AT17882U1 - Arrangement and method for automatically generating a recommendation for a material order for a construction project - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement (10) and a method for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project comprises a processing server (11) with an input interface (12) for receiving digital planning data for the object of the construction project. To enable a continuous flow of information from planning to material ordering, the arrangement (10) comprises a processing server (11) with an input interface (12) for receiving digital plan data of the object of the construction project, the digital plan data containing at least information on functional elements, on installation locations, materials and locations. The processing server (11) assigns at least one of the functional elements to the material on which the functional element is to be installed. The arrangement (10) further comprises a product database (15) and a trading server (21), the processing server (11) having access to the product database (15) and based on the assignment of the material to the functional element based on the product database (15) the recommendation generated for the product to be ordered and the recommendation is transmitted from the processing server (11) to the trading server (21).

Description

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project.

STATE OF THE ART

Construction projects, e.g. B. those in building construction such as new buildings or complete renovations of buildings or parts of buildings are usually complex. On the one hand, this is due to the large number of components that have to be processed and installed in an essentially predetermined order, and on the other hand, due to the many parties involved, from the client to architects, engineers, planners and suppliers to the craftsmen. Communication and coordination between the individual parties is of great importance. For example, work on the object of the construction project can be significantly delayed due to incorrect or untimely delivered building elements, which leads to delayed construction completion and additional costs. In most cases, it is not possible to use the waiting time until the right components arrive for other purposes, because subsequent steps in the construction process depend on the processing or installation of the elements and because the staggering of the work by different service providers cannot be changed at short notice.

Accordingly, the comprehensive and correct preparation and planning of the work on the object and the related deliveries of building material are of great importance. Traditionally, the architect created (2-dimensional) building plans, possibly with the help of appropriate software applications. These construction plans formed the basis for the work on the object. Based on these plans, material lists were generated, among other things, and based on these material lists, orders were then placed with the relevant suppliers. The entire process was complex and error-prone.

[0004] Recently, integrated approaches have been used more and more frequently, for which the term Building Information Modeling (BIM) has prevailed. The object of the construction project is modeled digitally, whereby in addition to the three spatial dimensions, the timing, costs, energy use and operation (including maintenance and servicing) can also be modeled. On the one hand, this also enables a direct geometric visualization of the object, i. H. of the building. On the other hand, the updating and updating of information on the construction project (e.g. regarding components to be installed or installed on the object) is simplified. In principle, BIM enables the construction project to be mapped practically in real time. The BIM system can also continue to be used after the object has been completed, e.g. B. for the upkeep and maintenance of the structure (facility management) and also as part of the demolition.

It is also known to support the coordination of the upcoming work based on the BIM data or even to automate it to a large extent. Material lists can also be generated fully automatically from the BIM data, provided that the BIM data already contain sufficiently precise information on the products to be used, e.g. B. Brand and type of a component to be installed. Appropriate approaches are e.g. B. described in WO 2016/178453 A1 (Doalltech Co., Ltd.).

[0006] Approaches of this type reach their limits when the available BIM data, which represent the architect's plans, for example, do not include any specific products, but only specify functional elements. There is therefore a lack of information on the provider and type of a usable product. This is often the case, for example, in the area of electrical installations, where the architect's plan (possibly supplemented by the electrical planner) only indicates where lamp connection points, sockets, switches or other functional elements are to be placed. As a rule, no specific product is mentioned. This specification is usually made by a subordinate body, usually the electrician,

made when actually ordering the material. However, this procedure is not limited to the area of electrical installations; a similar process takes place - at least in part - in other areas, e.g. B. the sanitary, air conditioning, heating and ventilation technology or generally other building services areas.

[0007] Subsequent specification of the concrete products by a further instance causes additional work. Because this specification is largely "manual", i. H. by a specialist who, as before, selects suitable products on the basis of the architect's construction plans and the specified functional elements and generates a corresponding list of materials, the process is complex and prone to failure. In addition, there is no direct link between the material list and the BIM data, i. H. the list of materials corresponds to the construction project according to the planning status at the time the BIM data is processed. Updating the BIM data has no direct impact on the material list, and updating the material list based on updated BIM data is again time-consuming and again requires manual work steps.

