 20 SM 130⫻ 01
the house project is presented in Table 1. Activities were then SM 130⫻ 02
broken down into smaller work packages. Each work package has
SM 130⫻ 03
a different location. For example, the activity “Exterior Walls”
SM 130⫻ 04
was divided into work packages, such as the ones specified in Fig.
SM 130⫻ 05
5 and Table 1.
SM 130⫻ 06
SM 140 Interior walls 15
SM 150 Exterior brick wall 10
SM 170 Roof construction 10
SM 180 Install ceiling 10
SM 190 Install electrical conduits 7
SM 200 Install ventilation ducts 10
SM 210 Install plumbing pipes 7
SM 220 Install doors and windows 10
SM 230 Painting 10
SM 240 Floor finishes 10
SM 250 Electrical fixtures 8
SM 270 Kitchen furniture and appliances 5
SM 280 Landscape 10
Fig. 3. Floor plan and front elevation of single family house project SM 300 Touch up and clean 10

354 / JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

 Fig. 5. Various work packages in exterior walls

Step 4: Transferring Drawings into ArcViewGIS
After creating the design in AutoCAD, the DXF files were trans-
ferred to ArcViewGIS. The topologic data structure of the basic
design layers was created as “themes” based on the work pack-
ages identified in the AutoCAD drawings.
Step 5: Creating “Merged Themes” for Activities
The themes 共polygons, lines, or points兲 created for the work pack-
ages were merged together into activities defined earlier in the P3
schedule. Thus, the work packages that belong to the same activ-
ity but are located at different positions were joined together as

