AU6063399A - Method for reading, analysing, and interpreting engineering drawings - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Hermes Vi Software JnegneCompany Limited 4 4 4.

~*4 44.4 4 4 *4 ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLUISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE:- Method for reading, analysing, and interpreting engineering drawings The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 4Cb 4 4 This invention relates to a computer automated processing system for reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings to determine the amount of steel to be used in construction of a structure in accordance with structural engineering drawings.

In construction projects both developers and contractors spend considerable time and effort to determine the cost of the project. The developer is anxious to ascertain and fix the cost of the project with the contractor and the contractor is anxious to ensure that its tender is realistic, covers all aspects of S. the construction and that the cost estimate is as accurate as is possible.

In general terms the contractor reviews and analyses the structural engineering drawings of the project which have been prepared by the developer to S determine exactly how much material will be needed to complete the project.

Once the total amount of the material has been determined the contractor can then determine the cost per item and hence arrive at the total cost of constructing the project.

The breakdown of materials and costs is set out in a document known as the Bills of Quantity. This document generally runs into several hundred pages.

In order to prepare the Bills of Quantity qualified quantity surveyors have to review and analyse all aspects of each and every structural engineering drawing to evaluate precisely how much material will be required to complete the project as shown in the drawings. The number of drawings which have to 2 be reviewed can number several hundred and it can take a team of 4 to quantity surveyors between 4 to 5 man months to complete the analysis of the drawings.

The process is very time consuming, is subject to a degree of error and can be further delayed by quantity surveyors for the developer reviewing the drawings and results from the contractors quantity surveyors for accuracy.

Such analysis of structural engineering drawings is a very detailed and methodical task. The quantity surveyor must have regard to the information S: presented in the drawing and in addition he must be able to translate the 2dimensional information into a 3-dimensional building.

Structural engineering drawings typically show a cross-sectional view of the structural elements of the building such as columns, walls, beams, slabs, staircases, etc. Drawings are prepared in accordance with the specification of the building. Structural engineering drawings consist of framing plans which show layout of the major structural elements of the floor and detailed plan drawings which show the details of slabs, columns, beams, walls, staircases etc.

All elements within each drawing are labelled in accordance with an industry standard convention such that a quantity surveyor can identify exactly what each item is composed of. Thus for example with a column plan the quantity surveyor will be able to ascertain the exact number of reinforcement bars in the column, the size of each bar, the degree of overlap of the bars between 3 two adjacent columns. The quantity surveyor has to determine the quantity of material required by interpreting the drawings.

From time to time necessary data is not shown on a drawing and so the quantity surveyor has to refer back to other drawings to obtain missing data.

The quantity surveyor also has to know the general standards adopted for any particular project. This information is contained in the general notes which accompany the drawings.

I: The job of the quantity surveyor is a complex one which requires a high degree of skill and experience. Quantity surveyors have to undergo extensive training to acquire the necessary skills.

*o The analysis of engineering drawings is at present a slow manual process which is time intensive. The task is also very repetitive and tedious.

.oooo Structural engineering drawings are essentially 2 dimensional representations _o .*o of 3 dimensional objects. The 3 dimensional information in respect of the items represented in the drawings is presented in the form of labels, notations and abbreviations. These labels, notations and abbreviations are understood by quantity surveyors. Without the labels, notations and abbreviations it would simply not be possible to meaningfully analyse the drawings to determine the amount of steel required to construct the structure as represented in the drawings.

4 The labelling of steel bars can consist of a total of up to 6 separate pieces of information, namely quantity, type, diameter, marks, spacing and description of abbreviations. Thus for example the legend 5-Y10-23-150 B1 means that there are 5 Y type steel bars of 10mm diameter, spaced at 150mm apart at B1 bottom 1) and all the steel bars have a bar mark 23.

By way of further example the legend 35 R 10 -101 -150 SS represents single stirrups which are tied around the beam. The number 35 represents the number of stirrups around the beam. The letter R indicates the type of stirrup.