Approaches for the automatic specification of information on electrical functional elements are known from another context: DE 197 45 385 A1 (Elektro Ebert) relates to a method for carrying out an electrical installation in a building by personnel who have not been technically trained. Based on a construction plan of the building, an implementation plan is created with the type and exact location of all installation points as well as with the course and length of all line sections. With the help of the execution plan, a parts list for the line sections and the components to be assembled at the installation points is then created, based on this a kit is then put together, which includes pre-assembled line sections with connectors and individually pre-assembled connector sockets. There is only one type of connector socket, which is provided with function modules as required. The cables and the connector sockets are installed as part of the raw installation, the function modules as part of the fine installation. Correspondingly, the elements of the kit are provided in different layers in a container.

This publication is intended to enable non-professionals to carry out electrical installations. Only one standardized product is used for each functional element in order to get directly from an execution plan with the specification of functional elements to the specific products to be installed. There is thus easily a one-to-one association between the functional element and the product to be provided, with the storage effort being additionally able to be minimized through the use of modular components. However, this approach severely limits the flexibility of those involved (owner, architect and craftsman). It is not possible to choose products that are optimally suited to the construction project, for example in terms of their level of quality or design. The approach also requires that the entire system is operated from a single source, by a single provider. It is also assumed that the functional elements are sufficiently specified in the execution plan so that the 1:1 assignment can be made and the corresponding product definitely meets the requirements for installation at the intended location.

[0010] Drawing programs are known from US 2003/200062 A1, in which physical objects can be represented in several phases by the same object. The phases can relate to the preliminary planning, the site analysis, the actual planning, the documentation of the construction process or the construction object and/or the building management. The object mentioned can change from a simple placeholder to a detailed digital twin in the various phases. The suitability of certain components can be checked against a database of component information.

[0011] US Pat. No. 5,189,606 relates to a system for submitting offers in construction projects, which is also intended to estimate the follow-up costs over the entire life cycle of a building. The system should be able to automatically calculate the costs for the various aspects of the construction process and generate detailed lists of materials, labor and equipment.

US 2005/131659 relates to modeling and management of 3D models of physical objects. The models are based on architectural, technical and structural information about the object as well as component models regarding geometry, positioning, lighting and acoustics.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to create an arrangement belonging to the technical field mentioned at the outset for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project, which, based on plan data for the object of the construction project with the specification of functional elements, enables usable products to be identified and has high flexibility.

The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention the arrangement comprises

a) a processing server with an input interface for receiving digital plan data of the object of the construction project, the digital plan data comprising at least the following:

- Information on functional elements to be installed as part of the construction project;

- Information on the installation locations at which the functional elements are to be installed on the property;

- Information on materials that are to be used for the building and/or room envelopes of the property;

- Information on the locations where the materials are to be used;

and for establishing an assignment of at least one of the functional elements to the material on which the functional element is to be installed, based on the installation locations of the functional elements and the locations of use of the materials;

b) a product database in which information about products is stored, the information including information about the suitability of the products as a functional element for an installation on a material;

c) a trade server having an exit interface for issuing a recommendation for a product to be ordered, the recommended product being a functional element suitable for installation on the associated material;

wherein the processing server has access to the product database and based on the assignment of the material to the functional element generates the recommendation for the product to be ordered based on the product database, and the generated recommendation is transmitted from the processing server to the trading server.

A corresponding method according to the invention for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project comprises the following steps:

a) Receiving digital plan data of the object of the construction project, the digital plan data comprising at least the following:

- Information on functional elements to be installed as part of the construction project;

- Information on the installation locations at which the functional elements are to be installed on the property;

- Information on materials that are to be used for the building and/or room envelopes of the property;

- Information on the locations where the materials are to be used;

b) based on the installation locations of the functional elements and the locations of use of the materials, assigning at least one of the functional elements to the material on which the functional element is to be installed;

c) based on a product database, based on the assignment of the material to the functional element, generating a recommendation for a product to be ordered, the recommended product being a functional element which is suitable for installation on the assigned material.

The invention can be applied to different construction projects in building construction, in which components are at least partially specified as functional elements in planning documents and in which at least some of these functional elements are represented by different products depending on a material of the room and/or building envelope. For example, different products may have to be used to provide a given functional element for installation or attachment in concrete, brick, plaster, wood or another material. The invention can be applied in particular to new building projects and to extensive renovation, conversion and extension projects for existing buildings.

The term server (processing server, trading server, etc.) designates a functional group of a data processing system. A "server" in the sense of the present documents can be realized by a data processing device or several data processing devices connected to one another; it is also possible to implement several servers through the same device, e.g. B. by virtualization or by providing individual software modules. In general, the task of a server in the sense of these documents can be performed by a corresponding software module with input and output interfaces.

