An integrated safety management with construction management using 4D CAD model

Abstract

This paper describes an integrated system for safety and construction management using the 4D CAD model. Safety is integrated with the construction management process throughout design, planning and control phases. Design information about building components and planning information about activities has been gathered to formulate the 4D CAD model. The rule-based system analyzes this combined information to automatically detect any working-at-height hazards and also indicates necessary safety measures in terms of activities and requirements. These safety measures are inserted into the construction schedule and visualized on the 4D CAD together with the other construction sequences. A prototype is developed and verified with a project case study. The results show that the developed system can be a collaboration tool for designers, project engineers, safety officers, and other project participants. It can raise safety awareness of the team and it leads to revisions of design and plan to be consistent with safety. Safety measures are apparently on the schedule; therefore, right resources are allocated, safety constraints are considered and alleviated ahead of time, and the safety control can explicitly refer to as well. This contributes to the success of safety management in the construction industry.