4D CAD Based Method for Supporting Coordination of Urban Subsurface Utility Projects

• We propose a 4D CAD based method to support coordination of subsurface utility works.
• The method has scoping steps that help identify relevant schedule input.
• The method formalizes input into schedule tasks, and four object types.
• Three visualization steps then use the resulting 4D model to synchronize schedules.
• We successfully evaluated the usability of the method in four utility projects.

Coordinators of inner city utility construction works face increasing difficulty in managing their projects due to tight physical restrictions, strict deadlines and growing stakeholder fragmentation. This paper therefore presents a 4D CAD based coordination method that supports project plan scoping, formalizing and synchronizing. We developed and implemented the method by conducting ethnographic action research in four project cases. In these projects, we observed that 4D-models generated with the method allowed practitioners to identify project interfaces and conflicts, to identify schedule shortcomings and to evaluate delays. By introducing the method and reporting on its empirical evaluation we extend 4D CAD's domain of applicability with mid and small-sized utility projects and address a need for 4D implementation studies.