[0018] The planning data is in particular BIM data or two-dimensional or three-dimensional CAD planning data that represent the construction project. The planning data includes in particular the geometric information on the construction project, including e.g. B. the geometric arrangement of the building and room envelopes (outer and inner walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, etc.) including materialization. The materialization can be characterized, for example, by the following information (greatly simplified):

A wall

A.1 Solid wall

A. 1.1 of masonry

A.1.2 made of reinforced concrete

A. 1.3 made of wood

A.2 Flexible wall

A.2.1 based on wood

A.2.1.1 Plasterboard planking A.2.1.2 Fibreboard planking A.2.2 based on metal profiles A.2.2.1 Plasterboard planking A.2.2.2 Fibreboard planking B ceiling

B.1 Reinforced concrete

B.1.1 raw

B.1.2 suspended ceiling B.1.3 plastered

B.2 Wood

B.2.1 raw

B.2.2 suspended ceiling B.2.3 plastered

C floor

C.1 Reinforced concrete

C.1.1 raw

C.1.2 cast floor

C.1.3 with floor covering

ETC.

[0019] Further information can relate in particular to the roof, including the roof skin and roof lining.

[0020] The plan data also includes the functional elements and their positioning. In addition to functional elements, certain products can also be specifically specified, e.g. B. if these are explicitly specified by the client or the architect.

The information on the functional elements includes in particular the function of a specific element (e.g. socket outlet) and certain requirements that the element should meet (e.g. number of slots, voltage to be made available, maximum current, IP protection class etc.). It is not necessary to specify the specific provider and type.

The information on the installation locations of the functional elements usually result directly from the planning data, in which each element is assigned a location. The invention is distinguished by the fact that detailed information on the installation (inserting into a concrete wall/moving into the cavity of a lightweight wall, etc.) of the functional elements is not absolutely necessary. The information on the installation sites is preferably obtained exclusively from the geometric information in the planning data.

[0023] The information on the materials that are to be used for the building and/or room shells of the construction project are, as mentioned above, also evident from the plan data. This also applies to the places where these materials are used, which in turn result from the geometric information in the planning data.

In modern CAD systems, the information about the functional elements, their installation locations, the materials of the building and/or room envelopes and their geometry are stored in different layers. An object that is the subject of a construction project is divided into floors and floor components (apartments, offices, etc.). Symbols representing the functional elements are then added at the intended locations. The different types of information are stored in different levels of the CAD construction plan.

The processing server according to the invention can now be operated in such a way that it assigns at least one of the functional elements to the material on which it is to be installed based on the installation locations of the functional elements and the locations of use of the materials. In the context of the present documents, the term "on a material" means that a functional element is attached to the material (e.g. surface mounting), in the material (e.g. flush mounting

days), installed behind the material (e.g. behind a plasterboard surface of a cavity wall) or in a combination. A combination is present, for example, when a socket is flush-mounted: the inlet box is usually completely absorbed by the corresponding surface (e.g. by a wall), while the cover plate with the connection openings is arranged on the front of the wall. A pure flush-mounted installation can result, for example, for pure junction boxes without direct access.

The assignment can be based on a comparison of the installation sites on the one hand and the places of use on the other hand. In principle, it is determined for each affected functional element which material the building and/or room envelope has at the corresponding location.

In the simplest case, the recommendation for the product to be ordered is a list of products and corresponding quantities to be ordered. However, especially with a large range of products in the product database, it is possible (and even probable) that several products can be considered for the functional element in the determined combination of functional element and material. In this case, the recommendation for individual (or all) functional elements can include a list of various suitable products, from which the customer can select in a subsequent step. In cases where a functional element is required more than once, it may also be possible to select different products, each with a number to be ordered. If the selection of a specific product for a certain functional element restricts the selection for other functional elements, e.g. B. because the compatibility of the function elements must be taken into account, the affected lists can be automatically adjusted for the other function elements. Even in cases where it is usually desired that all functional elements of a certain class come from the same provider or belong to the same line of a provider (e.g. to ensure a uniform design), the inventive arrangement can provide that after making a choice for a first functional element of a certain class, this choice is adopted for the further functional elements of the class. This ensures a high level of flexibility with minimal effort for the customer.

In order to avoid selection lists and/or to prioritize the products offered in the respective selection, various criteria can be used for the selection of a single product or the ranking of the products, e.g. B. the product price, the quality level of the product, a prioritization of the product provider 0. Ä.

The transmission of the recommendation from the processing server to the trading server can be initiated by the processing server (push) or by the trading server (pull).

