Who's Surfing? We're Working!

by James Denning, Assistant Editor; Civil Engineering, 345 E. 47th Street New York, NY 10017,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1997, Vol. 67, Issue 6, Pg. 40-43


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Now that the novelty has worn off, how are engineers using the Internet in their everyday work? Productively is the answer, as both firms and software developers make use of the Internet and intranets to speed design, manage projects and tie information together in a number of interesting ways. The key is the `nets' ability to transmit data across a variety of computer platforms and deliver that data immediately, in ways that make that data easily incorporated into other applications. At Black & Veatch, for example, this ability fits right in to a corporate culture that realized a while ago that 80% of engineering is about putting information together and only 20% relates to design. At MBK Construction, the Internet is helping the firm keep on top of dozens of tightly scheduled projects around the country for a demanding client. In Ames County, Iowa, CH2M Hill is using intranets, organization wide networks that use Internet technology, to tie maintenance, supply and physical plant information together in one comprehensive system. And software developers like AutoDesk and Intergraph using this nexus of connectivity and computation to turn plans from drawings into three-dimensional models of information.

Subject Headings: Internet | Three-dimensional models | Computer software | Computer models | Scheduling | Project management | Productivity

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