Evaluation of Computer Anatomic Modeling for Analyzing Pre-Construction Problems

Drafting in two dimensions by both hand and computer is the main form of producing construction drawings today even with recent technological advancements in computer technology. Currently in the AEC Industry, the increasing complexity of projects in addition to the decreasing contract period requires proactive project-delivery systems. The traditional construction design and planning tools currently in use, such as bulky rolls and stacks of two-dimensional (2D) blueprints and reams of specification do not support the timely and integrated decision making necessary to execute projects quickly and effectively. In the past decade much work has been done on 3D virtual environments but unfortunately most of these have been limited to architectural and engineering models. Although 3D computer graphics have been available to the AEC industry for some time, relatively few companies use this idea to generate construction documents. This research focuses on the idea of Pre-construction Computer Anatomic Modeling and shows how to use this concept for pre-thinking the project before it is built and as a communication tool for all the parties involved in the construction process. The research was designed to prove that if a project is built from start to finish in a virtual environment using anatomic modeling in the same manner as the actual construction, most if not all of the construction problems will be identified and addressed before they actually occur in the field, thus eliminating errors and delays in construction. A case study project was selected, its components anatomically modeled and the results were documented to illustrate the methodology.