BIM technology in the construction industry uses 3D digital tools to simulate real building information, creating a coordinated and consistent information model for engineering design and construction. This enables seamless integration between design and construction phases, ultimately reducing project costs. In pipeline installation, combining BIM with VR technology brings innovation by enhancing the visibility of pipeline clashes. This approach makes collision issues more intuitive and specific, improves construction efficiency, and saves both resources and costs.
Project Overview
This project is located in Changshu City with a total investment of 159.892 million yuan, including 10 million yuan allocated for environmental protection. The site covers 24,591 square meters, with a total construction area of 25,249.2 square meters—19,899.2 square meters above ground and 5,350 square meters underground. The building reaches a maximum height of 24 meters. The main structure is a frame design, serving as cultural and sports administrative offices and public buildings.
The main complex consists of a comprehensive building and three teaching buildings labeled A, B, and C. The comprehensive building includes one underground garage and five floors above ground, while the teaching buildings each have four floors above ground.
BIM Technology Modeling
Creating the Revit Civil Engineering Model
Using the Hushan Primary School project as a basis, the BIM modeling software Revit was employed to develop the civil engineering model for the design phase. This model includes structural components such as beams, slabs, and columns, as well as architectural elements like walls, doors, windows, and stairs.
Due to the project’s lengthy construction period and the inability to finalize site layout early on, a general volume model was initially created and imported into the 3D layout. This model was then replaced later with the completed Revit civil engineering model.
Developing the CQI Pipeline Model
Based on the electrical, HVAC, and water diagrams for Hushan Elementary School, Guanglian Da installation and measurement GQI software was used to build models for water supply and drainage, HVAC, electrical, and fire protection systems.
Integrating and Visualizing Civil Engineering and Mechanical Models
The civil engineering model was integrated with the mechanical and electrical models using BIM5D software to complete the Hushan Elementary School model. The combined model and site were rendered with Lumion software to produce animations, which were then imported into a VR engine. Specialized devices were connected to the VR setup to create a fully immersive VR scene.
Using VR Visualization for Pipeline Collision Detection
By wearing a VR headset and entering the completed virtual environment, users can observe the pipeline installation throughout the school. By navigating freely within the VR scene, collision points and design flaws between pipelines become easy to identify.
With the visual sharing function, the detected issues are displayed on a large screen in the VR experience area, offering a clear and intuitive representation of errors. This setup facilitates prompt modifications and corrections by designers.
An information display feature enhances usability, especially in large buildings with many rooms and complex pipeline networks. Users can simply touch a pipeline to bring up an information panel that shows details such as floor, room, and pipeline type. This eliminates the need for manual recording and judgment, significantly improving construction efficiency.
Advantages of VR Visualization in Pipeline Collision Detection
- It provides a clear, three-dimensional visual of the scene, eliminating the need for designers to guess or rely on fixed viewing angles to spot errors.
- It significantly reduces the time needed to locate errors, boosting overall work efficiency.
- It creates practical scenarios that enable real-time communication between construction and design teams, allowing for adjustments based on actual conditions. This helps conserve resources and prevents material waste.
Source: Tech Wind, February 2021
Authors: Li Yuanmin, Wei Fangxia, Qiang Qiang (deleted)
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up