Visualization in 4D construction management software: A review of standards and guidelines

Visualization of construction schedules has much improved through the development of 4D modeling tools that offer an effective method for schedule planning and management. While increasingly used by the construction industry, existing 4D tools are being continually improved. Many new tools are being developed, especially with the increased adoption of building information modeling (BIM). The ability to observe the animated sequence of the construction process and track the construction status of each building component is just one of many possibilities offered by 4D modeling applications. However, as with the proliferation of any new technology, one of the inherent challenges with 4D modeling tools is a lack of agreed-upon visualization standards for representing building elements and tasks. Specifically, each tool typically has its own standards for viewing and navigating the model and schedule. Interviews with AEC professionals and experts provide insights from the end-user perspective of the current visualization methods along with their recommendations. To start addressing some of these challenges, our team reviewed the current status and methods for visualizing construction schedules, building on the research efforts in the domains of information visualization and human-computer interaction. Based on the current experiences and feedback from AEC industry practitioners, a set of visualization guidelines for representing the construction process was developed which supports future efforts in 4D model use and development.