Simulating Equipment-Based Construction Operations Using Virtual Environments

Construction simulation using virtual environments is a hot topic that gained attention during the last ten years. Although there is an ongoing research investigating the effectiveness and usefulness of virtual environments in construction simulation, this technique never reached the general construction industry. This is mainly due to two reasons: the lack of knowledge and the high cost involved. This paper briefly presents a historical background of the techniques used in construction simulation based on visual interactive graphical techniques, and introduces a new methodology for simulating equipment-based construction operations using virtual environments on personal computer. Additionally, a case study of a virtual environment for a constructed facility is demonstrated.