PACE

FOCUS ON RESEARCH
AE Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2003
VIRTUAL REALITY ROOM Dr. John Messner and then-graduate student Sai Yerrapathruni, joined a group of Penn State and industry engineers to investigate the value of using a virtual building model for planning the construction of a nuclear power plant. The model of a portion of a next generation nuclear power plant is being displayed in an immersive projection display (IPD) that allows construction managers to enter and interact with the contents of the full-scale plant that exists only in cyberspace. The users can determine the best step-by-step installation sequence for the piping assemblies, valves and other equipment, and make design recommendations based on constructability and operability. The new Penn State “virtual mockup” offers first-person presence, or the feeling that you’re actually in the room when you’re just standing in a space bounded by five large video screens that surround you with projected images. Early results from experiments involving construction management students and experienced construction superintendents indicate that the virtual room has the potential to reduce construction costs and time by enabling more efficient scheduling and facilitating the identification of valuable constructability suggestions. The virtual mockup used in the research is Room 12306 of the yet-to-be-built Westinghouse AP1000 commercial nuclear power plant. Room 12306 exists only in cyberspace, but could someday be located in a nuclear power plant auxiliary building, and contain piping, valves and other equipment from ten different fluid systems. The research team created the virtual room by exporting the 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) model of the room into a format recognized by their immersive display system. By using simulation software developed at Penn State, the installation sequence for the different construction components within the virtual mockup can be displayed. This provides the opportunity for a construction manager to interactively plan the sequence of construction for the different construction modules and components. Using the virtual mockup, planners can see the construction of the plant at full scale is a 3D virtual environment. AE construction management students who used the virtual room were able to identify constructability problems easily and find opportunities for scheduling parallel construction activities even though they had no prior knowledge of the space. Experienced industry superintendents also used the system to identify constructability issues and were able to reduce the planned schedule for constructing the room by approximately 30%. The research team includes Tim Shaw and Michael Warren of the Applied Research Lab; Anthony Baratta and Vaughn Whisker of the Nuclear Engineering Department; Jim Winters and Jill Clelland of Westinghouse Electric; Burns & Roe; and Panlyon Technologies. The project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Research Initiative. Dr. Messner is continuing efforts into the investigation of the use of time scaled virtual building models (also known as 4D CAD models) and the use of these models in immersive display systems to improve communication, foster innovation and reduce project risk. If you wish to learn more about these ongoing efforts or would like to participate in a case study project related to applying this technology to project planning and construction engineering education, please contact Dr. Messner at jmessner@engr.psu.edu. SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION AT PENN STATE A new research program in sustainable construction has been established at Penn State in the Department of Architectural Engineering. Led by faculty members David Riley and Michael Horman, this program seeks to define the enabling processes and team functions that result in sustainable building solutions. A particular emphasis is placed on how to actively engage construction organizations on green building projects, and position them as value added contributors through education, delivery methods, and contracting strategies. Research thrusts include identifying synergistic relationships between sustainability and lean theory, and developing of organizational competencies in construction firms that help enable green building projects. Recently completed projects include a pilot study on the role of the contractor on successful green building projects, and a sustainable facility acquisition process model for the US Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Ongoing projects include defining metrics for innovative sustainability and constructability processes on the $894 M Pentagon Renovation Project, and applications of sustainable building methods and technologies on low-income housing projects. This program includes a high level of integration with undergraduate and graduate courses, and was recently awarded an NSF Research grant titled: An Experimental Pedagogy in Sustainable Building Technologies: Integrating Teaching, Research and Public Scholarship. Opportunities for graduate student positions are currently available in these exciting areas. For more information, contact Dr. David Riley at driley@engr.psu.edu or check out our website at www.engr.psu.edu/greenbuild.

FOCUS ON RESEARCH

AE Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2003

VIRTUAL REALITY ROOM
Dr. John Messner and then-graduate student Sai Yerrapathruni, joined a group of Penn State and industry engineers to investigate the value of using a virtual building model for planning the construction of a nuclear power plant. The model of a portion of a next generation nuclear power plant is being displayed in an immersive projection display (IPD) that allows construction managers to enter and interact with the contents of the full-scale plant that exists only in cyberspace. The users can determine the best step-by-step installation sequence for the piping assemblies, valves and other equipment, and make design recommendations based on constructability and operability.

The new Penn State “virtual mockup” offers first-person presence, or the feeling that you’re actually in the room when you’re just standing in a space bounded by five large video screens that surround you with projected images. Early results from experiments involving construction management students and experienced construction superintendents indicate that the virtual room has the potential to reduce construction costs and time by enabling more efficient scheduling and facilitating the identification of valuable constructability suggestions.

The virtual mockup used in the research is Room 12306 of the yet-to-be-built Westinghouse AP1000 commercial nuclear power plant. Room 12306 exists only in cyberspace, but could someday be located in a nuclear power plant auxiliary building, and contain piping, valves and other equipment from ten different fluid systems. The research team created the virtual room by exporting the 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) model of the room into a format recognized by their immersive display system. By using simulation software developed at Penn State, the installation sequence for the different construction components within the virtual mockup can be displayed. This provides the opportunity for a construction manager to interactively plan the sequence of construction for the different construction modules and components. Using the virtual mockup, planners can see the construction of the plant at full scale is a 3D virtual environment.

AE construction management students who used the virtual room were able to identify constructability problems easily and find opportunities for scheduling parallel construction activities even though they had no prior knowledge of the space. Experienced industry superintendents also used the system to identify constructability issues and were able to reduce the planned schedule for constructing the room by approximately 30%.

The research team includes Tim Shaw and Michael Warren of the Applied Research Lab; Anthony Baratta and Vaughn Whisker of the Nuclear Engineering Department; Jim Winters and Jill Clelland of Westinghouse Electric; Burns & Roe; and Panlyon Technologies. The project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Research Initiative.

Dr. Messner is continuing efforts into the investigation of the use of time scaled virtual building models (also known as 4D CAD models) and the use of these models in immersive display systems to improve communication, foster innovation and reduce project risk. If you wish to learn more about these ongoing efforts or would like to participate in a case study project related to applying this technology to project planning and construction engineering education, please contact Dr. Messner at jmessner@engr.psu.edu.

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION AT PENN STATE
A new research program in sustainable construction has been established at Penn State in the Department of Architectural Engineering. Led by faculty members David Riley and Michael Horman, this program seeks to define the enabling processes and team functions that result in sustainable building solutions. A particular emphasis is placed on how to actively engage construction organizations on green building projects, and position them as value added contributors through education, delivery methods, and contracting strategies.

Research thrusts include identifying synergistic relationships between sustainability and lean theory, and developing of organizational competencies in construction firms that help enable green building projects. Recently completed projects include a pilot study on the role of the contractor on successful green building projects, and a sustainable facility acquisition process model for the US Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Ongoing projects include defining metrics for innovative sustainability and constructability processes on the $894 M Pentagon Renovation Project, and applications of sustainable building methods and technologies on low-income housing projects.

This program includes a high level of integration with undergraduate and graduate courses, and was recently awarded an NSF Research grant titled: An Experimental Pedagogy in Sustainable Building Technologies: Integrating Teaching, Research and Public Scholarship. Opportunities for graduate student positions are currently available in these exciting areas. For more information, contact Dr. David Riley at driley@engr.psu.edu or check out our website at www.engr.psu.edu/greenbuild.

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