INTERACTION AND VISUAL SIMULATION IN A

CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT

Joana Prata dos Santos, Alcínia Zita Sampaio

Technical University of Lisbon, Dep. of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisbon, Portugal

Keywords: Interaction, Simulation, Virtual Reality, 4D models, Construction planning.

Abstract: The construction of a building has been traditionally supported on the timeline schedules of the construction

activities established in each case, and on technical drawings of the project. A prototype based on Virtual

Reality (VR) technology with application to construction planning, was implemented. This interactive

virtual model intends to present the project in a three-dimensional (3D) way, connected to construction

planning schedule, resulting in a valuable asset in monitoring the development of the construction activity,

based on the construction planning designed. The 4D application considers the time factor showing the 3D

geometry of the distinct steps of the construction activity, according to the plan establish to the construction.

The 4D model offers a detailed analysis of the construction project. Additionally, VR technology is used

and presented as an innovative visual tool. It allows the visualization of different stages of the construction

and the interaction with the construction activity. This application clearly shows the constructive process,

avoiding inaccuracies and building errors, and so improving the communication between partners in the

construction process. This tool is an important support in project conception and application.

1 INTRODUCTION

In construction management, technical drawings

have had, throughout times, a crucial role in

communication between the numerous partners in a

project. Generally, drawings represent formal

solutions, and often incompatibility mistakes are

only detected in advance stadium, on site, with

additional costs.

In this field, 4D models, where the time factor is

added to the three-dimensional (3D) model, promote

the interaction between the geometric model and the

construction activity planning, allowing immediate

perception of the work evolution. With planning,

correct evaluation and adequacy to intervenient

needs, 4D models are a positive contribution

decisions-maker when establishing planning

strategies (Webb and Haupt, 2003). Moreover,

Virtual Reality (VR) technology makes possible the

interaction and the visualization of the construction

work evolution, both immersive and interactively.

2 CONSTRUCTION PLANNING

Construction management can be defined as the

planning, co-ordination and control of a project

from conception to completion (including

commissioning) on behalf of a client requiring the

identification of the client's objectives in terms of

utility, function, quality, time and cost, and the

establishment of relationships between resources,

integrating, monitoring and controlling the

contributors to the project and their output, and

evaluating and selecting alternatives in pursuit of

the client's satisfaction with the project outcome

(Walker, 2002).

Therefore, it is essential the project designer

comprise the knowledge to correctly identify the

different stages of the construction planning, as well

as take into consideration the logistics and resources

involved in the project.

Hadju, in Network Scheduling for Construction

Project Management, define the steps to create a

good planning (Hadju, 1997):

 Task definition and description, considering the

detail required;

 Task interdependencies definition and creation

of a list of predecessors and successors;

 Network design, considering tasks'

interdependencies;

 Resources and time estimation;

545

Prata Santos J. and Zita Sampaio A..

INTERACTION AND VISUAL SIMULATION IN A CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT.

DOI: 10.5220/0003397505450550

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Pervasive and Embedded Computing and Communication Systems (SIMIE-2011), pages 545-550

ISBN: 978-989-8425-48-5

 2011 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

 Base calculations, including total project

length;

 Advanced calculations, aiming a more efficient

project, considering, cost, resources and task

duration;

 Project control throughout its implementation;

 Project revision, considering the tasks, their

duration and the necessary resources, with the

intention of presenting alternatives to the

established planning.

The steps one through five comprise the initial

stage, six and seven consist of the scheduling stage,

and the last is the project stage.

The construction planning used in the

implemented prototype is realistic and considers the

designed and written documentation, measurements

and quantities map, specifications and regulations

with relevance to the project (Casimiro, 2006).

On the present work, a prototype was developed

supported on VR technology, where the construction

of a building and the related sequence of activities

are used (Levine, 2002).

3 VR IN CONSTRUCTION

Virtual Reality technology is often considered a way

to simulate reality through graphics projection,

allowing the user to interact with their surroundings.

In construction industry, from the conception to

the actual implementation, project designs are

presented mostly on paper, even though the two

dimensional reading is often not enough, as mistakes

can be introduced in early stages of conception or

elements misunderstood on the construction site. 3D

models present an alternative to avoid inaccuracies,

as all the information can be included with the

necessary detail (Grilo et al., 2001).

One of the benefits of VR in construction is the

possibility of a virtual scenario being visited by the

different specialists, exchanging ideas and correcting

mistakes. Some applications are already offering the

possibility of communication between different

specialties while developing a mutual project

(Yerrapathruni et al., 2003).

The concept of Building Information Modelling

(BIM), considers the integration of 3D models with

the planning of all aspects of the project, including

resource management and logistics, with the purpose

of reducing errors, and therefore costs, by using

software to generate a accurate model of the final

product, containing all the information needed to

everyone involved in construction and maintenance.

A BIM application is not only used to create the

elements, but also as a manager of all the designs,

uncovering construction errors when merging the

different specialties. Applications like Autodesk’s

AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite, AutoCAD Revit

Structure Suite and AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite offer

the possibility of different specialist working on the

same project in different files and then combining

then efficiently (Autodesk, 2010). One drawback of

these 4D models is the amount of time needed to

create them, as well as the lack of trained personnel

to do it.

Other applications offer a different kind of

communication, being more focused on

manipulating than creating the model. EON Studio is

one of these applications where, by programming

actions associated with different objects within the

model, the final user can experience the interaction

and the virtual reality in the presentation (EON,

2010).

4 IMPLEMENTATION OF VR

MODEL

A prototype concerning the management of the

construction activity was created with the purpose to

present a three-dimensional model integrated with

its construction planning schedule (Santos, 2010).

