Javier Irizarry

Bio: Javier Irizarry is an academic researcher from Georgia Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Construction management & Building information modeling. The author has an hindex of 23, co-authored 95 publications receiving 2253 citations. Previous affiliations of Javier Irizarry include Southern Polytechnic State University & Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture.

Usability assessment of drone technology as safety inspection tools

Abstract: SUMMARY: The construction industry lags behind many others in the rate of adoption of cutting edge technologies In the area of safety management this is more so Many advances in information technology could provide great benefits to this important aspect of construction operations Innovative use of these tools could result in safer jobsites This paper discusses initial application of drone technology in the construction industry In this study, a small-scale aerial drone was used as a tool for exploring potential benefits to safety managers within the construction jobsite This drone is an aerial quadricopter that can be piloted remotely using a smart phone, tablet device or a computer Since the drone is equipped with video cameras, it can provide safety managers with fast access to images as well as real time videos from a range of locations around the jobsite An expert analysis (heuristic evaluation) as well as a user participation analysis were performed on said quadricopter to determine the features of an ideal safety inspection drone The heuristic evaluation uncovered some of the user interface problems of the drone interface considering the context of the safety inspection The user participation evaluation was performed following a simulated task of counting the number of hardhats viewed through the display of a mobile device in the controlled environment of the lab Considering the task and the controlled variables, this experimental approach revealed that using the drone together with a large-size interface (eg iPad) would be as accurate as having the safety manager with plain view of the jobsite The results of these two evaluations together with previous experience of the authors in the area of safety inspection and drone technology led to recommendations for the required features of an Ideal Safety Inspection Drone Autonomous navigation, vocal interaction, high-resolution cameras, and collaborative user-interface environment are some examples of those features This innovative application of the aerial drone has the potential to improve construction practices and in this case facilitate jobsite safety inspections

Optimizing location of tower cranes on construction sites through gis and bim integration

Abstract: Tower cranes, on today’s typical building construction sites, are the centerpiece of production, hoisting and transporting of a variety of loads. Occasionally tower cranes operate with overlapping work zones and often under time, cost and labor constraints. Identifying optimal number and location of tower cranes is an important issue that can reduce conflicts between groups of tower cranes. Geographic information systems (GIS) facilitate the analysis of large amounts of spatial data used in the process of location optimization for tower cranes. In addition, integrating analysis results from GIS with 3D visual models enables managers to visualize the potential conflicts with tower cranes in great detail. Building Information Modeling (BIM) helps managers to visualize buildings before implementation takes place through a digitally constructed virtual model. Hence, in this paper, the integrated GIS-BIM model starts with the identification of feasible locations for defined tower cranes. The method presented is based on previous works using “geometric closeness” and coverage of all demand and supply points as key criteria for locating a group of tower cranes*). Once the geometry of the construction site is generated by the BIM tool, the model determines the proper combination of tower cranes in order to optimize location. The output of the GIS model includes one or more feasible areas that cover all demand and supply points, which is then linked to the BIM tool and generates 3D models to visualize the optimum location of tower cranes. As a result, potential conflicts are detected in different 3D views in order to identify optimal location of tower cranes. To address the feasibility of a GIS-BIM integrated model for layout of tower cranes, an actual case example is introduced.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: A Survey on Civil Applications and Key Research Challenges

Abstract: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is growing rapidly across many civil application domains, including real-time monitoring, providing wireless coverage, remote sensing, search and rescue, delivery of goods, security and surveillance, precision agriculture, and civil infrastructure inspection. Smart UAVs are the next big revolution in the UAV technology promising to provide new opportunities in different applications, especially in civil infrastructure in terms of reduced risks and lower cost. Civil infrastructure is expected to dominate more than $45 Billion market value of UAV usage. In this paper, we present UAV civil applications and their challenges. We also discuss the current research trends and provide future insights for potential UAV uses. Furthermore, we present the key challenges for UAV civil applications, including charging challenges, collision avoidance and swarming challenges, and networking and security-related challenges. Based on our review of the recent literature, we discuss open research challenges and draw high-level insights on how these challenges might be approached.

3D printing trends in building and construction industry: a review

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) printing (also known as additive manufacturing) is an advanced manufacturing process that can produce complex shape geometries automatically from a 3D computer-aided design m...