The number 10 represents the diameter of the steel bar of the stirrup. The number 101 is the mark of the steel stirrup and the number 150 is the spacing of the stirrups along the beam.

In general terms labelling of steel bars in engineering drawings is carried out in accordance with the industry standard conventions. In practice however different people modify the industry standards by omitting certain information or simplifying the labelling. This can present a challenge to quantity surveyors in interpreting the drawings.

The present invention is a computer automated process which is capable of reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings to determine the amount of steel that will be required in the construction of a structure in accordance with the drawings. The process requires a computer which has a central processing unit, coupled to a storage means, input means and output means which can read structural engineering drawings, which are in a digital format, analyse what the drawing represents and interpret that information to determine the amount of steel that will be required in the construction. The storage means can be used to store to values of and predetermined algorithms to identify and recognize or different types of representations of steel bars to be found in structural engineering drawings.

Various other data and information necessary to accurately analyse the drawings such as the standards used in the drawings and the length of overlap of reinforcement bars can be stored in the memory means.

The process of reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings is such that the central processing unit recognises, analyses and interprets the lines and symbols representing the steel bars and the relationship between them through a multi stage process which involves recognising, analysing and interpreting the legend, recognising, analysing and interpreting *o the indication lines, recognising the shape and spatial composition of the steel bars and determining the dimension of the steel bars from the information obtained from the analysis and from the information contained in the storage means.

Recognition of the legend.

The legend contains information about the steel bars. Key components of a steel bar are represented by upper case letters such as "ET".

Separators are represented as The symbols and are used to identify more than one steel bar.

To confirm that the legend is that of a steel bar the central processing unit identifies through a set of predefined values and algorithms the upper case letters such as "ET" representing the key components of the 6 steel bar legend and further identifies marks used as separators in the legend such as and yet further identifies markers used to identify more than one steel bar, such as Having identified the legend string the central processing unit and then compares the values it has determined with known to values stored in the storage means and if the result corresponds exactly or within predetermined limits with the predicted values for steel bars, which are stored in the storage means the legend is determined to be that of a steel bar.

Recognising the Indication line.

Steel bars are usually pointed to in the drawings by an indication line. The indication lines are identified from the various lines in the drawing by the central processing unit identifying through a series of predefined values and algorithms lines which have one end close to one or group of legends and the line intersecting or the other end touching or close to one or a group of steel bars with or without indicating symbols. If the result corresponds exactly or within predetermined limits with the predicted values for indication lines which are stored in the storage means the line is determined to be an indication line.

Recognising the steel bars Steel bar lines represent the length, shape, spatial composition and placement of the steel bars.

Recognition of the steel bar lines is based on two characteristics. Firstly a connection with indication lines and secondly a connection with the legend.

In order to determine whether the line in the engineering drawing represents a steel bar the central processing unit determines the geometrical relationship between suspected the steel bar and the indication lines and the legend in accordance with a set of predefined values and algorithms. If the legend and the indication lines are valid i.e. the results correspond with the predicted values for legend and indication lines, the line is a steel bar.

Having identified the steel bars in the drawing the next step in the process is to determine the dimension of the steel bars. Once the dimension of the steel bars is determined it is then possible to determine the amount and shape of steel required through a mathematical calculation in accordance with a predetermined formula from the values determined by the central processing unit. To determine the dimension of the steel bars the central processing unit ascertains the geometrical information of the steel bar lines and values from the legend string associated with the steel bar line through a series of predefined algorithms and or the information contained in the storage means.

The data extracted in this manner is used to calculate the amount of material required in the construction of the item identified in the drawing.

In order to ensure that any quantification is accurate it is vital to ensure all the drawings are analysed and the necessary data extracted. The data from each of the drawings is matched up with the data from the framing plan to ensure the data is accurate and complete. Once all the data has been extracted from 8 the drawings the computer can calculate the amount of material necessary for the construction.

