1 Using Product Data Management Systems for Civil Engineering Projects – Potentials and Obstacles

Product data management (PDM) systems are well established in the mechanical en-gineering industry. Here, they form the standard solution for the central storage of all data concerning a product and the processes involved in its fabrication. Especially the consistent management of CAD models including sophisticated versioning techniques and access rights management as well as the integrated workflow management are attractive features for using PDM systems also for civil engineering projects. The paper investigates the technical concepts behind PDM systems and discusses in detail the potentials and obstacles for using them in civil engineering projects.