A Virtual Walk Through On Reinforced Concrete Construction Details

The traditional chalkboard methods of classroom teaching are often supplemented by alternative methods, so as to enhance the understanding of the students. These alternative methods include field trips, use of 3-D drawings and physical models. Although construction site visits are the best way to expose students to actual construction technologies, they present difficulties of logistics and cost. Besides the risks involved in field trips, the site may not be at a particular stage of construction during the academic semesters, or the construction process may not be fast enough to understand multiple aspects within a short duration of field visits. Considerable pedagogical advantages can be achieved by the integration of the contemporary information technology (IT) and visualization tools in teaching engineering technology. The objective of this research was to develop 3-D animations and virtual walkthrough on reinforced concrete construction detailing. All the techniques that were used in this research employed a generic programming architecture, which was discipline independent and could be adapted to any other similar domain. These visualization techniques can be valuable aids not only in teaching in the classroom but also an effective self-directed tool for open learning via the web.