Based on the product database, in which associated information about the construction process is stored in addition to the usual product information, a list of materials can be automatically generated despite the abstract nature of the planning data. The arrangement according to the invention and the method according to the invention thus enable a continuous flow of information from planning to material ordering, even if the planning data initially only contain information on functional elements and not references to specific products. The flexibility with regard to the products that can be used is maintained.

The functional elements preferably include components which can be attached in or on a wall, a ceiling and/or a floor, and the information on materials relates to walls, ceilings and/or floors of the construction project. Especially with components that are somehow integrated into a wall, ceiling, or floor, the type of integration depends largely on the material of the wall, ceiling, or floor. Depending on the material, there are different installation methods and different components or different mounting accessories are required for one component.

Alternatively or additionally, the functional elements include components to be installed at other installation sites, e.g. B. on elements such as stairs, railings or fixed installations or devices (e.g. built-in furniture, large kitchen appliances, washing machines and tumble dryers, heating systems, air conditioning systems, ventilation systems, etc.). It is not mandatory that

all components covered by the arrangement according to the invention or the method according to the invention require a material-dependent product selection, but material-independent functional elements can also be processed without further ado in addition to the material-dependent ones.

The functional elements advantageously include connection points of an electrical installation. These can be sockets, consumer connections (e.g. for lamps, devices or other consumers) and/or switches. In particular when planning electrical installations, very often only functional elements are specified, which means that the use of the arrangement according to the invention or the method according to the invention entails a considerable increase in efficiency. Other functional elements of an electrical installation relate in particular to cables, conduits (including protective tubes), distribution boxes, electricity meters and, if applicable, consumers. Individual components can already be included in the blueprints by specifying the specific product, while others are defined as functional elements and a recommendation for specific products is only generated as part of the arrangement or method according to the invention.

The invention is also applicable to other components used in a construction project, which are realized by different products depending on the material of the building and/or room envelope.

[0035]Preferably, a recommendation can be generated for a plurality of products to be ordered, in particular for all products to be ordered of a predetermined functional element class. A functional element class includes, for example, all connection points (sockets, lamp and other consumer connections) of an electrical installation, but it can also be defined more broadly and also include switches or even lines. It is advantageous if the function elements to be processed do not have to be selected individually (or function elements that are not to be processed individually deselected), but rather an entire class can be selected or deselected depending on the properties recorded in the plan data. The selection or deselection can also take place automatically in the processing server, e.g. B. so that only functional element classes are considered, which the operator of the processing server or the connected supplier offers. An electrical wholesaler, for example, will only consider those functional elements that belong to the electrical installation, not elements of the sanitary installation, for example.

[0036] A selection of the functional elements to be taken into account is thus advantageously made by the user and/or as part of the processing, and a recommendation is then generated for all of these functional elements. In exceptional cases - for example, if the product database does not contain any suitable products or a functional element with an incorrect functional class was recorded - a recommendation for a specific functional element can be an empty selection.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, different material lists can be created for different functional element classes. The user or the operator of the processing server can then pass this on to various suppliers (e.g. electrical, plumbing, etc.).

The arrangement according to the invention preferably comprises a sequence database in which functional element and/or product-related information on installation work is stored. In the processing server, the products to be ordered can then be assigned to the recommendation of one of several construction phases using the information in the process database and based on the assignment of the materials to the functional elements, with the assigned construction phase indicating when the corresponding product is to be installed in the construction process.

Functional element-related information applies to all products that represent a specific functional element. For example, all sockets require a power supply line. Product-related information applies only to specific products that represent a functional element. For example, both switches that work wired are available

and therefore require a supply line, as well as switches that work wirelessly and therefore do not require a supply line. In addition to the need for a supply line, the information can also relate in particular to the space required (e.g. for flush-mounted as opposed to surface-mounted installations), additional elements required (e.g. protective tubes) or generally to the positioning in the construction process (e.g. before or after applying the plaster). Since the processing server has both the information about the functional elements and the (recommended) products, it can automatically assign the appropriate information about installation work to each component.

Based on the information in the process database, the processing server can then determine when a (recommended) product needs to be installed. This can certainly result in several points in time (e.g. for an inlet box and for the socket outlet accommodated therein or the switch accommodated therein). The point in time or points in time are then assigned to the recommended product.

The construction phases can be divided, for example, in a reinforced concrete-based structure as follows:

- Laying (concreting); - Shell; - final construction.

However, finer gradations are also possible. Different construction methods result in different construction phases.

