A BIM- and sensor-based tower crane navigation system for blind lifts

Tower crane operators often operate a tower crane with blind spots. To solve this problem, video camera systems and anti-collision systems are often deployed. However, the current video camera systems do not provide accurate distance and understanding of the crane's surroundings. A collision-detection system provides location information only as numerical data. This study introduces a newly developed tower crane navigation system that provides three-dimensional information about the building and surroundings and the position of the lifted object in real time using various sensors and a building information modeling (BIM) model. The system quality was evaluated in terms of two aspects, “ease of use” and “usefulness,” based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theory. The perceived ease of use of the system was improved from the initial 3.2 to 4.4 through an iterative design process. The tower crane navigation system was deployed on an actual construction site for 71 days, and the use patterns were video recorded. The results clearly indicated that the tower crane operators relied heavily on the tower crane navigation system during blind lifts (93.33%) compared to the text-based anti-collision system (6.67%).

► A tower crane navigation system for blind lifts was developed.
► It visualizes a location of a lifted object in 3D by linking a BIM model and sensors.
► The system was tested during the actual construction project for 71 days.
► The system quality was evaluated based on the TAM theory.
► The navigation system (93.33%) was used more than the anti-collision system (6.67%).