eXtended Reality in the AEC industry : An abductive study of TSV in Veidekke on how AR technology fits in the Norwegian AEC industry

Abstract

This project aims to enlighten and evaluate the effects of Augmented Reality and the possible future of Augmented Reality inthe AEC industry. This is a master’s thesis in Industrial Economics and Technology Managementwhere both authors have a bachelor’s degree in Construction and Civil Engineeringand the theory in this thesis is meant to cover both the technological and managerial perspectives. The background theory presents organization theory, job design theory, communication theory, an introduction to the AEC industry including Lean Construction, ICT, and BIM1theory.In collaboration with Veidekke2, the authors have conducted an abductive case study of Veidekke’s pilot project withtheir five Trimble SiteVision devices atfive different constructionsitesin Norway. Despite some challenges due to Covid-19, interviews, a questionnaire and a literature review has given the authors the following indications:Trimble SiteVision specifically, and Augmented Reality in general, will probably not replace any existing technology yet, but be a supplement. Trimble SiteVision is still a new technology on the market with regular patch updates and would require some training and getting used to. The data indicate however, that Trimble SiteVision with its Augmented Realityvisualization, surveyor-capabilities of ~5cm accuracy, rich and automatic documentation ability, and mobility and easeof use will lead to increased understanding of the BIM modeland the construction project.If the development the AEC industry has had with ICT and BIM is anything like what Augmented Reality will go through, it is the authors’ impression that Trimble SiteVision would fit well into Veidekke and their strive towards value-creating collaboration.