A separate recommendation can advantageously be generated for each of the several construction phases, with the corresponding recommendation comprising the products assigned to the respective construction phase. The user thus automatically receives a compilation of the recommended products, which is broken down by construction phase and thus by delivery time or delivery period. If different parts of the building are designed with a building or room envelope that is made of different materials, the same products can be included in the recommendations for different construction phases. (Of course, this also applies to products that are generally used regardless of the construction phase or in several construction phases.)

[0044]Preferably, an order for the recommended products can be triggered by the trade server after the receipt of an orderer's approval of the generated recommendation. The user can thus trigger the ordering of the products at the push of a button, possibly after manual adjustments or a manual selection from several recommended products. If the recommendations are broken down by construction phase, the order can include several corresponding delivery dates.

It is not usually desirable that material for the construction project is delivered early and then has to be stored on the construction site or in warehouses of the processing company until it is used. For this reason, it is also an advantage if the deliveries for an order can be broken down according to construction phases. Even if this does not happen, the delivery is usually only scheduled at a point in time when the products are required (at the earliest).

This means that some time, often several months, elapses between the ordering process and the delivery (or the individual deliveries). The consequence of this is that if there are changes to the plan, the order - and thus the delivery - no longer corresponds to the latest planning status. Returns and subsequent deliveries are therefore often necessary. This can delay the construction process if it is not noticed until a late point in time that required products are missing. Within the scope of the arrangement according to the invention and the method according to the invention, it can therefore be advantageous if an order can be updated automatically using changed planning data. The following approaches are particularly suitable for this:

a) In the event of a plan change, the changed plan data is transmitted to the processing server. This compares the changed planning data with the original or last

plan data and, based on this, determines which functional elements are additionally required and which functional elements are no longer required. The products that are assigned to function elements that are no longer required in an order are removed from this order. As with the processing of the original plan data, a recommendation is generated for the additional functional elements. This approach minimizes the processing effort, but has the consequence that the operator of the processing server has to keep the plan data last processed, which can be undesirable.

b) In the event of a plan change, the changed plan data is transmitted to the processing server. As with the processing of the original planning data, this creates a recommendation for the products to be ordered. Selections made by the customer in the first process can be adopted at the product level if necessary. The new recommendation is compared to the previous recommendation to determine which products are required in addition and which products are no longer required, and the order is adjusted accordingly. This approach has the advantage that the previous plan data is no longer required by the processing server. However, a new selection by the customer may also be necessary for functional elements to which a product has already been assigned.

c) The processing server has permanent access to the planning data and periodically checks whether changes have taken place and whether these could lead to a change in the order. Changes can be determined by a comparison with available plan data, but a corresponding change or addition date is preferably evaluated, which is generally available in the case of digitally available plan data. The determination of whether a change to an order is necessary is then made according to one of the approaches according to point a) or b). This procedure has the advantage that the orders are always up-to-date and incorrect deliveries or returns are avoided as far as possible. However, it presupposes that the customer is willing to grant ongoing access to the planning data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings used to explain the embodiment show:

1 shows a schematic representation of an arrangement according to the invention for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project;

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a plan representation of plan data of the construction project;

[0050] FIG. 3 shows the plane of the geometric data of the plan representation;

[0051] FIG. 4 shows the level of the material data of the plan representation;

Fig. 5 shows the functional element data level of the plan representation; and

6 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project.

In principle, the same parts are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

WAYS TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

[0055] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an arrangement according to the invention for the automated generation of a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project. The arrangement 10 comprises a processing server 11 with an input interface 12. The processing server 11 is coupled via the input interface 12 to a user's terminal 1 and receives plan data which are converted by the input interface 12 into a format that can be processed by the processing server 11 if necessary. The connection between the user's terminal 1 and the processing server 11 is in particular

a secure internet connection (TLS). The interface is designed in particular as a web-based interface. For example, the user can upload his files generated with a (CAD) planning program, whereupon these are checked by the input interface 12 and, if necessary, converted. The interaction with the user takes place via a web interface, whereby the user has an account with the operator of the processing server and logs in to the server with his account details before using the service.

The plan data are then stored on the processing server 11 in a structured manner--insofar as they are required for the method according to the invention. Namely, they are filed according to the structure of the object (building, floors, rooms), which is described by the planning data. As described in more detail below, the planning data stored on the server includes several levels, in particular with information on the geometry of the object, the materialization of building and room envelopes and functional elements and their placement in the object. If required, the user has the option to limit the scope of the plan data to be processed, e.g. B. with regard to the functional element class and/or the parts of the object to be considered, to be specified via the web interface.

