CONSTRUCTING AN INTEGRATED CLIENT/SERVER FRAMEWORK FOR OPERATIVE CHECKING OF BUILDING CODE

ABSTRACT: The paper presents results from a number of investigations into the problem of the using an integrated client/server framework for an automated code-checking system. The changing nature and the complexity of building codes leads to delays in the design and the construction processes. The designer must assess which codes are applicable to a given project. Inspectors must go through a similar process and there can be inconsistencies in interpretation of a given section of the code between different inspectors. After that, he must check the codes for potential ambiguities in the code provisions. The process of design checking and approval can prolong the construction and delay the operation of a facility. Automating this process can alleviate the inconsistencies and delays with manual checking. Most previous studies on the process of checking of building codes have focused on the processing of design codes for conformance checking. The present article proposes to add additional criteria to a building model. On that basis are summarized representations of code provisions. The structure and attributes of a product model and building code model needed to provide design information are examined by a code-checking program. This program can read the design data and reorganize the information in a form that can be analyzed and compared to the model of the building code