An Investigation into Augmented Reality’s Ability to Assist the Preconstruction Phase of Building Projects

Abstract

This study investigated how augmented reality can support architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals during the pre-construction phase of building projects. Existing literature acknowledged the need for more comprehensive research on AEC professionals’ opinions about digital technologies, especially augmented reality (AR). To address this gap, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews to gain deeper insights into the current applications of AR in the industry, its various uses in pre-construction, and future recommendations. The study yielded three main findings. Firstly, it identified several AR applications that could be specifically applied to the AEC industry. Secondly, AEC professionals disclosed various reasons for adopting AR in their work, including its assistance in defect analysis, the design stage, and communication improvement. Finally, AEC professionals provided several future recommendations, but they argued that widespread AR adoption would require a cultural transformation among industry practitioners. These findings largely aligned with existing literature on AR usage in the AEC industry. The data gathered from the interviews could be valuable to diverse professionals within the AEC industry, particularly AEC companies contemplating investments in AR technology. The insights gained from this research shed light on the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AR into the pre-construction process of building projects.