Application of a Virtual Environment System in Building Sciences Education
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Volume 11, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper includes a brief review of the application of virtual environments in building sciences and presents details of the application of virtual structural analysis program (VSAP), a virtual reality based structural analysis system developed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), in education and practice. Different elements and modeling options in addition to the implementation of two major earthquakes within VSAP for the demonstration of the behavior of building structures during seismic activities are presented. Modifications to the VSAP in order to simulate progressive collapse of building structures are discussed. Different versions of this system were used in architectural structures courses at Virginia Tech. Results of feedbacks from students in these classes are presented. From these results it is concluded that the VSAP can be used effectively as an experiential teaching∕learning tool in classroom settings. Possible applications of VSAP as a design and research tool in construction industry are discussed.
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Acknowledgments
Several graduate and undergraduate students at Virginia Tech contributed to this project. Their assistance in the development, testing, and implementation of the VSAP is greatly appreciated. This effort was funded by the National Science Foundation Grant Nos. NSFCMS-9908719 and NSFDUE-0127326.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 11 • Issue 4 • December 2005
Pages: 165 - 172
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 7, 2004
Accepted: Jul 27, 2004
Published online: Dec 1, 2005
Published in print: Dec 2005
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