DEVELOP A VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) MODEL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF A FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM USING THE PIPE JACKING METHOD

Abstract

This research aims to develop a Virtual Reality (VR) model for constructing flood protection systems using the pipe jacking method. The construction process consists of 7 stages: 1) Site survey of the construction alignment, 2) Site preparation and safety management, 3) Surveying for manhole positioning, 4) Surveying for underground obstacles and road surface excavation, 5) Manhole construction, 6) Pipe jacking operations, and 7) Site restoration. Furthermore, the study analyzes key factors influencing the decision to adopt the VR model using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and ranks the alternatives using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), based on data gathered from 30 experts. The results of the factor weight analysis using AHP revealed that "workplace safety" achieved the highest score (0.363), followed by "engineering accuracy" (0.361), "human-machine collaboration" (0.148), and "cost" (0.128), respectively. This reflects that workplace safety is of paramount importance because pipe jacking is a large-scale operation conducted within community areas, requiring strict safety considerations for both the workers and local residents. For the alternative ranking using TOPSIS, the VR-based system obtained the highest score (0.859), followed by mobile device-based systems (0.857), and traditional 2D paper drawings (0.856), respectively. This is because integrating 3D models with VR technology significantly enhances spatial understanding, provides clearer visibility of details and component relationships, minimizes inspection errors, and ultimately improves operational efficiency.

Keywords: Pipe Jacking, Underground Drainage System