Bridge Launching Construction Visualized in a Virtual Environment

Abstract

Virtual Reality techniques were used to develop an interactive application concerning the incremental launching construction of bridges, in the area of Civil Engineering. It was developed in order to facilitate understanding of the various phases involved in the construction. The visualization of the distinct physical steps of the construction is shown in the virtual application. The model makes it possible to view the physical evolution of the work, to follow the planned construction sequence and to visualize details of the form of every component of the work. It also supports the study of the type and method of operation of the equipment necessary for this construction activity. The application of visual simulation was designed to allow direct access to any stage of the constructive process in which it is based and may be viewed from any point within the virtual scene, thus facilitating their understanding. The access to the application can be established through a web page placed on the Internet. The model brings new perspectives in the training activity as a support to expose innovative methods or complex sequence construction.