Archived News | Return to News Center

Sept. 20, 2002

ULM's School Of Construction To Present "New Tools And Techniques For Construction In The 21st Century

Dr. Benedict R. Schwegler, Jr., Vice President and Chief Scientist at Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development will be at The University of Louisiana Monroe to present his talk: "New Tools and Techniques for Construction in the 21st Century". The event will be held Monday, September 30, 2002 in ULM's Construction Auditorium from 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited.

In his lecture, Dr. Schwegler will discuss new information technology tools that will enable three crucial new capabilities for the construction industry. Taken together, they have the potential to create the profound changes seen in the automotive and aerospace industries.

This presentation will explore some of the near and long term information technology challenges facing the construction industry, and suggest how new information technology tools will enable three crucial new capabilities with the potential to create the profound changes seen in these other industries. First, new tools like 4D have grown out of the tradition of engineering CAD design. These new tools allow simulations of construction processes as well as visual simulations of the individual components. Second, transaction performance measurements which were up to now too expensive and time consuming to perform will be commonplace and virtually free. Third, improved data sharing with flexible product model schemas will permit the development of new contracting relationships, more geographically dispersed teams, and more tightly integrated supply chain performance.

Information technology has been on a long slow path of implementation in the construction industry. In spite of the successes in this regard: the use of CAD, e-mail, the world wide web, and a wide variety of personal computing software together with the growth of e-commerce services and data and document exchange standards, the AEC industry has been remarkably resistant to the cataclysmic business changes of consolidation, productivity improvement and globalization which have overtaken the automotive, aerospace and discreet manufacturing industries.

Dr. Schwegler holds a doctorate from the University of California Los Angeles. He has been involved in nearly all of Walt Disney Imagineering's construction projects over the past 19 years. He was the creator of and currently manages the 4D Simulation-based Design Team used by WDI to improve its ability to simulate, predict and manage the project delivery process. Dr. Schwegler was the recipient of the 2002 Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research from the Civil Engineering Research Foundation of the American Society of Civil Engineers and is also a member of the Civil Engineering Foundation's Corporate Advisory Board.

This lecture is part of a presentation by the Contractor's Educational Trust Fund's Special Seminar Series. These lectures are held at participation schools. Dr. Schwegler's lecture marks the first time for the series to be held at ULM.

ULM's School of Construction encourages and expects student participation from ULM and other area universities.

For more information: Contact Keith Parker, 318-342-1860.

Find this and other ULM News at www.ulm.edu.

PLEASE NOTE: Some links and e-mail addresses in these archived news stories may no longer work, and some content may include events which are no longer relevent, or reference individuals and/or organizations no longer associated with ULM.