VDC as a project management tool on construction projects

Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) is a project management tool which focuses on the design phase in a construction process. In short it is used to reduce change orders because it is possible to satisfy the stakeholders even before the construction phase begins and this means an overall less complicated and more flawless process.

In traditional construction, the design and planning phase consists of several different 2D drawings which are used to share information and to expand the design afterwards by analyzing and making specifications. To optimize this decision making the term Building Information Model (BIM) is introduced. A model used to store information of physical features and functionality of the facility as data that can be assigned by the different partners in the project work. The BIM’s are an essential part of the mentioned project management tool Virtual Design in Construction where a digital 3D model is created to enable design and construction virtually. VDC operates with dimensions going from 3D to 6D.

The different dimensions add the time schedule, materials quantity and pricing and maintenance information to the 3D model. An upcoming feature of VDC is virtual reality, which gives the coming user of the facility the opportunity to experience going trough the facility using 3D glasses. The virtual reality avoids bad design decision in the spacing of the facility.

The VDC will optimize information sharing to a fast and precise process between the parties in the project. Different alternatives in the facility design and process can easily be evaluated to optimize the product. At last the client has a much better starting point in experiencing the facility before the building process has even begun, resulting in less surprises leading to less changes.

Wherever good this sounds the implementation of VDC must thought trough, a lot of education is needed and especially the craftsmen on the construction site needs adapting. This article will adopts the VDC tool to construction projects by going through different sections and it will discuss the advantages and disadvantages when implementing the tool in the early construction planning phase.

Overview

Background

Previously in traditional construction processes, you handled the design and planning phase of the construction by creating 2D drawings which is subsequently expanded by making an analysis and create specifications to the drawings. Because the decision making, in traditional construction methods, sometimes ended up unnecessarily long the term Building Information Model (BIM) was created. A BIM is defined as \emph{"a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility"} \scite{nationalbimstandard}.

The BIM model stores all the information about the building which is both physical and functional features. All this information can be used to optimize the decision making, and overall goal is to have information stored for every single component in the construction. BIM is widely used in the construction sector and a big part of the digital design process which is introduced by the new tool called Virtual Design and Construction (VDC).

The tool VDC can be used to achieve many benefits on large and smaller construction projects, and are considered as a fundamental project management tool to effectively reduce change orders in construction projects. Some of the benefits are listed below:

• When using VDC it is possible to have high precision in the planning of orders which leads to higher safety on the construction site.
• VDC allows the user to safe time and therefore money on construction projects.
• VDC allows to calculate pricing and quantities directly instead of giving estimates, which also means a new price easily can be calculated in case of changes.
• The tool gives basis for decision making because the client is often interested in knowing the immedate cost and the cost ten years.

Annotated bibliography

By Mie Drejer