The application was developed in three stages: the

planning, the modelling, and the integration of the

first two stages.

 The planning has to consider the final purpose

of the presentation, and the definition of the

tasks and its detail has to be done according to

this idea. Using Microsoft Project 2007, the

tasks are introduced and the relations between

them defined;

 The geometric modelling needs to relate

correctly with the tasks defined in the

planning stage. Using AutoCAD 2010 as a

modelling tool, the layers do the distinction

between the different tasks and the elements

are creating considering the detail necessary to

the correct comprehension. The application

also presents a real-time illustration of the

construction evolution through photographs

from the site, taken at specific points in time;

 The third stage, the integration, makes use of

two programs: EON Studio 5.0 and Microsoft

Visual C# 2008 Express Edition, where the

first takes the 3D model created with

AutoCAD and introduces it in the application

developed using the second.

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The application, developed in C#, integrates all

the components described with the interface

presented in Figure 1. The application has the

following organization:

 Virtual model (1);

 Pictures of construction site (2);

 Planning task list (3);

 Gantt map (4)

The interaction with the application is made

through 3 and 4. Both the task list items and Gantt

map bars are buttons that when pressed send the

information to the EON about the task selected, and

in return EON presents the model in the current

state, this meaning that it shows and hides specific

elements considering the construction’s current

stage.

Figure 1: Application interface.

EON can interact with the model in a number of

different ways. In this prototype only the state of

elements and position of camera is changed. The

state of an element is presented by its Hidden

property, whether it is selected or not, whilst the

camera position is determined by translation and

rotation coordinates. EON Studio also offers the

possibility to change the material associated with

each element, creating a more realistic model.

Any new objects can be introduced in the

application, just by modelling the new elements

considering their position relatively to the ones

already in the simulation and programming the

associated action in EON Studio.

Likewise, the application accepts any kind of

construction project, as long as the imperatives of

their implementation are met. Additionally, and with

the appropriate models, it can also be used in

construction site management.

This prototype’s weakness is the time needed to

make the preparation for the actual interaction with

the application. Modelling a building may not be

much extended. However, the programming of the

actions in EON Studio can be time-consuming.

5 THE CASE STUDY

As a method of testing the application, a

construction project was implemented, particularly

the structure of a building, using its graphic

documentation, such as architectural and structural

blueprints, the project description and construction

planning (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Construction planning.

The whole project was simplified to meet this

paper’s academic purposes, and the list of tasks was

defined considering the more characteristic stages in

a construction process, and also a few tasks focused

in construction details of certain elements (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Gantt map.

INTERACTION AND VISUAL SIMULATION IN A CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT

547

As a result, AutoCAD layers were created for

each task defined and the 3D model assembled

(Figure 4). When finished, the 3D model is exported

to EON Studio, where a diagram of events is created,

after what the application is ready to be used.

Figure 4: 3D model of the building structure.

As explained before, the task list and the virtual

model are connected. When selecting a task, the

relevant construction stage is presented (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Application's virtual model and task list.

The first scenario concerns the landscape and then

the foundation work began (Figure 6). In this

example, some construction details were modelled,

including one column progress. This progress is

presented in Figure 7, throughout three stages. Not

having a picture associated, the camera symbol

becomes visible instead. A detail of the

reinforcement and the concentration of a slab are

presented in Figure 8.

When constructing a building, the planning

sometimes needs to be changed due to unexpected

contingencies.

Implementing these changes in the prototype is

actually very simple, as the user just have got to

change the tasks new start and finish dates in MS

Project and load the new file into the application.

Figure 6: Visualization of the foundation work.

Figure 7: Column construction progress: reinforcement,

formwork and concreting.

Figure 8: Construction of a slab.

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When a task is selected in the construction

planning chart a static position of the model is

presented. A first view is always linked to a task.

This was established to provide an easier interaction

with the 3D model, and to focus the attention of the

user on the important sections on each task, guiding

them correctly through the development of the

construction.

Next, in order to obtain the same point of view of

the photo, the user can manipulate the virtual model,

choosing an identical perspective. So, visualizing

what is planned and what was done in the real place,

the construction work is better compared and

analyzed (Figure 9). In addition the user can

manipulate the model walking through the virtual

building observing any construction detail he wants

to compare.

Figure 9: Rotation applied to the virtual model.

All steps were modelled and linked to the

planning chart. Details of the construction work are

presented in Figure 10. The date concerning each

visualized task is shown in the upper left corner of

the virtual model window.

6 CONCLUSIONS

Technical drawings and explanatory texts often have

little detail and are frequently insufficient in fully

comprehending the object.

Virtual Reality technology and its capability of

interaction and connectivity between elements were

employed in the prototype's implementation,

offering several benefits both in presenting and

developing projects. Mistakes can easily be caught

before construction a start, which translates in time

and cost reduction.

In this paper was introduced a prototype which

purpose is to ease the control of construction

planning throughout project's development. It can be

used with any kind of construction project and,

Figure 10: Sequence of the construction process.

being a flexible application, accepts new data when

necessary, allowing for a comparison between the

planned and the constructed.

The prototype can also be expanded to include

other aspects of construction management, such as

resource administration, or to have a real-time

access to the construction, through the use of

cameras installed on site. The use of new mobile

technologies could move the application to the

construction site, clarifying any doubts about

location or position of each component.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author gratefully acknowledges the financial

support of the Foundation for Science and

Technology, a governmental Organization, for the

research project PTDC/ECM/67748/2006.

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EON Studio, http://www.eonreality.com/ (accessed on Sep

2010)

Grilo, L., Monice, S., Santos, E.T., Melhado, S.,

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