Azhar and Kan win Best Paper Award

Dr. Salman Azhar, J. E. Wilborn Endowed Associate Professor, and Congwen Kan, former graduate student of the McWhorter School of Building Science, won the Best Paper Award at the CIB World Building Congress (WBC 16) held in Tampere, Finland, May 30–June 3. Their paper entitled Virtual Reality Headsets for Immersive 3D Environment: Investigating Applications in Construction Jobsite Organization was judged by an international scientific committee of renowned researchers.

Azhar’s research addressed the feasibility of VR headsets for job planning simulations, and to find ways to enhance the effectiveness of jobsite management through the use of VR Headsets. According to Azhar, the paper published some of his research findings about the study of current industry overflows for site logistics, layout and planning. “Proper planning and construction logistics can reduce construction time and cost,” Azhar added.

This research study was funded by seed grants from the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, and the Center for Construction Innovation and Collaboration at the McWhorter School of Building Science.

The CIB World Congress, organized by the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), held every four years, is the biggest construction conference. This year more than 400 papers were presented at the conference.