The processing server 11 has access to a products database 15 and a process database 16. One or both of the databases 15, 16 may be local, at the server site, or accessed over a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). , e.g. B. based on the Internet.

The product database 15 includes information about products that can be used in construction projects. In addition to the usual product information (manufacturer, type, price, characterizing variables such as dimensions, connection values, etc.), the product database 15 also contains information about which functional element it represents for each product (e.g. "switch", "switch/socket combination"). , "distribution box", etc.), at a level that corresponds to the level of detail of the usual plan data. Also assigned to each product in the product database are 15 possible installation types (e.g. flush-mounted, surface-mounted, ceiling mounting, floor mounting, etc.). The additional data on the function and on the routing types can be stored in the same database as the usual product data or they are stored in a separate database and linked to the usual product data.

The processing server 11 further communicates with a trading server 21. This interacts via an output interface 22 with the terminal 1 of the user. The trading server 21 can be operated by the same service provider as the processing server or by a third party, namely by a dealer who offers suitable products. It is possible for the processing server 11 to communicate with several trading servers, e.g. B. to make products of different functional element classes (e.g. electrical installation, plumbing installation, HVAC, etc.) and/or different suppliers or manufacturers available.

[0060] FIG. 2 is a plan representation of plan data for the construction project. For the sake of a better overview, the representation is simplified compared to a real example with regard to the number and the level of detail of the elements shown. The plan shows an essentially square floor plan of a building storey with a surrounding outer wall 30, which is broken through several times by windows 31.1...31.8. Enclosed by the outer wall 30 and adjoining it, several inner walls 35.1.35.6 run. A staircase 36 from a lower floor is arranged between two of the inner walls 35.1...35.2. A first space 37.1 is formed between the two inner walls 35.2, 35.3, a second space 37.2 between the inner walls 35.3, 35.4, a third space 37.3 between the inner walls 35.4, 35.5 and a fourth space 37.4 between the inner walls 35.6, 35.1. A storage chamber 37.5 is also formed between the inner walls 35.5, 35.6.

The stairs 36 and the four rooms 37.1 ... 4 and the storage room 37.5 are connected by a corridor 38; this is essentially delimited by two inner walls 35.2, 35.5. Three of the rooms 37.2, 37.3, 37.4 have doors opening into the interior of the room, the first room 37.1 adjoins the corridor 38 without a door.

In the fourth room 37.4, a front wall 39 is also arranged along the inner wall 35.1.

The elements described so far are stored in a "geometry data" level of the plan data. FIG. 3 shows a plan representation in which only the geometric data are shown.

The “material data” level is also contained in the plan data. These are shown in FIG. 4 and can also be seen from the general overview in FIG. The material data shows that the outer wall 30 is a reinforced concrete wall (narrow hatching), that the inner walls 35.1.6 are lightweight walls made of metal studs with plasterboard planking (broad hatching) and that the front wall 39 is formed by a wooden construction with wooden planking (horizontally dashed). The material data also includes the fact that the ceiling is a reinforced concrete ceiling.

The "functional elements" level is also contained in the plan data. The corresponding functional elements are shown in the overall view according to FIG. 2 as well as in the plane view according to FIG. The functional elements include a number of switch/socket combinations 41.1...41.5, which are each arranged next to a door or an entrance into one of the rooms 37.1...5 on the respective inner wall 35.1...35.6. Another switch/socket combination 41.6 is arranged on the outer wall 30 in room 37.1. Next, the functional elements include a number of sockets 42.1 ... 42.8 z. T. on inner walls 35.3, 35.5, z. T. on the outer wall 30 and z. T. on the pretext 39 are arranged. Lamp connections 43.1...43.4 are also arranged in the ceiling (reinforced concrete). Finally, a motion detector 44 is arranged on the ceiling of the corridor 38 and a ceiling socket 45 in the area of the front wall 39 .

The "functional elements" level says nothing about the specific products to be used. The functional elements only indicate which function is desired at a specific location.

Finally, the "Products" level is contained in the planning data. In the simplified example shown, this includes only the washing machine 51. It is therefore not shown in a separate figure, but only shown in the overview according to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method according to the invention for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project.

First, the schedule data is received from the processing server (step 101). This is done in particular via a web interface to which the processing server is connected and to which the user has access. Access is password protected and the connection between the user and the web interface is secured (e.g. using TLS). The plan data is converted if necessary and then stored (temporarily) on the processing server. The user has the option to enter additional information via the web interface. If the data cannot be read or is incomplete, a corresponding message is displayed to the user so that missing information can be supplied later or the data can be uploaded in a readable format.

