Dissertation Discovery Company Vepro: An Integrated Value Engineering Computer System for Construction Projects

Abstract: VEPRO is a computerized Value Engineering (VE) tool for the conduct of VE studies of construction projects. VEPRO integrates contemporary programming technologies such as database, spreadsheet, and rule-based systems. With several modules which parallel the typical VE job plan phases, VEPRO carries forwards the analysis results of each module to subsequent modules for further action and decision making. In other words, VEPRO is designed, structured, and programmed for all necessary techniques involved I the VE process. The study results are stored in the project database in the form of database and textual reports for use in future VE efforts. Another key feature of BEORI is its capability of customizing factual data needed by its system analysis modules. The customizing feature not only makes VEPRO a generic VE tool but also increases its system flexibility. In addition VEPTRO allows the user to reuse the customized database for future similar VE studies. VEPRO provides a user-friendly, menu-driven environment. It is envisioned that VEPRO would be used by the VE team in the form of single or multiple microcomputers. VEPRO was implemented and validated with several real VE construction projects performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Florida Department of Transportation. Through a validation process, which included examination by a number of VE practitioners in the industry, VEPRO has demonstrated a promising result that opens the way for an era of totally computerized VE study. Dissertation Discovery Company and University of Florida are dedicated to making scholarly works more discoverable and accessible throughout the world. This dissertation, "VEPRO" by Chansik Park, was obtained from University of Florida and is being sold with permission from the author. A digital copy of this work may also be found in the university's institutional repository, IR@UF. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation.