The construction site is in one location, the architect is in another, and solving problems that routinely arise often involves costly travel to bring the parties together. But researchers in Auburn University's Department of Building Science have determined that it is feasible to link the parties electronically and to manage the entire project digitally. The project involved construction of the Connecticut Children's Hospital in Hartford, Conn., Williams said.
Application sharing is another.
Digital photographs also can be transmitted over the telephone lines very easily. The contractor also made extensive use of moving images transmitted from the job site to the architect's office. The parties can look at the same image or spreadsheet at the same time, he said. Collaborative computing requires special hardware, software and a digital phone line. But Williams said the initial cost to establish the network is minimal when compared to the cost of travel and lost time to solve construction and other issues on large projects.