Construction Management with AutoCAD

Abstract

The advent of powerful microcomputers, the advances in computer hardware and computer‐aided design (CAD) software, and their low costs have led to increased use of microbased CAD by construction management or general contracting firms (CM/GC). With project management requirements increasing, competition increasing, and project constraints becoming tighter, CAD technology must be used to provide increased efficiency, productivity, and quality of construction and construction management required for success in the field. Dynamic utilization of CAD in areas such as marketing, design, estimating, and scheduling can provide the competitive advantage needed to remain profitable in today's marketplace. Large and small companies can afford these powerful systems; valuable tools to aid in the management of construction activities and the control of a project's time and budget. Successful addition of CAD to current company operations can be realized only when management fully commits to the long‐term process and provides the environment for CAD utilization growth. In addition, sound management decisions need to be exercised in order to maximize the gains through the selection of the proper system and training.