Construction Cost Savings through VR-Based Early Identification of Operability Issues: A Comparative Case Study

Virtual reality-based (VR-based) design reviews can help facility operators identify operability issues during preconstruction and prevent rework costs during construction. However, because VR benefits have not been documented in the construction industry, project managers have difficulty understanding them and typically do not implement VR-based design reviews. To quantify the benefits of VR use during preconstruction, we conducted a comparative case study through qualitative content analysis, interviews, and workflow modeling. We compared two buildings of a facility construction project: one where operability issues were identified through VR-based design reviews before construction and one where operability issues were not identified and had to be resolved during construction, leading to field rework, requests for information, and change orders totaling at least $100,000. Thus, this case study provides insights that may encourage project managers to consider using VR for detecting operability issues during preconstruction.