By Nidhi DhullReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Oct 8 2024A recent review article published in Results in Engineering explored the state-of-the-art in virtual reality (VR) applications for construction health and safety (CHS) using a dual approach combining scientometric and systematic review methodologies. The study not only identified current challenges but also provided strategic recommendations to advance VR-CHS research.
Study: A state-of-the-art analysis of virtual reality applications in construction health and safety. Image Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com
Background
The construction industry is marked by high injury rates, leading to fatalities and significant financial losses. VR presents an innovative solution that can help anticipate potential hazards on construction sites. However, the slow adoption of VR in the industry makes it difficult to effectively identify and address construction safety hazards. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of VR’s potential in construction health and safety (CHS) has been limited.
To address this gap, the study employed a mixed-method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative analyses to review the use of VR in CHS. Quantitatively, a systematic literature search and scientometric analysis were performed on studies published between 2010 and 2023. Qualitatively, the systematic review evaluated various VR technologies and their applications in CHS.
The findings revealed slow initial growth, with only a single publication annually from 2010 to 2014 and two publications per year from 2015 to 2017. However, a significant increase was observed in 2018, with eight publications in that year alone. Notably, among the 106 articles reviewed from 33 countries, the United States made the largest contribution to the research.
VR in Construction
VR systems are sophisticated media technologies designed to create immersive sensory experiences and advanced content representations, capable of simulating both imagined and real-world environments. These systems can be accessed through various display types, such as cave automatic virtual environments (CAVE), head-mounted devices (HMD), or desktop computers.
VR technologies can be classified into five categories: immersive VR (IVR), desktop-based VR (DVR), building information modeling-enabled VR (BIMVR), three-dimensional game-based VR (3DGVR), and augmented reality (AR).
IVR, the most expensive VR system, uses HMDs and sensor gloves to provide users with fully immersive experiences. However, it accounts for only 6.7 % of VR applications in construction safety, primarily for hazard detection in site walk-throughs. In contrast, DVR, the most cost-effective and least immersive system, is mainly employed for construction engineering education and training.
BIMVR relies on building information modeling (BIM) to integrate various VR categories with data binding, enabling the simulation of building operations and activities. This allows detailed visualization of all BIM components, overcoming the limitations of two-dimensional drawings. Additionally, 3DGVR enhances user interaction by creating game-like, computer-based training scenarios, simplifying tasks such as collision detection and object manipulation, particularly for construction equipment like cranes and excavators.
AR, which constitutes 32 % of VR applications in CHS, is predominantly used in construction instruction and inspection. It leverages real-world objects as interface components, enabling users to interact with virtual content through their manipulation.
VR-CHS Applications
VR allows users to focus on and implement effective strategies to manage various hazards present on construction sites. Traditional safety estimation methods are typically manual and rely on arbitrary assumptions, developed during project meetings to design preventive measures for anticipated hazards. VR overcomes these limitations by offering enhanced modeling and visualization capabilities.
VR also facilitates continuous safety monitoring on construction sites through automated systems. Construction managers can access real-time data immediately, enabling swift action on any identified hazards. This real-time hazard tracking helps workers avoid dangerous areas, enhancing overall site safety.
Additionally, safety education and training—both on-site and off-site—are vital for improving CHS. However, off-site training often lacks practical, hands-on learning, while on-site training can be inefficient and disrupt routine work. VR addresses these challenges by providing immersive, visualized data and virtual hands-on training opportunities, even in off-site settings, without interrupting construction activities.
Current Challenges
While VR has significant potential to improve the efficiency of CHS, it faces several challenges related to infrastructure, algorithm development, virtual content modeling, general health and safety, and interoperability.
Infrastructure challenges include hardware limitations, such as resolution, device weight, field of view, user mobility, frame rate, portability, ease of deployment, ergonomics, and the need for dedicated space. These factors can affect the practicality and effectiveness of VR implementation on construction sites.
Each construction project is unique, necessitating the development of customized algorithms. Additionally, creating an immersive, illustrative, intuitive, interactive, and informative virtual environment requires specialized skills and substantial financial resources—a significant hurdle, especially for companies just beginning to adopt BIM.
VR technologies also present general health and safety risks to users. These include physical challenges like unnatural postures, immersion-related injuries, and hygiene concerns; physiological issues such as cardiovascular changes and visual strain (asthenopia); and psychological effects, including altered psychomotor performance, potential for addiction, and stress.
Conclusion and Future Prospects
Overall, this review provided a comprehensive investigation of VR in CHS through a combination of scientometric and systematic analyses. While highlighting the various applications of VR for improving CHS, the review also identified significant challenges hindering the adoption of these systems.
However, the review primarily focuses on VR's technological and methodological aspects without thoroughly examining the construction industry's practical implementation challenges. Moreover, it is limited by the available literature, which does not fully account for real-world barriers such as resistance to technological change, financial constraints, and varying regulations across regions.
To address these gaps, the researchers recommend conducting empirical studies and field trials to validate the effectiveness of VR applications in diverse construction environments and to better understand the practical challenges associated with their implementation.
Journal Reference
Akindele, N., Taiwo, R., Sarvari, H., Oluleye, B. I., Awodele, I. A., & Olaniran, T. O. (2024). A state-of-the-art analysis of virtual reality applications in construction health and safety. Results in Engineering, 23, 102382. DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.102382, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024006376
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