A virtual construction environment for preconstruction planning

The planning process is critical to the successful development and execution of a construction project. Current planning practices adopted by the construction industry continue to be substantially manual. Project information is primarily exchanged via paper documents, and the visualization of the facility is marginally communicated using 2D drawings. Functions are generally planned independently of one another. Previous research efforts developed systems that are characterized as responsive decision systems, relying mainly on programmed knowledge and heuristics for decision-making; reducing or eliminating the role of the human planner. This paper presents a framework for a new planning approach that will utilize virtual reality (VR) modeling techniques coupled with object-oriented technologies to develop an integrated virtual planning tool called the Virtual Construction Environment (VCE). The proposed VCE will enable the project team to undertake inexpensive rehearsals of major construction processes and test various execution strategies in a near reality sense, prior to the actual start of construction. A proof of concept prototype is currently being developed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.