Interactive 3D visualization as a tool for construction education

Throughout the years, various teaching methods have been adopted to assist students to better understand building assemblies and construction details. Many current teaching techniques for explaining building assemblies use various mediums such as 2D drawings, isometric and perspective drawings, photographs of assemblies and also field trips to the construction jobsite. Such detail needs to be complemented with plans, elevations and sections. This is necessary because in any drawing only 2 dimensions are visible. 3D CAD modeling addresses the third dimension that is not present in 2D CAD drawings, and allows better viewing, validating and understanding building components and their construction. This paper addresses the impact of using 3D in teaching and its advantages over current approaches. The paper describes a pilot study conducted with students from the Virginia Tech Architecture and Building Construction departments. The experiment investigated the advantages of 3D representation as compared to 2D drawings, in understanding construction assemblies and details. The paper also discusses the shortcomings of the traditional methods and compares the suitability of using 3D as a teaching aid. A new approach utilizing pocket PCs and/or laptop computers via wireless connectivity, to allow students to access and view 3D models remotely, is briefly presented.