Augmented Reality-based construction site management using optimized BIM and project schedule integration

The construction industry has experienced significant transformation with the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, which provides a virtual representation of both the physical and functional components of construction projects. In this context, project scheduling becomes a vital tool for site managers to assess construction progress. This paper introduces an augmented reality (AR) system for construction site management that integrates optimized BIM models with project schedules to enhance real-time progress tracking. Optimized models are crucial for accurate overlaying at full scale in the real world, allowing for real-time monitoring of site progress based on evolving project timelines. This is achieved through a method of splitting the BIM model according to user-selected timeframes within the AR application. The system was tested on five bridge construction sites, and its effectiveness was evaluated through a structured survey of 30 on-site professionals, including engineers and project managers. The findings offer valuable insights for the construction industry, enabling efficient management and tracking of project progress by comparing planned schedules with actual performance. Additionally, this paper addresses a gap in the limited research on the integration of BIM and AR for site progress monitoring, while minimizing the loss of Revit metadata.