Abstract: A method for monitoring construction progress may include storing in memory multiple unordered images obtained from photographs taken at a site; melding the multiple images to reconstruct a dense three-dimensional (3D) as-built point cloud model including merged pixels from the multiple images in 3D space of the site; rectifying and transforming the 3D as-built model to a site coordinate system existing within a 3D as-planned building information model (“as-planned model”); and overlaying the 3D as-built model with the 3D as-planned model for joint visualization thereof to display progress towards completion of a structure shown in the 3D as-planned model. The processor may further link a project schedule to the 3D as-planned model to generate a 4D chronological as-planned model that, when visualized with the 3D as-built point cloud, provides clash detection and schedule quality control during construction.

Abstract: A reliability buffering technique applies a reliability time buffer to a project planning model having activities. The reliability time buffer is placed before an associated downstream activity to provide a buffered downstream activity. The reliability buffer is provided having a time duration value and an activity time precedence relationship, including a lead or lag value, with at least one upstream activity. The time duration value and the activity time precedence relationship are generated so as to reduce the overall schedule delay resulting from possible time delays that occur in the one or more upstream activities and to increase the overall project schedule advance from possible schedule advances in the one or more upstream activities.

Abstract: A dynamic planning method (DPM) generates a DPM project planning model. The DPM project planning model provides an activity pre-structured process model for activities of a DPM project plan. The DPM project planning model also provides a relationship pre-structured model for activity time precedence relationships of the DPM project plan. The DPM project planning model is dynamically adjusted to generate a DPM project plan, whereby reliability buffers are associated with one or more activities of the plan. Time precedence relationships are associated with the reliability buffers and with the activities. A variety of DPM simulation outputs are also generated. The DPM simulation outputs provide a comparison of the DPM project plan with conventional project plans generated by conventional project planning models.

Abstract: A collaborative client-server system having performance reliability improvement (PRIM) includes collaboration techniques for sharing server data among two or more servers, each server coupled to one or more client computers. A communication link between a client computer and a server is handed off to another respective one of the two or more servers under a variety of conditions. Hand off conditions include, congestion of the server processing load, congestion of the communication link between the client computer and the server, and loss of data signal integrity between the client computer and the server.

Abstract: A collaboration system including a coordinated distributed design process and which allows individuals to hold interactions over a network and work together in a coordinated fashion on shared problems, wherein a controlling participant in control of the floor of a collaboration interaction and in control of certain aspects of the user interfaces of one or more collaboration participants is described. Furthermore, a user interface is described that can minimize confusion that can otherwise result from collaboration participants having user interfaces with different sizes and resolutions.