SVAR (2023-2025)

Background: Trafikverket is responsible for planning, ordering and accepting deliverables from suppliers and maintaining Sweden’s infrastructure. As a client
organization, they have the responsibility to communicate requirements to supplier and set the acceptance criteria for the the delivered assets. Problem: The verification of deliverables is the responsibility of suppliers. However, due to the large number of regulatory requirements and the extent of the deliverables, a complete verification is often not possible. Objectives: Following the results of the previous project (DCAT – 2020-2022), we investigate means to automate compliance checks (ACC) of digital assets. First, we develop a maturity model to assess Trafikverket’s capabilities to implement ACC. Second, we analyze Trafikverkets regulatory requirements w.r.t. their verifiability. Third, we develop a verification method library, based on the analysis of verifiable requirements. Contribution: The results of the project have the potential to contribute to a more efficient verification process at suppliers. Even though we foresee that only a fraction of requirements can be automatically verified, this reduction in workload allows engineers to focus on technically difficult requirements. As a result of widely adopted ACC, Trafikverket’s projects could see a reduction in cost and lead time, benefiting citizens paying for and using infrastructure.

Read more about the project here.

DCAT (2020-2022)

Infrastructure projects have been, and still are to a large extent, controlled and driven by a comprehensive set of rules and regulations that are strongly focused on detailing the implementation of a facility.

However, this approach to specify a facilities’ requirements is changing since Trafikverket is moving from a design and build role towards an ordering organisation. A central enabler for this paradigm change is the efficient and effective exchange of information between the ordering and executing partners throughout the lifecycle of a project. The aim of this project is to design methods for the exchange of digital information and to streamline the communication between different stakeholders throughout the life cycle of an infrastructure project, realized by the following objectives:

O1. Study existing work processes related to requirements management that involve varying stakeholders during the life-cycle of a project.

O2. Identify opportunities for the automation of verification activities, develop techniques to reduce manual work, and integrate them in established work processes.

O3. Demonstrate the practical application of the adapted processes and designed methods.

The research is performed by Dr. Michael Unterkalmsteiner and Waleed Abdeen, who is also supervised by Dr. Krzysztof Wnuk, and in collaboration with HochTief Vicon, a leading international consulting company for Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digital Engineering. Project deliverables.

KREDA (2017-2019)

The purpose of the project is to demonstrate how digitization in the construction industry can be used to achieve an improved and partially automated follow-up of regulatory requirements and object-specific requirements. The digitization in the construction sector is relatively slow compared with many other sectors, but in the long term, it offers the opportunity to change working methods and processes. Through its digitization strategy and the goal to utilize requirements engineering as a central process in the planning, design and implementation of infrastructure project, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) has an increased focus on information management. In KREDA, Dr. Michael Unterkalmsteiner investigates processes and tools that support systematic requirements management and the consolidation of separate information silos, allowing diverse stakeholders (requirements analysts, designers, external consultants, suppliers, maintenance) to satisfy their information needs in an efficient and effective manner.

ERSAK (2015-2017)

Laws, regulations, standards and internal requirements govern much of Trafikverket’s work on design, new construction, maintenance, infrastructure development and the systems that support that work. The purpose of these governing documents / processes is, among other things, to have a standardized and well supported common target for efficiency, performance, security, functionality and cost-effectiveness of the targeted solution. Requirements management is tuned and refined towards specifying WHAT a project should achieve, not HOW that goal should be achieved. Prof. Dr. Tony Gorschek and Dr. Michael Unterkalmsteiner is part of BTH’s research team, together with an expert panel who advises and quality assures the work.