Next, in the processing server, there is an association between the functional elements and the material on, on, or in which they are to be installed. To do this, the information from the "Functional elements" and "Material data" levels is linked to one another. Specifically, for each functional element contained in the "functional elements" level, the association with the material specified in the "material data" level is established based on its position (step 102). The following assignment results in the exemplary embodiment shown:

"Functional element" level "Material data" level Functional element | Kind of building element | Material 41.1 | Switch/socket interior wall 35.2 | Lightweight 41.2 | Switch/socket interior wall 35.3 | Lightweight 41.3 | Switch/socket inside wall 35.5 | Lightweight 41.4 | Switch/socket inside wall 35.6 | Lightweight 41.5 | Switch/socket inside wall 35.6 | Lightweight 41.6 | Switch/socket outside wall 30 | Reinforced concrete 42.1 | Socket outer wall 30 | Reinforced concrete 42.2 | Socket outer wall 30 | Reinforced concrete 42.3 | Socket inner wall 35.3 | Lightweight 42.4 | Socket inner wall 35.3 | Lightweight 42.5 | Socket outer wall 30 | Reinforced concrete 42.6 | Socket inner wall 35.5 | Lightweight 42.7 | Socket outer wall 30 | Reinforced concrete 42.8 | Socket pretext 39 | Wooden construction 43.1 | Lamp connection ceiling | Reinforced concrete 43.2 | Lamp connection ceiling | Reinforced concrete 43.3 | Lamp connection ceiling | Reinforced concrete 43.4 | Lamp connection ceiling | reinforced concrete 44 | Motion detector ceiling | reinforced concrete 45 | Ceiling connection ceiling | reinforced concrete box

Next, a query is made in the product database (step 103) for the first identified functional element 41.1. This results in a list of corresponding products (switch/socket) that are suitable for installation on the corresponding material (lightweight wall as described above). If the material data is ambiguous in relation to the material specification at a specific installation location, all products are listed which are suitable for any type of installation that can be considered at that location.

It is now checked whether the list is empty, contains a single entry or multiple entries (decision 104). If the list is empty, it is noted for the corresponding functional element 41.1 that no corresponding product is available. If the list includes several entries, a ranking according to predetermined criteria (e.g. increasing price, quality level, manufacturer, selections already made by the user) is carried out (step 105), and the user is then asked to make a selection via the web interface. The latter can select the desired product from the ranked list (step 106). He can also already choose that the same selection should be made automatically for corresponding future queries (identical combination of functional element and material).

If the list includes only one entry or after a product has been selected, a construction phase is assigned to this product using the process database (step 107). In the case of the switch/socket combination 41.1, which is to be installed in a lightweight wall, this is the final configuration.

The product and the construction phase or the information that no product is available is

then saved to a bill of materials (step 109).

Next, it is checked whether there are other functional elements to be processed (decision 110). If this is the case, the method is continued from step 103 for the next functional element.

[0076] If no further functional elements are to be processed, the definitive material list is generated from the material list (step 111). In particular, several products that are required in the same construction phase are grouped together.

Products that are already specified in the planning data (e.g. the washing machine 51) can be automatically included in the material list if they correspond to the functional element classes taken into account.

The list of materials is then sorted and displayed according to construction phases (step 112) and the user is asked whether a corresponding order should be triggered (step 113). At this point, the user has the option of adding to the list of materials manually, moving products from one construction phase to another, or directly entering desired delivery dates. For this purpose, the material list can be displayed, filtered and sorted in different views. If the user initiates an order (decision 114), this is forwarded to the trade server (step 115). If not, the bill of materials is saved temporarily so that the user can retrieve it at a later time.

The material lists and/or the definitive orders with the corresponding product information can be fed back to the user via an interface. They can thus be included in the planning data. The planning data (if necessary) and the product-related information can also be kept on the processing server or a connected database. If a spare part for a defective or worn part has to be procured at a later point in time, the user can trigger the order of the same item by simply specifying the installation location (and possibly the functional element type), after which the processing server accesses the product information stored depending on the installation location.

The material lists or orders triggered can be linked to an on-site project database in which a timeline is stored, which is continuously updated with the construction progress and the planned work. If a job is postponed, the delivery date for the associated products is automatically adjusted so that the required components are delivered to the construction site at the right time.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. It can also be easily used to order additional elements, e.g. B. for lines use. It can not only be used on components for electrical installation, but is also suitable for various components that are laid depending on the material.

