Applying Handheld Computers in the Construction Industry

Abstract

Handheld computers are becoming more powerful and their application to construction projects is becoming increasingly feasible. Wireless connectivity allows handheld computers to access the Internet for Web-browsing and data transfer. Potential construction handheld computer applications include data collection, electronic books and reference materials, access to computer-aided design drawings, estimating, and scheduling applications. Mobile construction applications can be differentiated into two categories. They are general applications that can be used on many projects, and project-specific applications that must be tailored to a specific project. The capabilities of the two most popular handheld devices, the Palm and Pocket PC devices, are discussed and compared. The potential and costs of using handheld devices for Web access are discussed. A prototype Palm Web-clipping application is described. The capabilities of commercially available software packages and several prototype construction applications are discussed.