Walid Thabet

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.

A procedure for multi-criteria selection of building assemblies

During some of the different building design stages, typical construction materials/components are often grouped together to form what is called building assemblies. One of the most important tasks in the design development stage of building design is the selection of the appropriate building assemblies to be used in the various elements of the building, e.g. walls, roofs, floors and so on. This decision will have a significant impact on the performance of the building with respect to the various design criteria. Although this decision cannot be entirely separated from other design stages, the use of decision-making techniques can render this a more rational decision. In this paper, a computer tool is developed for selecting the best combination of building assemblies for each particular design situation. The tool utilizes some of the existing decision-making models in a single comprehensive procedure. In the described procedure, the building assemblies are selected by finding a trade-off between a set of designer-specified criteria. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to determine the relative importance weights for the different criteria. In addition, various methods for determining an aggregated criteria performance for each alternative solution is described. A heuristic algorithm is used to search for the best assembly combination among the different building assemblies. A computer prototype that implements the selection procedure is developed in Visual Basic as an add-in to AutoCad.

Understanding the role of developer/builders in the concurrent commercialization of product innovation

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present part of continuing research on the challenges of entrepreneurial business ventures to commercialize innovative construction products in the residential construction industry.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use workshop and survey data on the role of the developer/builder to further develop the domain‐specific commercialization model for residential construction products. The authors propose a cross‐functional system to better facilitate innovation.Findings – Successful concurrent commercialization requires risk sharing among all members of a products supply chain. The authors advocate concurrent management in commercialization, which requires information sharing and knowledge transfer among supply‐chain members early in a commercialization project and a special form of concurrent engineering for construction products, which is called concurrent commercialization (CC).Practical implications – The research indicates that addressing the developer/build...

Towards establishing a domain specific commercialization model for innovation in residential construction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer a commercialization framework that outlines phases and functional areas for technical and business practices in getting innovative products to market. The development of this framework was motivated by a history of failures of entrepreneurial business ventures in the commercialization of construction products.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents Phase 1 of commercialization research efforts, which includes a definition of innovation and commercialization for the residential construction industry; a review of literature related to generic commercialization models; and construction of a new commercialization framework for innovative construction products. This paper also introduces Phase 2 of this research, which includes qualitative and quantitative knowledge capture from construction industry experts; and the development of a domain‐specific commercialization model for the residential industry based on these inputs to reflect the unique challeng...

Building assembly detailing using constraint-based modeling

Constraint-based geometric modeling entails specifying geometric constraints to control the locations of the components in an assembly. Consequently, any future modifications of the components are governed by these constraints. In this paper, a set of constraint-based assembly operations for generating 3D details of building assemblies are presented. The operations constrain the locations and orientations of the components in a building assembly through a series of constructive steps and therefore allow for easier modification. These operations are used in a modeling system that extends the idea of constraint-based modeling to detailing architectural building assemblies. The system utilizes the constraint-based assembly operations, which employ traditional geometric constraints integrated with a set of constructive assembly operations. The constraint-based assembly operations allow for a more systematic generation of the assembly details, which can save repetitive work and reduce mistakes resulting from copying and pasting old details. Also, the technique allows the assemblies to be studied and analyzed. To illustrate this idea, a prototype 3D constraint-based system for assembling three-dimensional architectural details was developed. With the proposed system, the details of building assemblies do not need to be reinvented for every project. Examples of the proposed approach are provided and its limitations and benefits are discussed.

Case Analysis to Identify Information Links between Facility Management and Healthcare Delivery Information in a Hospital Setting

AbstractEffective facility management is a critical aspect of ensuring an adequate physical environment to administer care. Maintaining the environment is complicated with numerous critical systems because of occupants with compromised immune systems, and the need to maintain the systems with minimal effect on clinical operations. The complexity and importance of tasks that facility managers deal with require them to have adequate, up-to-date, and easily accessible information. This paper presents a case study that analyzes the impact of facility management on healthcare delivery. The work was completed in the preliminary stages of a research initiative for developing a lifecycle information management system to support facility management within healthcare. A case concerning mechanical systems and critical failures in a healthcare setting is analyzed to identify the types of information needed to adequately perform maintenance tasks. The information is then analyzed for origin along the lifecycle of the ...

