A Case Study of 3D Imaging Productivity Needs to Support Infrastructure Construction

Published

May 23, 2012

Author(s)

Gabriel Dadi, Paul Goodrum, Kamel Saidi, Christopher U. Brown, Joseph Betit

Abstract

The national infrastructure system is at a crossroads with a need for renewal and expansion in the most efficient manner possible. Light railway construction requires the installation of embedments in reinforced concrete pavement along the length of elevated sections of the railway system. Conventionally, wooden dowels are manually placed into the reinforcing steel mat before concrete placement to form the slot for the embedments; however this is labor intensive and can yield inconsistent spacing. An alternative method is digitally mapping the locations of the reinforcing steel-free space prior to concrete placement to identify where holes could be drilled without hitting the steel reinforcement. The challenge is avoiding impacting production. Using field-based data, this study identifies the number of hours to create the map without impacting production for a typical railway section. Discrete event simulation (DES) modeling is utilized to conduct the analysis. To substitute the alternative method, scanning a typical railway section falls within the capabilities of most laser scanning technologies; however, the processing of images to create a useable model will determine if a 3D imaging method can be applied. This research demonstrates a case study of applying DES to analyze productivity impacts on a repetitive process and investigates the capabilities of 3D imaging technologies for effective field use.

Proceedings Title

Construction Research Congress (CRC 2012)

Conference Dates

May 21-23, 2012

Conference Location

West Lafayette, IN, US

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

discrete event simulation (DES) modeling, construction infrastructure, modeling, 3D imaging

Citation

Dadi, G. , Goodrum, P. , Saidi, K. , Brown, C. and Betit, J. (2012), A Case Study of 3D Imaging Productivity Needs to Support Infrastructure Construction, Construction Research Congress (CRC 2012), West Lafayette, IN, US, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=910048 (Accessed December 22, 2024)