Equipment workspace analysis in infrastructure projects

Workspace conflicts are one of the important problems that can delay construction activities, reduce productivity, or cause accidents that threaten the safety of workers. Workspace planning is particularly important in the case of large infrastructure projects, such as bridge construction, and rehabilitation projects where equipment with complex workspace requirement is required. This paper aims to extend the previous research on workspace representation and analysis in the case of large infrastructure projects focusing on the following issues: (i) specific representation of equipment workspaces using composite shapes, (ii) semiautomatic generation and analysis of workspaces, and (iii) development of a prototype system that can generate workspaces and detect spatiotemporal conflicts in a three-dimensional environment. The computational aspects of the proposed approach are discussed and demonstrated through the development of a prototype system, which has been applied in a case study of the deck replacement of Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montréal.Key words: workspace analysis, spatiotemporal conflicts, construction equipment, infrastructure projects, bridge redecking, constructive solid geometry.