Use of Design Automation Software by Government-Contracted Architect/EngineerFirms: A Status Report

摘要

Most Architecture and Engineering (A/E) design firms and Corps of EngineersDistrict offices have found that computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) has a great potential for improving productivity, profitability, communication, and design quality. Yet, clients' demand for design and construction information created with CADD and delivered in a variety of specified computer formats can hinder scheduling, quality control, and profitability of A/E firms. This phase of research collected information on the status and use of CADD by A/E firms to identify trends in hardware, software, CADD staffing and compensation, and trends in how design firms that use CADD have accepted this form of automation. Secondary objectives were to determine how CADD has improved design firm productivity, design quality, documentation, and profitability, and to note any outstanding problems associated with the use of CADD in the design process. The second phase will review and analyze reports from the Army's Automated Review Management System (ARMS) and the Construction Evaluation Retrieval System (CERS) to determine how automation has affected Corps review procedures, and to locate and classify repetitive data that may be streamlined in future design and construction projects. Architectural and engineering firms, Government-contracted firms, CADD, Design automation.