ITcon Vol. 28, pg. 571-584, http://www.itcon.org/2023/30

Utilizing augmented reality for the assembly and disassembly of panelized construction

DOI:10.36680/j.itcon.2023.030
submitted:April 2023
revised:August 2023
published:September 2023
editor(s):Chansik Park, Nashwan Dawood, Farzad Pour Rahimian, Akeem Pedro
authors:Kantheepan Yogeeswaran
University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus
Email: ykt91@mail.ubc.ca

Qian Chen
University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus
Email: qian.chen@ubc.ca

Borja García de Soto
New York University Abu Dhabi
Email: garcia.de.soto@nyu.edu
summary:Prefabricated construction allows for efficient resource usage while creating higher-quality products that can be assembled on-site within a short time. While this translates to significant benefits for the overall construction, challenges arise from an increased demand for trained prefabrication assembly workers. As prefabrication calls for skills differing from traditional construction, the local labor force can be negatively affected to impede the successful uptake of prefabricated construction. Upskilling the local workforce to take on prefabrication assembly and potential disassembly can solve this problem. This is more relevant to remote construction projects as they stand to gain more from prefabricated construction. This study presents two workflows for creating Augmented Reality (AR) solutions. The AR solutions are aimed to help workers transition between traditional and prefabrication assembly in a panelized construction project. They are: (1) using QR codes to identify a panel’s intended location and construction sequence and (2) using predefined markers to show required equipment and on-site assembly procedures. The solutions are delivered through smartphones, which are readily available and provide a cost-effective medium. Furthermore, developed workflows present an opportunity to implement Design for Disassembly (DfD) concepts in a project. The proposed workflows show the potential to substantially help communicate to the workers the instructions on both the panel assembly and disassembly activities and upskill the local workforce to support the transition to prefabrication assembly in construction projects.
keywords:Prefabrication, Game engine, Construction Training, Workforce Upskilling, Design for Disassembly, Augmented Reality, Mobile Application
full text: (PDF file, 0.667 MB)
citation:Yogeeswaran K, Chen Q, García de Soto B (2023). Utilizing augmented reality for the assembly and disassembly of panelized construction, ITcon Vol. 28, Special issue The future of construction in the context of digital transformation (CONVR 2022), pg. 571-584, https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2023.030
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