INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

Applications of Virtual Reality to Civil and ArchitecturalEngineering Projects

Deyin JIN1, Feng YAN2 and Yuji ITO1
1Forum8 Co., Ltd., 2-1-1 Nakameguro GT Tower 15F,Kami-Meguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0051, Japan

2NEPOCH & FORUM8 Technology Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Room 706, Eton Place, 69 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200120, China

ABSTRACT
Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging technology to simulate the real world on the computerand is being applied to many fields of industries like Civil and Architectural Engineering(CAE). The uses of Virtual Reality not only make us transverse the time and space to feel aplanning project but also avoid a design miss and have project-related persons a quickly
understanding on any complex project. As the development of computer technology of-1-

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

software and hardware, VR shows a great perspective and will be widely applied toengineering projects. In this paper we will first introduce some VR knowledge and its
properties as a computer program system, and then present the relative problems in civilengineering field, finally give some examples of the VR applications from project discussion
to constructional process preview, from traffic flow simulation to predicted disasterdemonstration in CAE fields by our VR tool of UC-win/Road.

KEYWORDS
Virtual Reality, Civil Engineering Projects, Traffic Simulation, Disaster Simulation,
Construction Simulation

1. INTRODUCTION
The computer has been intensively applied to CAE from traditional numerical calculation ofstructural responses under external forces to automatic safety checks basing on specificdesign criteria, from draft drawings of plan and structures to CG image of a space or a scene.
With those applications in design and calculation, CAE projects can be finished more
efficiently, safely and in a large-scale within a short period. However, the works involving
CAE projects are not limited to design and safety check, the planning, construction andmanagement are very important to a complex project.

VR as a new innovative technology appeared recently accompanying with computer
performance improvement of hardware and software, like CPU, memory, video card and 3
dimensional graph system technologies. It can present the real world including objects andphenomena in a compact environment in 3D format and make users transport time and space
to feel a virtual world. The VR technology presents an applicable perspective in all social
aspects including CAE.

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INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

The more early description about VR application to civil engineering can be found in paper(1, 2). Retik(1) applied VR to develop an approach to share collaborative visual planning ofthe construction process while Xie(2) dealt with the application of VR to natural disaster
presentation. Since then there are a mount of papers to discuss the VR application in theCAE.

Here we will give a simple introduction to the VR technology and then describe its
application to the CAE in various aspects. Some applying facts by our tool UC-win/Road inrecent years are presented too. And finally we will conclude the some points about VRapplications.

2. VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGYVirtual Technology can be defined as to show a real world environment on a PC monitor anduser can operate it or interact with it by some utilities. Due to the real world complex, thedata size to reflect the real object is very large and PC capability of speed, memory and disk
is ultimately used to reach a realistic effect. Since the limit of PC capacity in the past, the VR
system did not perform well to represent a scene realistically and its application was limited
too. But now PC technology development has made running a VR system available on acommon PC machine. Reference 3 gives a general description about VR technology.

VR system can be divided into desktop VR and Immersive VR according to the interaction
interface, Single PC VR and Distribution VR (DVR) connecting by internet according toattendee number. DVR is widely used in some game and training system while VR systems
used in CAE at present mainly concentrated to the desktop, single machine typecorresponding to the CAE task characteristics. The moving and natural phenomenon
simulation is the necessary requirement of VR System of CAE.

For a VR system, its contents are generally composed of the following parts :-3-INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

a. Geometrical grid (3 dimension points <x, y, z> on the base of a certain coordinatesystem)b. 3 dimension models composed of frame and texturec. Nature phenomenon like rain, cloud, snow etc.
d. Motion simulation of objects, scenes
e. Texture treatment and memory manager

For a vivid, realistic scene presentation, many CG technologies are needed such as LOD,
Rendering, etc. Especially when the data become large, the memory manager technique torun a huge data is necessary. An advancing video card is necessarily installed for smoothly
dynamic showing. With the advancing of PC technology on hardware, software and internet,
VR system will be created more powerfully.