Simulation of asphalt paving operations under lane closure conditions

Abstract Lane closures during paving operations on rural two-lane roads usually restrict the continuity of paving operations, causing delay in paving time and thus affecting the production rates. This paper presents a simulation model that was developed to assess the impact of the different variables on paving operations under lane closure conditions. The model developed is a high-fidelity computer simulation that incorporates an animation interface. The model involves traffic simulation as well as the construction process itself, and allows users to study the interaction between the two. Variables such as distance from plant, number and types of trucks, traffic volume, length of lane closure, maximum allowable work zone speed, and lane closure strategies are incorporated in the model. Users of the model can adjust these variables according to any particular project and consequently measure the effect on production rates and cost. A construction-oriented discrete event simulation language, Stroboscope, was used to develop the model and a 3D animation was developed to visually simulate the construction process for visual verification. The model was then used on a case study to evaluate paving operations. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using the simulation model to investigate the effects of the different variables on productivity and cost.

Interactive 3D visualization as a tool for construction education

Throughout the years, various teaching methods have been adopted to assist students to better understand building assemblies and construction details. Many current teaching techniques for explaining building assemblies use various mediums such as 2D drawings, isometric and perspective drawings, photographs of assemblies and also field trips to the construction jobsite. Such detail needs to be complemented with plans, elevations and sections. This is necessary because in any drawing only 2 dimensions are visible. 3D CAD modeling addresses the third dimension that is not present in 2D CAD drawings, and allows better viewing, validating and understanding building components and their construction. This paper addresses the impact of using 3D in teaching and its advantages over current approaches. The paper describes a pilot study conducted with students from the Virginia Tech Architecture and Building Construction departments. The experiment investigated the advantages of 3D representation as compared to 2D drawings, in understanding construction assemblies and details. The paper also discusses the shortcomings of the traditional methods and compares the suitability of using 3D as a teaching aid. A new approach utilizing pocket PCs and/or laptop computers via wireless connectivity, to allow students to access and view 3D models remotely, is briefly presented.

Electrical deaths in the US construction: an analysis of fatality investigations.

Electrocution is among the ‘fatal four’ in US construction according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Learning from failures is believed to be an effective path to success, with deaths being the most serious system failures. This paper examined the failures in electrical safety by analysing all electrical fatality investigations (N = 132) occurring between 1989 and 2010 from the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation programme that is completed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Results reveal the features of the electrical fatalities in construction and disclose the most common electrical safety challenges on construction sites. This research also suggests the sociotechnical system breakdowns and the less effectiveness of current safety training programmes may significantly contribute to workers unsafe behaviours and electrical fatality occurrences.

Potential Application of BIM in Cost-benefit Analysis of Demolition Waste Management

Building information modeling (BIM) has been recently recognized as a powerful tool among the construction stakeholders. The BIM technology not only enables decision makers access reliable and accurate information but also facilitates project management processes during bidding, pre-construction, construction, and post-construction. However, possible application of BIM technology are less considered for the purpose of the end-of-life operations such as cost-benefit analysis of demolition waste management. This study aims to identify potential application of BIM in demolition waste management in order for decision makers to base their decisions on reliable and accurate information. For this purpose, three most common demolition waste management alternatives are proposed and the cost-benefit analysis is formulated based on building-related and constant variables. The variables are further categorized based on their data sources into four categories including drawings & on-site survey, literature, official statistics & regulations, and real-life data from survey. Finally a case study of one-story wood-frame residential building is simulated in order to demonstrate the potential application of BIM in supporting costbenefit analysis of demolition waste management. The result of this study can be used as the backbone for developing a BIM-based waste management tool.