Fig. 6. CPM-generated bar chart schedule of house project

JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 / 355

 Fig. 7. Typical database features
one “merged theme.” For example, the work packages denoting
the various parts of the exterior wall in Fig. 5 were merged into
one merged theme called the “Exterior Walls” activity.
Step 6: Creating Database
The attributes needed for each layer were created in a database.
The database includes at a minimum information about identifi-
cation, quantity, and percentage complete for each work package.
In addition, the database may include information such as activity
costs, dimensions, types of material, etc. It is possible to prepare
all this information as an independent database and later import it
to ArcViewGIS. Fig. 7 shows the typical database features.
Step 7: Adjusting Database to Include Activity
Information
The percent complete information on the work packages are en-
tered into the database by the user in Step 5. This information is
used in Step 7 to calculate the percent complete for each activity,
which is obtained by calculating the weighted average of the per-
cent complete of the work packages. The weighted average is
calculated as follows:
356 / JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
n
兺
j=1
PCij ⫻ Qij
PCi = n
兺
j=1
Qij
where PCi = percent complete for activity 共i兲; PCij = percent com-
plete for work package 共j兲 of activity 共i兲; Qij = quantity associated
with work package 共j兲 of activity 共i兲; and n = number of work
packages in activity 共i兲.
The percent complete information for each work package was
manually input into the database. But the percent complete infor-
mation for each activity is calculated by PCS-GIS automatically.
Step 8: Importing “Activity Percent Complete”
Information from ArcViewGIS to P3 and Creating
Updates of P3 Schedule
The percent complete information calculated in Step 7 was manu-
ally transferred to P3 every time a progress evaluation was made
共e.g., every month兲. P3 was run to generate the updated schedule
network. The updated schedule shows the progress for all the
 Fig. 8. 3D view of superstructure section of project with as-planned CPM-generated schedule
activities as of the new date of the update 共e.g., at the end of every
month兲 and the percent complete information. The format is the
same as in Fig. 6.
Step 9: Creating 3D View of Project in ArcViewGIS
The project’s 3D view was created in ArcViewGIS. The activity
themes created in Step 5 were converted into 3D themes in
ArcViewGIS. The new themes are shown in the 3D view created.
Mathematical expressions are set in the 3D theme properties dia-
log box to monitor progress.
Step 10: Showing Synchronized Progress in 3D
Drawings and P3 Network Schedule
The progress of work was shown in graphical format and in dif-
ferent colors. The amount of work done on the various work
packages could be seen in the 3D view. The project was updated
as progress information became available 共e.g., monthly兲 and the
corresponding P3 schedule was sent to ArcViewGIS. This was
done through the hotlink window in ArcViewGIS.
The example project described hereafter was run using this
system. Fig. 8 shows the final 3D view of the superstructure sec-
tion along with the as-planned schedule, and Figs. 9 and 10 show
progress at the end of the second and third months for the “Ex-
JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 / 357
terior Walls” activity. Progress information can be viewed for an
individual activity as well as for a number of selected activities
共or all activities兲 at the same time.
Benefits and Limitations of System
Traditionally, the CPM schedule does not provide any informa-
tion pertaining to the spatial aspects or context and complexities
of the various components of a construction project. Therefore, to
interpret progress information, users normally look at 2D draw-
ings and conceptually associate components with related
activities. Different project members may develop inconsistent
interpretations of the schedule when viewing only the CPM
schedule. This causes confusion on many occasions and usually
makes effective communication among project participants diffi-
cult. PMS-GIS allows project planners and managers to see in
detail the spatial characteristics of the project by showing on the
same screen a bar-chart schedule and a 3D rendering of the
project marked for progress. With PMS-GIS, all project members
should be able to visually observe the progress, which will help in
effective communication of the schedule. The system is run peri-
odically 共e.g., every month兲 over the duration of the project.
When the limitations of the 4D CAD models briefly described
 Fig. 9. 3D view of superstructure section 共progress in “Exterior walls” activity, second month兲 with CPM-generated updated schedule
earlier are considered, it is observed that PMS-GIS compares fa-
vorably to most of them. For example, while most 4D models are
designed purely as a visualization tool primarily used for plan-
ning, design phase analysis, and post mortem analysis, PMS-GIS
is designed for decision making in the construction phase.
Progress in the project, in individual activities, and in smaller
work packages can be clearly observed during construction by
means of a CPM-derived bar-chart and a 3D model of the struc-
ture. Decisions are made based on this visual picture in order to
keep the project on schedule. The system can of course be used
for planning, design phase analysis, and post mortem analysis too.
While the updating and maintaining of most 4D systems are
cumbersome 共typically done by the developer兲, PMS-GIS can be
handled by the user as long as the user is familiar with
ArcViewGIS. The current version of PMS-GIS requires that some
updating tasks, such as transferring information from P3 and
AutoCAD to ArcViewGIS, be performed manually. However, it
should be possible for P3, AutoCAD, and ArcViewGIS to com-
municate automatically with each other seamlessly, and work is
underway to automate this process. But the user will have to
generate the drawings in AutoCAD, define the work breakdown
structure in terms of activities and smaller work packages, and
populate the database with information 共e.g., percent complete,
number and extent of accidents, cost, resources used, etc.兲.
While most 4D CAD models have a single level of detail,
PMS-GIS can be formulated to offer different levels of detail for
358 / JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
use by different parties; for example, it is possible for a masonry
subcontractor to view not only the progress of the project in its
entirety, but also the progress of only masonry walls. In other
words, each party can view the progress of the entire project or, if
they so desire, only in the portions associated with their own
activities. Furthermore, information stored in P3 may indicate that
the construction of the exterior walls is 50% complete, while in
reality, not all the walls at different locations are 50% done. PMS-
GIS is able to show the amount of work done on each portion of
the “Exterior Walls” activity 共e.g., Figs. 9 and 10兲. The project
manager will be able to see whether work has started on an indi-
vidual wall portion and the amount of work done on it.
While most 4D CAD applications do not support analyses of
cost, safety, and other relevant information, PMS-GIS has the
capability of storing in different databases all sorts of information
共e.g., percent complete, cost, safety, materials, labor resources,
equipment, etc.兲 associated with the work packages identified in
the model. This information can be analyzed by making use of the
capabilities of the database system and can yield performance
metrics that can be used in decision making during construction.
Only one database was developed in the first version of PMS-
GIS, it includes percent complete information. The addition of
other databases could enlarge the scope of the system and en-
hance its benefits.
Finally, while some of the 4D CAD models are available only
for single-user desktop environments, PMS-GIS can be developed
 Fig. 10. 3D view of superstructure section 共progress in “Exterior Walls” activity, third month兲 with CPM-generated updated schedule
into a web-based multiuser system. Indeed, many project partici-
pants need to use a 4D model. While the first version of PMS-GIS
was not developed for a multiuser environment, it should be pos-
sible to expand it.
Conclusion
This research discussed the development of PMS-GIS as a tool
for visualizing construction progress in three dimensions, side by
side with a CPM-generated work schedule. In comparison with
current methods, PMS-GIS has created a new way of representing
construction progress in graphical terms using GIS, CAD, and
project management software.
It has become apparent that construction organizations wel-
come any support that will help in the planning, scheduling, and
overall management of construction projects. Yet CPM schedules
do not effectively convey thought processes and the assumptions
made in generating them. Users must conceptualize the associa-
tion between components and related activities to understand the
construction process 共Fischer 2000兲. The model presented in this
study reduces the need for this conceptualization, as it also con-
veys the spatial aspects of the planning information. Thus, it has
integrated the locational and thematic information into a single
environment, by showing what physical components are built
where and in which time frame.
PMS-GIS compares favorably to other systems developed so
far and helps to effectively communicate the schedule/progress
information to all the parties involved in the project. PMS-GIS
has several advantages: 共1兲 it can be used by anyone who is
familiar with ArcViewGIS; 共2兲 it is a management tool that can be
JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 / 359
used in all phases of the construction process, including planning,
design, post mortem, and most importantly day-to-day decision
making during construction; 共3兲 it can provide specific and local-
ized information about equipment, labor, cost, accidents, etc., that
is necessary to run an efficient construction project; and 共4兲 it
allows different parties involved in the project to view not only
the general picture but also the portion of the project directly
related to them in great detail.
Because of the limitations of the first version of PMS-GIS, the
interfaces between ArcViewGIS, AutoCad, and P3 need to be
done manually, only one database is available and that is the one
that is essential to the operation of the system 共i.e., percent com-
plete information兲, and the system is designed for use in single-
user desktop environments. The development of seamless
communication between the three programs is possible and is
currently being pursued. Additional databases for safety, costs,
resources, and any other information deemed necessary for the
efficient management of a project can be developed based on
demand. The development of a web-based multiuser application
is earmarked for future research.
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