Spatio-Temporal Representation And Analysis In Infrastructure Systems

Much information is needed to manage the activities and events that occur throughout the lifecycle of an infrastructure system. Conventional Infrastructure Management Systems provide only limited support for representing, visualizing and analyzing the spatio-temporal relationships throughout the lifecycle of the infrastructure. This paper proposes a method that integrates 4D modeling with several information technologies to facilitate space and time visualization and analysis. Based on a 4D model of a bridge, two approaches are investigated for spatio-temporal conflict detection and analysis. The first approach focuses on workspace conflicts. Combinations of different 3D shapes are used to represent the workspaces, which is more accurate than the simple prismatic element that was used in previous research. The second approach dynamically detects spatio-temporal conflicts during construction using cell-based modeling techniques. Detailed procedures for each modeling method are discussed. Both methods enable conflict analysis and visualization of the worksite and the occupation of spaces.