Using Building Information Model in Safety Analysis for Iraqi Construction Projects

Abstract

ABSTRACT The construction industry is among the most dangerous industries in the world. The shortage of governmental support in urging the application of safety measures as well as the weakness of the methods used to identify the risks are the main reasons for the increase in the number of casualties in Iraqi construction projects. The safety risk assessment approach is based on 2D drawings and handwritten, fragmented and uncoordinated notes. At the present time, with the development of technology, there has been a noticeable interest in the use of modern technologies in the construction industry. One of these techniques is the technology of the Building Information Modelling (BIM), which allows the integration of all information related to the project in the 3D model and makes the work in single environment. The aim of this thesis is to make possible the use of modern techniques in the field of occupational safety, where researcher aims at a set of objectives. The main objective is to use the BIM technique to find a mechanism that allows accurate identification of safety hazards by adopting the principles of 3D visualization, 4D simulation, then comparing the results obtained with traditional methods, the impact of applying safety measures on the project schedule and the cost of the project as a whole, and the impact of the intensity of daylight light on the safety of workers in the workplace. Safety requirements were adopted in accordance with OSHA (occupational safety and health administration) regulations and the Iraqi Safety Blog. VI The idea of the thesis is applied to two cases studies. The first case study was carried out in the school buildings sector. The second case study was carried out in the oil sector. The researcher comes to conclusion with a set of results. At first, safety experts explain that the platform prepared by researchers is more accurate in identifying risks because it helps to create a virtual environment very similar to the real environment and can be used in the preparation of training plans for workers and increase communication between stakeholders. Second, the application of occupational safety does not depend solely on the use of safety equipment but must precede that safe and secure planning of the project time schedule. The thesis shows that the application of safety measures to case study I and II lead to an increase in the total duration of the project (13 days). The thesis shows that the application of safety regulations to a case study I leads to an increase in the cost of the project according to traditional approach by (1.19 %), while the increase in the project cost according to BIM approach by (1.615 %). For case study II the cost of the project according to the traditional approach increased by (0.426 %) while according to BIM approach by (0.563 %). The study also concluded the efficiency of the BIM technology in calculating the analysis of daylight to verify whether the indoor lighting is safe for workers or not.