An eDocument approach for improving communication in AEC projects

Globalization and international competition force the AEC industry to change its work and collaboration practices. The traditional way of working is evolving into a more integrated process, and the traditional use of “synchronized passive” files and paper-based communication is being replaced with ICT based solutions. Currently, the AEC community is at an intermediate stage, i.e., it is shifting to “online” electronic documents. In this paper, a new concept called “eDocument” (eDoc) is introduced. The eDoc project is a cooperative effort of three research teams, in order to develop and implement a generic dynamically structured, multi-media, multi-channel, and multi-modal information system as a means for communication in AEC projects. The major innovation in the concept is that, although it uses a repository, the focus is on the “logical and physical” specifications of the eDoc concept as a shared tele-workspace that is accessible through multiple platforms.