3. CIVIL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTION BY VR
Even though the computer gives us a lot of helps as mentioned above in load-acting
responses, safety checks and CAD draft drawings, with civil engineering trend to complex
and requirement to project contents rises, it cannot satisfy our needs sometime like a large
project to require several side participants to act coordinately. The problems that met in CAE
projects can be summarized as below.
・The whole image about complex and large-scale projects cannot be easily grasped by
2D drawings or verbal description. Some table scaled-models are very limited.

・Planned projects are frequently modified to satisfy the need of all the aspects.

・Project management during construction becoming difficult because of complex
process.

・Multi-system running in city need a more feasible tool to display.

・Landscape and environment evaluation trend toward a high level and cannot berealized only by imagining.

・Underground projects increase so that the unseen components arranging crowdedly.

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STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

As a solution, the VR tool, UC-win/Road, had been developed and VR technology is used tosolve these problems. By working in the last several years, VR has been successfully toapply to the CAE fields as listed in Table1 and its details can refer to the web page (4).

Table 1: Application aspects of our tool UC-win/Road by now
Catalogues
Road
Transportation
TunnelBridge
RiversArchitecture
Railway
Harbor&Airport
Park
Underground
Infrastructures
Construction
Disaster
Education

Application Details
Speed-way, lamp and skip road line simulation,
The four corners cotton thread distribution with thedesign which moves towards, The charge stands design
Traffic state simulation, Driving, Traveling on road,
Flight on an air route Signal Light State simulation
Alignment examination, an underpass road, a subway, acanal, mountain tunnels, compound tunnels
Arch bridges, bridge type comparison, bridge
construction, suspension bridges
River rebuilding, river mouth, river improvement,waterway
Architecture planning, an apartment project, a housing
room planning, a parking area planning, a sunshine
time and area check
Railroad crossing, underpass, station house, pedestriandeck, station house repairing, LRT
Haneda Airport, Yokohama Port, Scene design of theseaside
A park planning, Park facility Check
Station taxi pool ， pedestrian deck and surrounding
roads
Grade separation construction, viaduct execution, anew tunnel constructing method,
temporary
construction, station expansion
A mount road disaster, a city disaster, a traffic accident,
a flood, hazard map data, a tsunami
Teaching arrangement, The imaginary project creation

SolvedProblems
Lane design,
facility design
Traffic congest
DesignShape Design
Sight
View
check
Decorating,outside view
Sight view
running
Sight view
Design Check
Spatial position
grasp
Simulation,organization
Preview
Lecture excise

4. APPLICATION EXAMPLES OF VR
In the followings we introduce 5 specific application fields or examples to use VR in theproject creation and project presentation with the captured pictures from our VR system.

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INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

4.1 Project Checks and Demonstrations

As a project presentation tool, VR has a great advantage over any traditional method such as
the table scaled-model. It has many characteristics such as easily modified and digital-saved
format. The model data can be repaired whenever necessary and be displayed in any world
places. Here we show a specific case of VR application to the whole project planning of Fuji
International Speedway in Figure 1.

Figure 1: A bird view for the planning landscape

Mt. Fuji is the most important landmark in Japan and hope to be seen from any places. For
obtaining a good view from different points, the VR technology by the tool, UC-win/Road,
was used to adjust the position and height of each part of the project. Mt Fuji, as a large 3Dmodel, was placed 16km distant in the data. Scene examination was performed from every
position that overlooked Mt. Fuji and a simulation of driving along the management roadwas carried out. VR was also used to model exhibition booths and displays in the open area
during event and even to check the views of billboards from TV camera positions.

The Fuji speedway project involved many international companies in a variety of businesscategories, including course designers, drivers, construction engineers, TV Companies,sponsors and race officials. UC-win/Road provided a common language to assist
communications between these organizations.

