Gis-based resource integrated progress tracking for construction projects using spatio-temporal data

In resource-driven and repetitive construction projects, location of resources is a key indicator of the status of the project. A number of methods have been proposed in the literature to integrate resource location information into construction processes. However, there is no method and visual support tool that can depict the movement of construction resources during different time intervals and integrate it with corresponding project schedule. In this paper, a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based 3D (2D location + 1D schedule) framework is developed to visually integrate the construction schedule with the movement of the required resources. The developed framework uses the time geography concept to formalize and visualize both spatial and temporal aspects of the activities' resources on a GIS platform. GIS uses location as the basis of data management for organizing project delivery information. On the other hand, Time-Geography uses space-time volumes to represent the possible locations of a mobile agent over time. As a result, this method presents construction activities' resources and their possible interactions as spatio-temporal prisms. The method focuses mainly on linear construction projects such as highways, bridges and pipelines. The outcome of this spacetime GIS platform enables contractors and project managers to track the progress of construction activities at each time interval. As such, this research offers a useful analytical platform to control linear projects, taking into account availability and location of the resources required for executing project activities.