Automated Identification Systems-Focus on Bar Coding

Automated inventory control has been used for many years in such industries as manufacturing, automotive, and retail grocery. These industries have recognized technologies such as bar coding, magnetic stripe, optical character recognition, and radio frequency as viable solutions to the information and production control problems they encounter. One of these technologies, namely bar coding, is slowly being implemented in certain civil engineering applications. As the use of bar coding grows, it will be important for civil engineers to gain a solid understanding of this identification technology and its potential applications. This paper provides an introduction to automated identification systems emphasizing bar coding technology. A discussion of available automated identification technologies is presented. An introduction to bar coding technology is included, along with an analysis of presently used languages and labels. A generic bar coding system architecture and an actual implementation of this architecture suitable for use in a construction environment are presented. Construction engineering applications of bar coding technology are presented and discussed.