Using BIM as a Tool to Teach Construction Safety

Abstract

Abstract. The advancement of computer technology allows the construction education to exploit the various teaching strategies. Unlike other engineering subjects, teaching construction subjects often requires media beyond traditional class room environment that would enable the creation of field-like construction atmosphere. Construction visualization allows students to exercise and experience various field settings that are too difficult to deliver using traditional teaching approach. This paper aims at describing an attempt to develop and implement building information modelling (BIM) as a platform for teaching construction safety. Using BIM technology students can learn various aspects of safety in construction, which are typically hidden from project documents. Visualization features in BIM are utilized by students to help them identifying potential hazard, unsafe acts, and unsafe conditions in a simulated construction project. The result shows that students are more aware and capable to identify any potential hazard and related safety regulations of construction plan and design pertinent to specific site conditions than that if they were only equipped with a set of construction drawings and specifications.

Green Building Construction: A Systematic Review of BIM Utilization

“…Irizarry et al [134] also revealed that the supply chain is arranged in a better precise, efficient, and cost-effective method with the integration of BIM and geographic information systems (GIS). From the perspective of safety management and planning, through BIM 4D's simulation and visualization of the green building construction progress, BIM can conduct risk identification and safety training for management personnel and construction workers [135][136][137][138][139]. Moreover, through the BIM 4D hazard identification component established by Heidary et al [140], BIM can assist green building construction managers in identifying and demonstrating the potential construction hazards in the early stages of green building projects [140].…”

“…Moreover, In BIM 4D, the stakeholders can become familiar with the conditions of buildings at different periods through visual 3D demonstrations [100,[117][118][119][120][121][122]142,143,145,164]. From the perspective of safety management, BIM's visualization can assist construction teams in identifying the clashes and potential risks in a visual manner, so as to provide the corresponding safety training and avoid delay, construction waste production, and rework [5,14,46,99,133,135,136,[138][139][140].…”