| introduction |
Construction planning is a complicated
process that involves deciding what, when and where to deploy resources
in a changing site environment. The traditional construction planning
tools like Gantt chart and PERT chart help contractors to plan
logical sequence of the many different activities in a very limited
way. Based on the simple bar chart or network representations,
contractors are very difficult to evaluate the feasibility of their
construction plan. Contractors demand a tool to visualize their
plan and to allow them to try different construction method so
that they can produce a feasible construction plan with optimal
use of resources and shortest construction time. The Delmia software
from Dassault Systemes is likely to be a possible solution for
contractors.
The Department of Building and Real Estate of the Hong Kong Polytechnic
University has a very long history in doing collaboration research
with and providing consultancy services to major contractors in
Hong Kong and Asia. The department is particularly advanced
in developing
and applying information systems for the construction industry.
In the previous year the department has successfully engaged
three major
contractors in Hong Kong to utilize Delmia in four construction
projects that worth more than US$400,000,000. These projects
are very different
in size and type allowing us to explore the applicability of Delmia
in a more extensive and comprehensive manner.
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Construction
Virtual Prototyping Laboratory |
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| What is Construction Virtual
Prototyping? |
Virtual Prototyping (VP)
provides a capacity to “construct in the computer”.
It provides a modeling and simulation environment so powerful that
the production, fabrication and assembly of construction components,
including the associated operational processes, can be simulated
in the computer. VP takes into account all of variables in the
project procurement process from feasibility analysis to maintenance
management. The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility
of construction processes with a view to minimize the time and
resource use. |
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| Mission |
The Construction Virtual Prototyping Laboratory
has been set up to develop and promote latest virtual prototyping
technologies in construction to improve efficiency and accuracy
of construction planning. |
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| Benefits to Construction Industries |
> Early identification of possible planning
error
> Evaluation of innovative construction method in a virtually real
environment
> Identification of idle time and resources, and rapidly experiment
new alternatives to achieve optimization
> Production of accurate construction plan based on extensive productivity
data
> Dissemination of holistic and easy to understand planning information
to project staff from top management to worker level |
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