An integrated 5D tool for quantification of construction process emissions and accident identification

The environmental and safety performance of construction sites are increasingly regarded as critical factors that need to be monitored for the successful completion of construction projects. Research has also repeatedly highlighted the need to minimise the carbon footprint of the construction process and enhance the capacity of the project team and on-site workers in detecting and avoiding potential construction site hazards. However, a multi-dimensional visualisation technology that would allow project teams to simulate potential carbon emissions from construction plant and equipment and to detect potentially ‘dangerous’ locations on a construction site is currently lacking. This paper illustrates an integrated 5D model that uses virtual prototyping technologies to quantify carbon emissions, simulate the pattern of emissions from the overall construction process and identify potential ‘black spots’ of site hazards at the planning stage. The proposed 5D BIM based pro-active construction management system (PCMS) can help to detect potential sources of danger to on-site workers and provides pro-active warnings to prevent fatal accidents caused by falling or being struck by moving objects. A public housing project developed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority is used as a case study to demonstrate the integration of the emission prediction visualisation and accident detection tool into the BIM. The proposed tool demonstrates the utilisation of BIM technology to promote pro-active carbon mitigation and safety performance strategies.