Developing Building Information Relational Database (BIRD) as A Knowledge-Management System Prototype for General Contractors

Abstract: The construction industry increasingly demands efficient, cost-effective, and customizable project delivery, yet existing digital integration through Building Information Modeling (BIM) encounters challenges, particularly in achieving seamless cross-department and multi-platform collaboration. Addressing these challenges, this research introduces a Building Information Relational Database (BIRD) aimed at enhancing data interoperability and supporting tailored project delivery for general contractors. Despite the advantages of BIM, general contractor and design-build firms face persistent communication and data-sharing gaps caused by fragmented workflows and limited practitioner input in technology development, which impedes innovation adoption. Current standards like CSI MasterFormat and UniFormat often fail to accommodate the comprehensive needs across a project’s lifecycle. Objectives of this study are to develop a BIRD prototype with knowledge management (KM) attributes—such as standardization, flexibility, traceability, and self-learning—while integrating practitioner-centered insights to guide development. Employing a practitioner-centered, qualitative approach, the research synthesizes industrial standards and project data to establish KM foundations, integrated with expert input through focus groups, and iteratively refines the BIRD prototype with real-world testing. Findings reveal an exemplary BIRD prototype that enhances data interoperability and cross-department collaboration, aligned with construction standards, and adaptable to various project demands. By embedding expert knowledge into system design, this study not only addresses platform discrepancies but also establishes a KM-driven development model, reducing adoption barriers and fostering a more user-centered approach to construction innovation, thereby contributing a flexible, practitioner-informed tool that is relevant for current and future industry applications.

Keywords: Practitioner-centered, knowledge-management system, building information modeling, construction management, general contractor

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005727

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