Kaewmoracharoen, M (2009) Feasibility of visualization and simulation applications to improve work zone safety and mobility. PhD thesis, Iowa State University, USA.
Abstract
Visualization is a relatively recent tool available to engineers for enhancing transportation project design through improved communication, decision making, and stakeholder feedback. Current visualization techniques include image composites, video composites, 2-D drawings, drive-through or fly-through animations, three-dimensional (3-D) rendering models, virtual reality, and four-dimensional (4-D) CAD. These methods are used mainly to communicate within the design and construction team and between the team and external stakeholders. Use of visualization improves understanding of design intent and project concepts, and facilitates effective decision making. Visualization tools, however, typically are used for presentation only in large-scale urban projects. Visualization is not accepted widely due to a lack of demonstrated engineering benefits for typical agency projects, such as small and medium size projects, rural projects, and projects where external stakeholder communication is not a major issue. Furthermore, there is a perceived high cost of investment of both financial and human capital in adopting visualization tools. The most advanced visualization technique of virtual reality has been used only in academic research settings, and 4-D CAD has been used on a very limited basis for highly complicated specialty projects. However, there are a number of less technically sophisticated visualization methods available that may provide some benefit to many agency projects. Survey results show that respondents have neutral ideas of adopting visualization techniques used in work zone construction. However, t-test analyses of survey results show that the younger generation and persons familiar with technology believe visualization techniques can be useful more so than people of older generations or those who are not familiar with technology. In this dissertation, a work zone visualization model was developed by creating 3-D models linked with scheduling data. The visualization file was saved as a .kmz format file to be used and sent over the Internet. After viewing the developed work zone visualization, a focus group and project team members of the 24th Street Bridge Project believed the visualization would be useful as a low cost technique for communicating during construction and was adopted as an alternative visualization tool on the construction project website. In this dissertation, results of a feasibility study are presented examining the use of visualization applications for improving work zone planning, design, construction, safety, and mobility.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Kelly, C S |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; construction project; construction team; decision making; feasibility study; feedback; highway; investment; project team; safety; scheduling; virtual reality; visualization; stakeholders; focus group |
| Index terms: | low cost, engineer, construction team, human capital, mobility, composite, simulation application, project team, internet, bridge project, dissertation, design and construction, virtual reality, survey, transportation project, drawing, scheduling, focus group, feasibility study, visualization, external stakeholder, agency, decision-making, construction project |
| Subjects: | project delivery, bidding, contractual arrangements, design stages, operations research, technical documentation, modelling and simulation, computing systems, materials science, virtual reality, research dissemination and communication, data collection methods, profession, infrastructure and transport systems, sociology, decision analysis, production management, economics, design practice |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Time Control, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Design Practice, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Procurement, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here