Construction industry in today’s world is becoming enormously complex as project sizes are increasing and project duration are decreasing. At the same time designers are conceptualizing ever-complex designs, which no longer can easily be comprehended by 2D drawings. Classroom use of Information Technology (IT) for teaching science, engineering and technology has increased dramatically in recent years and has proved to be very effective in various situations. Using multidimensional (n-D) visualizations, animations, virtual reality and walkthrough of various structures in virtual environment students receive the understanding that is absent from the traditional “chalk-board” approach. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate with examples various design and construction visualization techniques including image visualization, virtual reality, design animation, walk-through, time-space relationship visualization in 4D (3D+Schedule), time-space-cost relationship visualization in 5D (3D+Schedule+Cost), and Time-Space-Activity Conflict Detection using 4D Visualization in Multi-Storied Construction Project.
The techniques demonstrated through virtual models can potentially be valuable course contents for graduate course for construction education and research. Introduction and Background Today’s information technology (IT) has proven an untapped resource for architectural/ construction engineering and technology classrooms. As the modern-day student becomes more personified with an obsession for the interactivity of computer games, it has become vital that the classroom offer an engaging method of teaching and learning. Although the classical architectural/construction engineering classroom is highly dependent on the instructor, developing students’ critical thinking skills become a challenging task for even the most inspired educators. Nonetheless, these skills are a continual necessity for students’ plan to venture into the architectural/construction engineering professions. Haque 1 is of the view that traditional lecture format teaching methods sometimes fall short of conveying the complex analysis and design principles that need to be mastered in structural design. However when the theories are exemplified in a virtual environment with multimedia, animation, interaction, and manipulated image visualization techniques in a virtual reality environment, students’ conceptual understanding are enhanced.
Visualization has always been an important aspect in the construction industry and construction education has always laid stress on that aspect. Design professionals and educators used drawing as a practical tool for seeing, thinking and understanding their ideas, and for communicating them to others. In education, drawing was often woven tightly into curriculum and it was expected to play a major role in developing students’ visual abilities. 2 Fritsch and Kada 3 are of the view that the increased interest in the consumer market has led to the remarkable progress in game-engine industry. These powerful software packages are P ge 15893.2 efficiently run through rendering pipelines, special data-structures and speed-up techniques which in turn assist in visualizing texture mapped 3D objects, scenes and 3D worlds in real-time. Shiratuddin and Thabet 4 have described methods for developing realistic and low-cost three dimensional visualization applications using game engine software.
Game engines possess the ability to produce virtual environments in a real-time and realistic manner. With the capability of walking through the visualization, games engines have the capability to allow the user to navigate as if in the real world. Low-cost production, networking support, entry level hardware requirements, collision detection and support for high frame rates per second are some of the major advantages offered by the 3D game engines. Bar charts and network diagrams are typical means to represent and communicate construction schedules. Individuals having different background and being unfamiliar with these techniques find it difficult to evaluate and communicate the schedules. 5 Visual 4D planning and scheduling technique that combines 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) models with construction activities (time) provides proven benefits over the traditional tools. 6 In 4D models, project participants can effectively visualize and analyze problems regarding sequential, spatial, and temporal aspects of construction schedules.
Therefore, more robust schedules can be generated and hence reduce reworks and improve productivity. It is essential to use alternative modes of instruction to create an ‘almost real’ environment, which enables students to better understand the construction concepts. In today’s computer age, it is crucial to use all venues of information technology as effective tools of teaching. Research Methodology This paper demonstrates with examples various design and construction visualization techniques including image visualization, virtual reality, design animation, walk-through, time-space relationship visualization in 4D (3D+Schedule), time-space-cost relationship visualization in 5D (3D+Schedule+Cost), and Time-Space-Activity Conflict Detection using 4D Visualization in Multi-Storied Construction Project. In this paper, the author compiled his recent research activities in virtual construction visualization and animations that can be valuable course contents for graduate construction education and research. The author also believes that these materials can be valuable topics for senior capstone design courses for undergraduates in construction engineering and management. VR, 3-D animation and walkthrough: Haque 7 has developed 3D models of steel, concrete and wood framed structures, and placed them in a virtual world using AutoCAD, 3ds MAX, VRML, Macromedia Director, Flash, and others. The principal objective of these virtual construction sites was to help architectural/ construction engineering or management students and nontechnical personnel on construction sites to better visualize the sequence of operations, and design details of structures. The 3D model of a wooden framed residential house 7 (Figure 1) showing the foundation, framing as well as the finishing was animated to create a systematic sequence of the entire construction processes.
