Information for Students

Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) is the integrated use of multi-disciplinary computer models to improve project performance with respect to explicit objectives. It has become an important strategic method for many large and small organizations in the AEC field.

Stanford is the best place in the world to learn VDC methods. Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) department classes, seminars, internships and research experiences can introduce students to the vocabulary, culture, applications, limits, practical methods and opportunities of VDC. Please see the relationship of classes to VDC methods.

The photos show design-construction planning meetings. The left photo shows a traditional design meeting, where individual AEC disciplines use paper-based information, and manually integrate their work. The right photo shows a VDC design meeting, where AEC discipline specialists use virtual models and performance-based prediction methods to quickly and often automatically generate, analyze and integrate their work.

VDC has been successfully applied in industry. Learn about some of these applications in the CIFE seminar and our CIFE-sponsored classes.

VDC has a strong theoretical base. Learn it -- in the CEE 24x series of classes, and get introductions to it in the CIFE seminar.

VDC can only be mastered by experience: experience the projects of our CIFE-sponsored classes. Experience a mini-internship over Spring break after taking CEE 111/211.

VDC has an associated research program with great vitality. Learn about it at the CIFE seminar.

VDC trained professionals are in high demand: CIFE members and friends now ask frequently for interns and full-time staff who are qualified to support their Virtual Design and Construction work.

CIFE sponsored Stanford Courses:

CEE100: Managing Civil Engineering Projects (Spring): learn the basics of 3and 4D CAD modeling and VDC – Learn the fundamentals of CAD and managing projects using VDC methods

CEE111/211: 3D Modeling plus Analysis (Winter): learn the basics of 3and 4D CAD modeling and VDC and have the opportunity to apply for a mini-internship

CEE222: Computer Integrated A/E/C (Winter, Spring) Learn social methods of collaborative teamwork

CEE241: Techniques of Project Planning and Control (Fall): Learn project management from a VDC perspective

CEE242: Designing Organizations for Projects and Companies (Fall): Learn about organization modeling and predicting behavior

CEE320: Seminar on Integrated Facility Engineering (Fall, Winter, often Spring): The easy one-unit introduction to VDC theory and practice

CIFE sponsored Internships:

Mini-internships available to students who take CEE211

Longer internships potentially available through the CIFE faculty.

 

Last updated January 6, 2009..