OO information model for construction project management

Recently, the writers developed a general and powerful mathematical model for scheduling construction projects. An optimization formulation was presented with the goal of minimizing the direct construction cost. The nonlinear optimization problem was solved by the recently patented neural dynamics model of Adeli and Park. In this paper an object-oriented (OO) information model is presented for construction scheduling, cost optimization, and change order management (CONSCOM) based on the new construction scheduling model. The goal is to lay the foundation for a new generation of flexible, powerful, maintainable, and reusable software system for the solution of construction scheduling problems. The model is presented as a domain-specific development framework using the Microsoft Foundation Class library and utilizing the software reuse feature of the framework. The framework reuse architecture is more flexible and powerful than other reuse techniques such as components and patterns. A companion paper presents the implementation of the OO information model in a prototype software system for management of construction projects, called CONSCOM.