INTEGRATED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT PLANNING USING 3D INFORMATION MODELS

Although the evolution and deployment of information technologies will undoubtedly play an important role in the current construction industry, many engineers are still unsure of the economic value of using these technologies. Especially for the planning of a construction project, a collaboration system to utilize the whole resources is a essential tool for the successful outcome. A detailed, authoritative, and readily accessible information model is needed to enable engineers to make cost-effective decisions among established and innovative plan alternatives. Most engineers rely on limited private experiences when they create solutions or design alternatives. Initial planning is crucial for the success of the construction project. Most construction projects are done through collaboration of engineers who have different specialized knowledge. Information technologies can dramatically enhance the performance of the collaboration. For the information delivery, we need a mediator between engineers. Object-based 3-D models are useful for the communication and decision assistance for the intelligent project design. In this paper, basic guidelines for the 3-D design according to different construction processes are suggested. Adequate interoperability of 3-D objects from any CAD system is essential for the collaboration. Basic architectures of geometry models and their information layer were established to enable interoperability for design checks, estimation and simulation. A typical international project for roadway was chosen for the pilot project. 3-D GIS model was created and bridge information models were created considering several requirements for planning and decision making of the project. From the pilot test, the integrated construction project planning using 3-D information models was discussed and several guidelines were suggested.