Applying virtual reality and 4D CAD models in the scheduling process of a large pelletizing plant

LKAB, a large mining company in Sweden, has decided to invest €290 million in a new pelletizing plant in Malmberget, Sweden (MK3). The complexity of the project, the number of multidisciplinary participants and the necessity to coordinate and facilitate the construction site activities according to a tight schedule makes Virtual Reality (VR) and 4D CAD prototyping exceptionally useful in the planning process. This paper describes a case study to explore a practical approach of using VR and 4D CAD to facilitate work site planning in a real large-scale construction project. The research work was performed and evaluated in concordance with the actual work on the building site including the research group, planners and site managers. The evaluation of the case study shows that the use of VR and 4D CAD have facilitated the construction planning process. Besides coordinating and visualizing of the site activities, the virtual prototypes have also improved the understanding of the construction and collaboration among all parties involved. The main drivers for collaboration have been the time pressure in the project resulting in a concurrent engineering approach and a set of common goals, making the involved stakeholders to focus on the overall project performance.Godkänd; 2005; 20070520 (ysko