Li, J; Zhu, J and Guan, C (2024) Mitigating fatigue in tunnel construction through illumination: Evidence from virtual reality. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 150(11): 04024165, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Tunnel construction is crucial to the advancement of global transportation networks. Despite their importance, there have been few investigations on the safety and comfort of workers. Tunnel workers operate under various adverse conditions that lead to multiple forms of fatigue. Researchers have suggested that there is a specific type of fatigue stemming from insufficient natural or improper artificial lighting that has largely been overlooked in previous studies. To validate the existence of illumination-induced fatigue and explore control measures, this study conducted virtual reality experiments in a simulated tunnel construction setting and collected and analyzed data from scales, electroencephalogram, and eye-tracking. The results indicated significant variations in fatigue levels with changes in illumination, whereas the environment remained constant, confirming the presence of illumination fatigue. Moreover, the analysis of the scale results aligned with the EEG findings, ranking the comfort levels of the mucking illumination as 100>75>150>50>200>30>15>10>0 lx. The modeling of illumination fatigue identified three comfort levels of illumination, I: [75, 100], II: [15, 75) (100, 200], III: [0, 15], thereby establishing that illumination fatigue can be controlled through improved lighting. Subsequently, to address the issue of uneven illumination distribution at construction sites, key areas for mucking task lighting were identified using eye-tracking technology as the upper and lower edges of the bucket, debris being moved, and expected stacking area. Finally, by comparing and summarizing the divergent conclusions of previous studies, this study proposed various targeted lighting guidelines. This comprehensive study not only enriches the current understanding and experimental design reference for tunnel construction fatigue but also provides practitioners with specific and effective lighting guidance to significantly reduce workers' fatigue and improve their working conditions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | electroencephalogram; eye-tracking; illumination fatigue; lighting environment; tunnel construction |
| Index terms: | working conditions, modelling, virtual reality, investigation, comfort, presence, experimental design, tunnel construction, variation, evidence, practitioner, construction site, fatigue, experiment, stacking, tunnel |
| Subjects: | evaluation and assessment methods, practitioner, environmental science, analytical methods, structural engineering, data collection methods, virtual reality, research design and methodology, work location, civil engineering, employment law, contractual condition, occupational health and safety management, health conditions and diseases, infrastructure and transport systems |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Legal Issues, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Site Management, Contract Administration, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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