Visualisation, virtual reality and associated data handling. Volume 1 of 3: Phase 1, Final Report

This report discusses a UK Highways Agency research project that has attempted to develop through advanced visualisation and information technology, decision support techniques for planning routes, consulting the public and designing roads. A consortium of WS Atkins, Taylor Woodrow Management Ltd, and Advanced Construction Technology undertook the 10-month proof of concept research project. It was shown that the existing approach to highway development could be reduced to incorporate high levels of design information early on, increasing cost- and design-certainty. The major obstacles to achieving a fully integrated system revolved around the format of available data and the exchange of data among various software tools on different hardware platforms. The A3 Milford Bypass, a recently constructed project, was taken through the revised process and two- and three-dimensional virtual inspections of potential route alignments were compared. Potential route corridors were imported into a highway design tool, MacRoad and further processing produced a virtual reality model. High realism is demanded by the public during the consultation process. A new alignment could be created in a virtual reality model showing the terrain, highway and local buildings in less than two hours. Adjustments such as adding bus lanes may be made in very short design periods.