Building information modelling (bim) and virtual reality (vr) integration for enhanced construction project management: collaboration and communication

Abstract

The study sought to assess building information modelling (BIM) and virtual reality (VR) integration for enhanced construction project management: collaboration and communication in Delta State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted in Delta State using some construction companies in the state (Monier Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited (MCC) and Setraco Nigeria Limited). The population of the study comprised of all the staff from the aforementioned two companies. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a total of 370 respondents for the study. The Instrument titled “building information modeling (bim) and virtual reality (vr) integration for enhanced construction project management: collaboration and communication questionnaire (bimvriecpmccq)” was used. Face validation of the instrument was carried out by an expert in civil engineering, statistics and architecture while Cronbach Alpha technique was used to determine the level of reliability of the instrument. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.93 which was proved high enough to justify the use of the instrument. The researcher subjected the data generated for this study to percentage analysis which was used to answer the research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis for testing the hypothesis. The test for significance was done at 0.05 alpha levels. The study revealed that there is very high need of the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to revolutionize construction project management by enhancing collaboration and communication among stakeholders. It was concluded that BIM offers a comprehensive digital representation of a construction project, while VR enables stakeholders to experience and interact with the model in a three-dimensional virtual space. The integration promotes a shared understanding among all parties involved, from designers and engineers to clients and contractors. One of the recommendations was that Construction firms should adopt platforms that seamlessly integrate BIM and VR technologies. These platforms should support real-time data synchronization, allowing team members to access and interact with up-to-date project models; and that Companies should invest in training programs to enhance the capacity of their workforce to use BIM and VR tools effectively.