Design/Construction Integration thru Virtual Construction for Improved Constructability

Executive Summary: Changing industry needs have take big leaps in the past two decades. Design and construction practices and project delivery systems have moved into the direction of integration. This has strongly encouraged many practitioners to consider design processes and construction processes concurrently in consecutive phases. By narrowing the gap between design and construction, thru integration, project constructability can be greatly improved. This white paper attempts to present the author’s views on how the design process can be further enhanced thru direct integration with the construction process. The paper first presents a brief summary of several recent research efforts that address this issue. The paper then presents a model for integrating the design and construction processes during the pre-construction stage for improved constructability. The model proposes a userinteractive virtual construction sessions that allow the user (design and/or builder) to construct and criticize the proposed facility using a 3D virtual environment. The model is part of a broader research effort at Virginia Tech to develop virtual construction environments for improved design and planning of construction facilities.