Over the last decade the use of computers in all industries has accelerated. This is typified by the use of personal workstations, the introduction of word processing and administrative systems and the advent of CAD/CAE systems. These have influenced both the design and construction phases of our industry. Some techniques have shown rapid gains, such as reduced build cycles or less errors reaching site operations. However if we are going to maximise the potential return, and perhaps to avoid some of the pitfalls, two questions need to be addressed.

• How to organise, maintain the integrity of, or physically store the large quantity of data that the users require and/or generate with the new facilities.
• How to provide them with easy access to the data they require as and WHEN they require it, in a form which they can understand.

These two constraints are interwoven - a mixture of hardware and software techniques can be applied but providing the USER with what he wants is more difficult than expounding computing theory. Unfortunately civil engineering projects tend to be more complex in their scope than mechanical or electrical ones - the items are often simpler and more standardised but they are often far more voluminous, problems in the build phase are more difficult to overcome etc. This paper looks at the techniques which are available to store and analyse the kinds of data which are now required - alphanumeric, geometric, image etc. It also examines the factors which will allow the user to extract the greatest informational value from his "digital filing cabinets" - user friendliness, spread across the organisation, integration of applications and, probably most important of all, the speed of access.

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