A virtual prototyping system for simulating construction processes

Virtual prototyping (VP) technology has been regarded as a cost-effective way of envisaging real circumstances that enhance effective communication of designs and ideas, without manufacturing physical samples. In the construction field, although a large number of digital technologies have been developed to visualize the innovative architectural design, few VP systems have been developed to facilitate integrated planning and visualization of construction plans of the building projects. This paper describes a virtual prototyping system, called the Construction Virtual Prototyping (CVP) system, which is developed for modeling, simulation, analysis and VP of construction processes from digital design. The CVP system allows project teams to check constructability, safety and to visualize 3D models of a facility before the commencement of construction works. The real-life case study presented in the study shows that the CV-P system is effective in assessing the executability of a construction planning including site layout, temporary work design, as well as resource planning. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.