Virtual reality integrated tower crane layout planning for high-rise modular construction

Abstract

Modular construction has been adopted in high-rise building projects for addressing the significant challenges facing the construction industry such as ageing workforce and cost escalation. It is the most advanced off-site construction technology, with installation of heavy and large-sized modules. Modular construction for high-rise development involves multiple module installation using heavy-duty tower cranes. To guarantee safe and efficient crane lifts for high-rise modular construction, tower crane layout planning (TCLP) is a critical but challenging task.

However, the existing TCLP practice that relies on paper-based drawings is static-in-nature, time-consuming, and error-prone. The literature review reveals an insufficient exploration on TCLP especially for modular construction. As the challenging crane lifts in high-rise modular construction differ greatly from that in conventional construction and the existing tools cannot efficiently generate the optimal crane layout plan, it is imperative to explore the knowledge of TCLP for high-rise modular construction.

This research therefore aims to develop a systematic decision-making framework and an innovative tool for TCLP to achieve safe and efficient construction of high-rise modular buildings. The research employs a mixed-method research strategy with both qualitative and quantitative methods. First, a critical literature review using meta-analysis was conducted to examine the issues and methods of TCLP. Second, site visits with expert interviews were carried out worldwide to explore the crane-lift features in modular construction and the critical considerations on TCLP. Third, an integrated fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was adopted to establish the framework of TCLP. Fourth, virtual prototyping and computer programming were carried out to develop a virtual reality (VR) integrated tool using a game engine. Fifth, case studies using real-life high-rise modular building projects were conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the framework and the tool.

A number of new findings are summarised as follows. First, issues of TCLP for high-rise modular construction involve both crane selection and location optimisation and they are interrelated. Second, the determination of an optimal crane layout plan is significantly affected by modular-specific factors (e.g. modularised layout design) and criteria (e.g. rotation of modules). Third, the complicated TCLP issues can be effectively addressed by using a two-step MCDM framework (i.e. feasibility analysis and performance evaluation). Fourth, the fuzzy-integrated approach is efficient in determining the optimal crane layout plan for high-rise modular construction. Fifth, the VR-integrated human-in-the-loop (HITL) TCLP is innovative in interactive layout generation, real-time performance evaluation, and dynamic crane-lift simulation.

To conclude, the research fills the knowledge gaps in TCLP for high-rise modular construction by redefining the TCLP concept, proposing a new decision-making framework, and developing an innovative VR tool. Scientifically, the research first attempts to combine HITL simulation with MCDM techniques as a theoretical foundation in developing digital tools for crane-lift planning. Practically, the research should facilitate safe and efficient modular construction in high-rise high-density contexts by supporting the determination of an optimal crane layout plan.