USING 4 D MODELING TO ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION VISUALIZATION IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION by Lingyun Wang Technical Report

Students in construction and engineering disciplines typically learn how to develop a building construction schedule by visualizing 2D design documents for a building project. This learning process is difficult since a student first needs to associate components in the 2D documents with their related construction activities, and then mentally visualize the construction sequence. 4D modeling technologies, visually representing the construction schedule time along with the 3D model components, has the potential to aid this learning process by providing a common visual language for students. This research examines the value of implementing 4D modeling technologies in construction engineering education for learning how to develop building construction schedules, and the associated concepts regarding sequencing and resource utilization. This research also targeted the development of a new process for creating a 4D model which is implemented in the Virtual Construction Simulator (VCS) application. This approach allows a student to generate a construction schedule directly from a 3D model without first creating a critical path method (CPM) schedule, which is required by current commercial 4D modeling applications. To assess the effectiveness of using 4D modeling to visualize a construction schedule, a case study research project was performed where small student groups developed a construction schedule with the aid of a 4D learning module. The 4D learning modules were developed using two different 4D modeling applications (a commercial 4D modeling application and the VCS). An experiment was conducted to assess, compare and determine the pedagogical value of the two applications. The 4D learning modules were found to be beneficial based on quality of the resulting solutions presentation effectiveness, and the perception of the students. The VCS application was more valuable than the commercial 4D application since it encouraged more collaborative group work, engaged students, and provided a greater focus on solution development.