The processing and user guidance can be done in a different way. Instead of prompting the user for a choice for each multi-value product list, the entire bill of materials can be compiled first (with some items designed as choices). Only in the next step are the necessary selections made by the user within the framework of the entire material list.

Instead of triggering the order(s) directly based on the—possibly adapted—material list, a shopping cart solution can also be used, for example. The entire list of materials, the partial list for a construction phase and/or individual products can then be placed in the shopping cart by the user via a web interface, in particular the trading server.

In summary, it can be stated that the invention creates an arrangement for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project, which, starting from plan data of the object of the construction project with the specification of functional elements, enables usable products to be identified and has a high degree of flexibility.

Claims (14)

Expectations Claims 1. Arrangement (10) for automatically generating a recommendation for ordering materials for a construction project, comprising a) a processing server (11) with an input interface (12) for receiving digital plan data of the object of the construction project, the digital plan data comprising at least the following: - Information on functional elements to be installed as part of the construction project; - Information on the installation locations at which the functional elements are to be installed on the property; - Information on materials that are to be used for the building and/or room envelopes of the property; - Information on the locations where the materials are to be used; and for establishing an assignment of at least one of the functional elements to the machine material on which the functional element is to be installed, based on the installation type of functional elements and places of use of materials; b) a product database (15) in which information about products is stored, the information including information about the suitability of the products as a functional element for installation on a material; c) a trade server (21) having an exit interface (22) for issuing a recommendation for a product to be ordered, the recommended product being a functional element suitable for installation on the associated material; wherein the processing server (11) has access to the product database (15) and based on the assignment of the material to the functional element based on the product database (15) generates the recommendation for the product to be ordered, and where the generated recommendation from the processing server (11) to the trading server (21) is averaged. 2. Arrangement (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the functional elements comprise components which can be attached in or on a wall, a ceiling and/or a floor and that the information on materials relates to walls, ceilings and/or floors of the object. 3. Arrangement (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the functional elements comprise connection points, in particular sockets, lamp and other load connections, and/or switches of an electrical installation. 4. Arrangement (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a recommendation for a plurality of products to be ordered can be generated in the processing server (11), in particular for all products to be ordered of a predetermined functional element class. 5. Arrangement (10) according to claim 4, characterized by a process database (16) in which functional element and / or product-related information on installation work is stored, wherein in the processing server (11) using the information in the process database (16) and based on the assignment of the materials to the functional elements, the products to be ordered, the recommendation, can be assigned to one of several construction phases, the assigned construction phase indicating when the corresponding product is to be installed in the construction process. 6. Arrangement (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that a separate recommendation can be generated for each of the several construction phases, the corresponding recommendation comprising the products assigned to the respective construction phase. 7. Arrangement (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an order of the recommended products can be triggered after receipt of an orderer's consent to the generated recommendation from the trade server (21). 8. A method for automatically generating a recommendation for a material order for a construction project, comprising the following steps a) Receiving digital plan data of the object of the construction project by a processing server (11) with an input interface (12), the digital plan data comprising at least the following: - Information on functional elements to be installed as part of the construction project; - Information on the installation locations at which the functional elements are to be installed on the object; - Information on materials that are to be used for the building and/or room envelopes of the property; - Information on the locations where the materials are to be used; b) the processing server (11) assigning at least one of the functional elements to the material on which the functional element is to be installed on the basis of the installation locations of the functional elements and the locations of use of the materials; c) based on a product database (15), based on the assignment of the material to the functional element, the processing server (11) generates a recommendation for a product to be ordered, the recommendation from the processing server (11) to a trading server (21) with an output interface ( 22) is transmitted, whereby the recommended product is a functional element suitable for installation on the assigned material. 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the functional elements include components which can be attached in or on a wall, a ceiling and/or a floor and that the information on materials relates to the walls, ceilings and/or floors of the object . 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the functional elements include connection points (sockets, lamp and other load connections) and/or switches of an electrical installation. 11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that a recommendation for a plurality of products to be ordered is generated, in particular for all products to be ordered of a predetermined functional element class. 12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that based on the assignment of the materials to the functional elements, the products to be ordered are assigned to the recommendation of one of several construction phases, the assigned construction phase indicating when the corresponding product is to be installed in the construction process. 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that a separate recommendation is generated for each of the multiple construction phases, the corresponding recommendation comprising the products assigned to the respective construction phase. 14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized by the further step of initiating an order after receipt of an orderer's approval of the generated recommendation. 6 sheets of drawings