THE �IT � IN SAFETY - THE PROMOTION OF VIRTUAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION (VDC) FOR CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

Abstract

The construction industry is the most dangerous industry in Singapore, and the fatality rate is noted to be significantly higher than other industries. There is also the risk of Workplace Safety and Health performance plateauing as there has not been significant reduction in fatality rates in recent times. Current efforts to mitigate the issue have not been successful and other options such innovative technology have to be adopted to enhance construction safety. Virtual Design and Construction is an influential visual management methodology that incorporates Building Information Modelling (BIM) and various other IT tools such as Augmented Reality (AR) to improve construction analysis and work performance. It provides a powerful opportunity to integrate all the aspects of construction activity such as scheduling, resource and safety planning, throughout the project lifecycle. The dissertation studies and evaluates the level of VDC adoption in the local industry, and identifies the various limitation it faces in implementation. It is found that there is a severe lack of awareness of VDC and its potential. A conceptual framework was developed to allow companies to use it as a guide to implement their own VDC strategy. It’s more likely that this technology will grow in popularity and be widely adopted in the future, but as of now is still relatively underutilized.