A Dynamic VR System for Visualizing Construction Space Usage

Due to the dynamic nature of the construction site, the planning of workspaces required by construction tasks is difficult, with various research efforts focusing on this problem. 3D visualisation techniques are becoming increasingly used in the construction industry for various applications, and one such area is the support for construction space planning. This paper reports on the development of an interactive virtual reality system that allows the allocation and visualisation of construction workspace in a 4D (3D+Time) environment. Preliminary research highlighted that one of the most problematic areas for space planning involves specialist trade contractors. The development of the tools described in this paper was undertaken with input from various specialist contractors in the UK. The paper describes 3 developed tools. The first allows the construction planner to assign `strategies' to tasks and building products to develop `dynamic' construction plans that show progress of construction and in progress products during each week of the project. The second presents an interactive mark up tool that allows planners to add space objects to each weekly layout and the final tool allows the viewing of the construction (including work spaces required) in a 4D virtual reality interface.