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INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

4.2 Constructional Stage Simulations

Construction processes of any large-scaled CAE project are not easily organized andmastered by designers and constructors only relying on the drawing and specifications. Any
mistake will result in the whole project delaying and cost increasing. By using VR, theconstruction stage is simulated so that components or parts assembling and machine using
can be checked in time and spatial position. Therefore, construction can go congruously
based on VR simulation images among all the participants. The following three graphs inFigure 2 are VR application to the truss bridge construction process.

a) Before constructionb) Being constructingc) After construction

Figure 2: A construction stage simulation of truss bridges

4.3 Transportation Simulations

The traditional traffic simulation was done on the 2D plane in which the moving cars can bemodelized as a point or mark, the roads and buildings are only presented by line and box,
lack of real impression. VR application to transportation simulation makes simulation more
realistic and more impressive as the following two pictures in Figure 3. Besides of the traffic
flow, vehicle type, intersection signal and car driving can be realized as a real world.
According to the traffic flow state, the effects to lessen traffic congestion can be viewed
easily and simultaneously by changing road lane division, redesigning road crossings andresetting the signal light period. VR can be used to simulate the traffic flow state too forsome repair or emerging cases. Except for the traffic flow simulation, the road marks andsignals can be tested from the driver viewing points. By driving simulation on a road of VR,-7-

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERINGNovember 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

the environment around roads can be familiarized with.

Figure 3: Transportation simulation from different view points

4.4 Predicted Disaster Demonstrations

Natural disaster happen can be heard of nearly every day from TV or newspaper. Disasterprediction and reduction are a very important activity now around the world, especially for a
populated city. The success of disaster prediction and loss reduction depends not only on theresearchers’ precise forecast to the possible damage, but also on the government and citizen
consciousness on the potential dangers. Therefore how to present the future disaster to therelated persons can decide the success of disaster reduction activity.

a)Flood disasterb) Geological disasterc）Earthquake disasterFigure 4: Presentation of natural disasters

By using VR technology, the predicted potential disasters can be displayed intuitively as the3 pictures in Figure 4. Figure 1 a) is flood disaster due to the bank breaking, Figure 1 b) is-8-

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

mountain slope slide disaster and the road traffic is blocked, and Figure 1 c) is building
collapse due to earthquake attacking. Beside of 3 special scenes, the dynamic phenomenon
like fire and sound can be shown too. The impressive disaster scenes arouse viewers thedisaster prevention awareness.

4.5 Structures and Response

VR technology can be used to display the structural components, details, and load-acting
responses. The 3D visual images not only give a quick understanding to the structural innerparts but also give a mechanical state under external forces and even the possible damage
part. College students, project design can benefit from those 3d Images and get a visualconcept that only be created by imagination when using 2D drawing or numerical figure.
Those graphs can also be used as a project presentation.
Solid PC Girder

Reinforcement

PC Cables

Figure 5: PC girder of a bridge superstructure

The 3 graphs in Figure 5 show a PC superstructures and its arrangement of reinforcement
and PC Cable. By item selecting or object operating, the concrete and steel are separated
shown clearly.

The three graphs in Figure 6 show the responses of rigid frame bridge under Level 2transverse earthquake. The step solid deformation response with original wire frame model isdisplayed on the left. Pier parts are modelized as fiber elements and its section defined strain
damage accompanying with the whole frame displacements is shown in the middle. Frameelement internal forces (red line: moments, green line: shear forces) and supported nodal-9-INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY OF
STRUCTURES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
November 28-30, 2007, Shanghai, China

reaction at each step is displayed on the right.

Solid Responses

Frame Responses

Force Responses

Figure 6: Bridge responses acted by an earthquake

5. CONCLUSIONSThe VR application to civil and architectural engineering projects is described here based on
our engineering application facts by to now. By introducing the VR to the CAE projects, wecan summarize the following points about VR as a presentation tool.
1). A quick perception to complex projects.
2). Make project design more reasonable, low cast, and sometimes good idea.
3). Before project is carried out, the intuitively visual understanding.
4). Visual simulation make problem solving more quick.
5). Reach a good communication among the participants for the project.
6). Have a good education effect

REFERENCES
1. Retik, A. (1995). System Prototype for Visual Simulation of the Construction Process,Proceeding of Virtual Reality and Rapid Prototyping for Engineering, UK
2. Xie L.& Wen R.(2000). Digital disaster reduction system, Journal of Natural Disaster,Vol.9 No.2, P.1-9
3. Burdea G.C. & Coiffet P. (1994). Virtual Reality technology, John Wiley and Sons, NewYork
4. http://vr.forum8.co.jp/english- 10 -