Graphical visualization for planning heavy lifts

TLDR

Graphical visualization in construction aids diverse objectives and offers significant benefits, particularly for heavy lifts that involve placing or removing large prefabricated plant components. This paper presents a case study using graphical visualization to plan the replacement of a 145‑ton compressor at an industrial plant, and discusses its benefits and costs. The study employed advanced 3D modeling—creating site and equipment models in MicroStation, translating them to Walkthru format, and applying visualization procedures on a Silicon Graphics workstation to develop a reliable lift plan.

Abstract

The application of graphical visualization to construction can serve a wide variety of objectives and offers many significant benefits. Heavy lifts are an important component of industrial construction. These lifts usually involve the placement or removal of prefabricated plant components. This paper describes a case study of using graphical visualization to assist in planning the replacement of a 145t compressor at an industrial plant. Advanced technologies are used to develop 3D graphical models of the lift site and these models are analyzed to develop a reliable lift plan. The case study was performed using the visualization program Walkthru on a Silicon Graphics workstation. The geometry of the site was obtained from the as-built drawings provided by the plant owner and the equipment specifications were obtained from the lifting contractor. The site model and equipment models were created using the 3D CAD package MicroStation and then translated to a Walkthru format. Basic procedures developed for visualizing heavy lifts are described and these procedures are applied to the compressor replacement project. The paper also presents a discussion on the benefits and costs for this particular case study.