The framing plan indicates the overall dimensions of the building and orientation of building elements. By referring back to the framing plan any discrepancies in the dimensions and orientation of the item can be identified and hence errors in the quantification can be avoided, or errors made in drawings can be discovered.

As the drawings are in 2 dimension it is necessary to ensure account is taken of the fact that the drawings represents 3 dimensional objects. Accordingly account must be taken of number of floors and the height of each floor in the *9*g quantification. This information is stored in the storage means.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

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Claims (14)

1. A computer automated process for reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings to determine the amount and shape of steel to be used in construction in accordance with the structural engineering drawings comprising: a central processing unit; (ii) a first storage means including hard disk and/or random access memory operatively coupled to the central processing unit; (iii) an input means operatively coupled to the central processing unit; (iv) an output means operatively coupled to the central processing unit.

2. A computer automated process for reading, analysing and interpreting "structural engineering drawings as claimed in claim 1 wherein the storage means can be used to store values of and predetermined algorithms to identify and recognise all different types of representations of steel bars to be found in structural engineering drawings.

3. A computer automated process for reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings as claimed in claim 1 above wherein the input means can be used to provide information to select the drawing to be read and analysed.

4. A computer automated process for reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings as claimed in claim 1 above wherein the central processing unit recognises analyses and interprets the lines and symbols representing the steel bars and the relationship between them by a multi stage process which involves recognising, analysing and interpreting the legend, recognising, analysing and interpreting the indication lines, recognising the shape and spatial composition of the steel bars and determining the dimension of the steel bars from the information obtained from the analysis and from the information :contained in the storage means.

5. A process of recognition of the legend as claimed above wherein the central processing unit identifies, through a set of predefined values and algorithms, the upper case letter such as "ET" representing the key components of the steel bar legend and further identifies marks used as separators in the legend such as and further identifies markers used to identify more than one steel bar such as

6. A process of recognition of the indication line as claimed above wherein the central processing unit identifies through a series of predefined values and algorithms lines which have one end close to one or a group of legends and the other end touching or close to one or a group of steel bars with or without indicating symbols. 11

7. A process of recognition of the shape and spatial composition information of steel bars as claimed above wherein the central processing unit identifies steel bar lines and/or sections of steel bar lines through a series of predefined values and algorithms from the legend string and the indication line associated with the steel bar lines or section of steel bar lines.

8. A process of determining the dimension as claimed above wherein the central processing unit through a series of predefined algorithms ascertains the geometrical information of the steel bar lines and values from the legend string associated with the steel bar lines and or the "information contained in the storage means.

9. A process to determine the amount and shape of steel to be used in construction of structures as claimed above wherein the central processing unit compares the set of values determined from the legend in accordance with a set of predefined algorithms to known values stored in the storage means and wherein if the value matches or is :approximate to the expected result the central processing unit then further compares the values determined from the indication lines in accordance with set of predefined algorithms to known values stored in the storage means and wherein if the value matches or is approximate to the expected result the central processing unit then determines the shape and spatial composition of the steel bars through a set of predefined algorithms and wherein if the shape of the steel bar matches or is approximate to the expected results the central processing unit then 12 determines the dimensions of the steel bar through a set of predefined values and algorithms.

A process to determine the amount and shape of steel required as claimed above wherein the amount of steel is determined by a mathematical calculation in accordance with a predetermined formula from the values determined by the central processing unit. o. o e o e 13

11. A computer automated process for reading, analysing and interpreting structural engineering drawings substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Examples.

12. A process of recognition of a legend substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Examples.

13. A process for recognition of an indication line substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Examples. 0

14.. A process for deteriming the amount and shape of metal to be used in construction of a structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Examples. The steps, features, compositions and compounds disclosed herein or referred to or indicated in the specification and/or claims of this application, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features. DATED this TWENTY FIFTH day of NOVEMBER 1999 Hermes VH Software Intelligence Company Limited by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s)