Lean Project Management using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Development of a lean and automated progress tracking system is one of the most challenging subjects in the construction industry. Since the current methods depend on individual and manual inspections of the site, they may have various problems. For instance, results include a natural bias since field personnel makes interpretations depending on their educational and expertise level. From the practical point of view, manual data collection and their comparison with construction drawings and schedules are inefficient as it takes too much time. With the recent advancement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into the market and inclusion of lean project management principles, project management studies are inclined towards the digital and lean approaches. Within this perspective, the objective of this study is to reveal the use of UAVs as a lean project management tool. This paper indicates merely that UAVs have the potential for such a purpose.

BIM Transition Process in Construction Companies

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is considered among the most challenging developments in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. BIM is a software based three-dimensional design process that helps the AEC staff obtain and manage the digitally represented building data to support engineering, construction, procurement, and installation activities. The diffusion of the BIM approach in the construction industry has gained acceleration in the last decade. With the advances in information technologies, existence of highly capable commercial software packages, and mandates dictated by the clients, many construction companies have started to employ BIM in their projects. This study aims to investigate the BIM transition process in the construction companies. An interview has been conducted with the executives of a Turkish construction company to analyze the BIM transition process, through three main phases: pre-transition period, transition period, and post-transition period. In the pretransition period, the motivations of the company to adopt the BIM approach are examined. In the transition period, the challenges encountered and preventive measures taken are indicated. In the post-transition period, the short- and long-term effects of adopting the BIM approach are discussed. The study is expected to guide the construction professionals that intend to implement BIM in their transition process.

Towards a BIM-based System Integrated to a Virtual Reality Platform

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is considered among the most challenging developments in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. BIM is a software based three-dimensional design process that helps the AEC staff obtain and manage the digitally represented building data to support engineering, construction, procurement, and installation activities. The diffusion of the BIM approach in the construction industry has gained acceleration in the last decade. With the advances in information technologies, existence of highly capable commercial software packages, and mandates dictated by the clients, many construction companies have started to employ BIM in their projects. This study aims to investigate the BIM transition process in the construction companies. An interview has been conducted with the executives of a Turkish construction company to analyze the BIM transition process, through three main phases: pre-transition period, transition period, and post-transition period. In the pretransition period, the motivations of the company to adopt the BIM approach are examined. In the transition period, the challenges encountered and preventive measures taken are indicated. In the post-transition period, the short- and long-term effects of adopting the BIM approach are discussed. The study is expected to guide the construction professionals that intend to implement BIM in their transition process.

Using Augmented Reality in Construction Project Activities

Augmented reality is one of the innovative technologies that will provide significant benefits to construction project applications in the future. In this study, an augmented reality system is developed for improving construction project activities. By using this system, construction workers, equipment operators, engineers and managers can follow each step of the construction activities that they are responsible for. Users can access necessary information about training materials and construction methods related to the construction works. Thus, construction engineers and workers can learn the correct methods of project activities and prevent themselves to make wrong productions. The system is tested in ceramic tile installation. It has been proposed that the system can improve the quality and productivity of construction activities and therefore provide significant contributions to the construction industry.

Assessment of the Capabilities of Commercial Tools to Develop 4D/5D Models

Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is developed for improving the collaboration and interoperability in the construction sector has many dimensions. While “3D model” is developed to visualize the buildings, simulation-based “4D model” integrates 3D model with time and “5D model” is attained as a result of including cost in the 4D model. The purpose of this study is to define 5D modeling in detail and to assess the capacities of 4D/5D modeling software packages via comparison. To assess the capacities of 4D/5D modeling software packages, a test case was developed. A 3D model of a project was created in Autodesk Revit 2017 and 4D/5D models of the building were developed by using Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2017, Synchro Pro 2016.2 and Trimble Vico Office R6.0 software packages. In the test case, the stages and their durations when preparing 4D/5D models were identified and the advantages and disadvantages of each software package were determined. The results of the study could be used as a guide by the companies desiring to conduct 4D/5D application in the sector.

Leveraging Point Cloud Data for Detecting Building Façade Deteriorations Caused by Neighboring Construction

Building facade deterioration due to aging and nearby construction sites is a continuous public safety concern. Within the past half-decade, there have been more than twelve-thousand complaints regarding falling debris from building facades in NYC, where it has around 1 million aging buildings. Thus, an effective method for facade inspection is essential for property owners and inspection agencies. Nowadays, 3D laser scanners are widely utilized for their ability to capture as-is conditions. However, an appropriate scanning setting when facing distinct types of tasks, such as crack detection and progression of damages on building façades is essential to expedite the data collection process. The overarching goal of this research is to compare the datasets captured through different settings of laser scanners (i.e., resolution and scanning distance) for crack detection and to evaluate the measurement accuracy of the detected/progressed cracks. In this study, we report back on the analysis performed on point clouds obtained with terrestrial laser scanners for crack detection. The results provide a performance analysis of terrestrial scanning systems and corresponding settings for crack detection. Findings can provide an alternative way to comply with the laws (e.g., Local Law 11/98 in NYC) that require periodical evaluations of buildings in cities.

Using Augmented Reality in Construction Project Activities

Augmented reality is one of the innovative technologies that will provide significant benefits to construction project applications in the future. In this study, an augmented reality system is developed for improving construction project activities. By using this system, construction workers, equipment operators, engineers and managers can follow each step of the construction activities that they are responsible for. Users can access necessary information about training materials and construction methods related to the construction works. Thus, construction engineers and workers can learn the correct methods of project activities and prevent themselves to make wrong productions. The system is tested in ceramic tile installation. It has been proposed that the system can improve the quality and productivity of construction activities and therefore provide significant contributions to the construction industry.