ABSTRACT
The planning process in the construction industry is focused on organizations and work breakdown instead of construction operations, flows and supply chain management. This chapter presents the results from a 4D modeling study in which 4D computer aided design (CAD) was used to compare two different construction methods for a cast in place concrete structure. Evaluating construction alternatives in a virtual environment is considered to be an effective and cost efficient way to introduce and evaluate innovative construction processes and products. A widely used method for process modeling is the Critical Path Method. The method concentrates mainly on the temporal aspect of construction planning and is seen as one-dimensional. 4D modeling is a new process method in which 3D CAD models are visualized in a 4dimensional environment. Construction plans can be represented graphically by adding the time dimension to the 3D model to allow project planners to simulate and analyze what-if scenarios before commencing work exe cution on site.
