About the project

Title: ARCW – Health and safety procedures for curtain walls with the use of Augmented Reality Technology

Project Number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO05-37525

Project Type: Transfer of Innovation

Promoter:
Polish Association of Building Managers, PL

Partners:
Technische Universität Darmstadt, DE
Wydział Inżynierii Lądowej Politechnika Warszawska, PL
Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, ES
Universitat de VALENCIA, ES
ELJAKO-AL Sp. z o.o., PL

Marketing Text:
The Project deals with Health & Safety during curtain walls assembly at construction site. Since accident rate of such works is alarmingly high, ensuring safety while working at heights is crucial. This project is implementing proper quality and safety of works during assembly of curtain walls. The project uses modern training materials with the use of Augmented Reality technology(AR).

Summary:

The Project is dealing with Health & Safety during works at construction site, especially works at heights – curtain walls assembly. Since accident rate of such works is alarmingly high, ensuring safety while working at heights is crucial. This project implements proper quality and safety of works during assembly of curtain walls. It is supported by modern training materials with the use of Augmented Reality (AR).

AR is the term to define a direct or indirect view of the psychical environment in the real world, which elements combine with virtual elements in order to create a mixed reality in real time. AR enable precise conduction of activities performed by workers in an efficient manner, ensuring the safety of work at the same time. During project partnership organised trainings on the assembly of curtain walls. Special emphasis was be placed on the use of appropriate assembly technology and ensuring maximum safety during execution of elevation works. Results of the project can be used by i.e. SMEs, during training of employees, and by faculties of civil engineering and architecture.

Consortium that  responsible for the project has a vast experience in the field of implementing European projects, including Leonardo da Vinci. It consist of: Polish Association of Building Managers,Warsaw University of Technology,Technische Universität Darmstadt,Universitat de València,Fundación Laboral de la Construcción and Elajko-Al – company with broad knowledge and experience on curtain walls works.
PABM is a member of AEEBC and therefore has unique opportunity to disseminate results of the project through 15 organisations, from across the Europe. Universities which are partners of the project will be using project’s outcomes to teach future construction personel. The project will help to increase responsibility and awareness.
Products of the project and all activities related to it will contribute to decreasing number of fatal accidents on construction sites caused by falling from a height. The European Directive 2001/45/EC, oblige to take appropriate measures to improve safety and health at work. Falls from height are the most common causes of serious accidents, often fatal, not only in Poland but throughout Europe. The implementation of the Directive is particularly important for facade works which will be main subject of the project.

Description:
During the project partners did:

  • Analyze different kinds of curtain walls and select the most appropriate ones to implement the training system based on AR.
  • Identify basics skills related to curtain walls assembly.
  • Develop the software to establish the training design based on AR and the necessary hardware for its implementation.
  • Carry out a training pilot with curtain walls fitters in which the system will be tested and, on the basis of evaluation previously established, the improvement in the performance of the fitters will be assessed.

Results of the project can be used by i.e.  SMEs, during training of employees, and by faculties of civil engineering and architecture.

Themes:
ICT
Open and distance learning
Continuous training
Labor market
Higher education
Enterprise, SME
Quality
Recognition, transparency, certification

Sectors:
Construction
Education

Product information:
Products of project are as follow:

  • Report on curtain wall technology;
  • Manual on health and safety, and procedures of curtain wall assembly;
  • Augmented Reality software for curtain walls assembly (selcted procedures);
  • Project website.

Activities:
Partnership prepared reports on the technology of curtain wall assembly and the choice of technology which will be basis for Health & Safety training course with the use of Augmented Reality (AR). Also, appropriate coordination activities were conducted and the project website was developed. Four partner meetings were held. During the meetings, Partnership clarified the project schedule and the scope of responsibilities for each Partner. Dissemination activities were also carried out. Several activities were preformed in order to inform the construction industry of the tasks that will be implemented in the project and later to consult these tasks. Project Advisory Board was appointed. Partners conducted a analysis for „Defining and establishing of a map of basic skills of curtain walls fitters with a special emphasis on H&S procedures”. Manual on health and safety and procedures of curtain walls was developed. Content of manual was established. 10 procedures were selected for curtain walls assembly. Descriptions of chosen procedures were created, scenarios (scripts) for Augmented Reality (AR) technology were developed. Software for selected procedures was created.  In the last months of the project, following activities were done: Development of first draft version of the Manual; Further development of 10 procedures in AR; Testing and assessment of the Manual and procedures in AR; Basing on test results, development of the Manual and AR H&S procedures final versions; Development of the Training final version.

All the products were tested and evaluated. You can download them in the “Results” section of this website.