5 Examples of AR in Civil Engineering: Initiatives That Improved On-Site Results

With the advancement of DX (digital transformation) in the construction and civil engineering industries, the introduction of ICT technologies to worksites is accelerating. Among these, AR (short for Augmented Reality) technology has been attracting increasing attention in recent years. AR is a technology that overlays 3DCG design models and textual information onto real-world scenes as seen through tablets or smart glasses. Because it enables intuitive information sharing that drawings or photos cannot provide, it offers many benefits such as preventing construction errors, shortening construction schedules, and improving safety.

In fact, initiatives to digitize worksites—often called AR civil engineering—have begun in many places within the civil engineering field and are already producing results. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is also promoting the use of ICT in its productivity improvement measure for construction sites, "i-Construction," and together with the spread of 3D models (BIM/CIM), expectations for AR technology are growing. This article introduces five concrete cases in which AR was used on civil engineering sites to achieve measurable effects.

Table of Contents

• Case 1: Sharing the finished-image with AR to facilitate smooth consensus building

• Case 2: AR surveying enables rapid solo measurement of topography and earthwork volumes

• Case 3: Improving construction accuracy and preventing mistakes with AR

• Case 4: Safe construction through AR visualization of buried utilities

• Case 5: Improving maintenance efficiency by applying AR to infrastructure inspections

• Summary

• FAQ

Case 1: Sharing the finished-image with AR to facilitate smooth consensus building

AR technology is powerful for creating shared understanding among all stakeholders involved in construction. Images of the finished form that were hard to convey with drawings alone can be overlaid onto the actual site scenery via AR, allowing everyone to grasp them intuitively. If designers, constructors, and clients share the same AR visuals, misalignments in perception are resolved and communication becomes smoother.

For example, if a structure’s planned model is displayed at actual scale on a tablet screen with AR, explanations to clients and nearby residents become visually clear and easy to understand. Because they can see how it will look on the spot, misunderstandings such as “it looked different from my image” can be prevented, and consensus building proceeds more smoothly. It is more persuasive than showing drawings or perspective images, making it easier to gain stakeholders’ understanding.

Furthermore, if construction procedures and points of caution are displayed in AR, site workers can more easily grasp the tasks, helping to close the image gap between veterans and younger workers. Remote support is also possible, where experienced technicians at remote locations check the site through AR and give real-time instructions. Because expert knowledge can be delivered to the site without travel time, this ultimately helps prevent construction mistakes and improves safety.

In practice, municipalities have begun using AR models at public briefing sessions for local residents to gain understanding of projects. Also, if stakeholder consensus is reached earlier in the design phase, the overall project planning period can be shortened.

Case 2: AR surveying enables rapid solo measurement of topography and earthwork volumes

Surveying and as-built measurements traditionally required multiple people and significant time. Using specialized equipment like total stations and tape measures, large sites had to be measured manually. AR-based surveying has changed this. With an AR-capable smartphone or tablet, you can scan terrain and structures through the screen and measure distances, areas, and volumes on the spot. This drastically reduces heavy equipment and personnel, significantly improving surveying efficiency.

In fact, a smartphone surveying app developed by a major construction company reported cutting earthwork measurement time by about 90% compared to conventional methods. Because AR allows one person to quickly obtain the necessary data, there is no need to interrupt work for surveying or to allocate many personnel for it. As a result, project schedules can be shortened and labor costs reduced, allowing earlier commencement of subsequent processes.

Moreover, AR surveying visualizes measurement results immediately on the screen. For example, the volume of excavated soil can be calculated and displayed on the spot, enabling immediate adjustments to the number of dump trucks or the hauling schedule. This high real-time capability of AR measurement improves on-site decision-making speed and enables waste-free construction management. Recently, some tablets include laser scanners (LiDAR), allowing high-density point cloud data to be acquired in a short time when combined with AR surveying. In emergencies, such as surveying disaster-affected areas immediately after an event, AR can quickly capture changes in terrain and support speedy initial response.

Because measurement data are digitized on the spot, they can be imported directly into design software, reducing the workload of record-keeping.

Case 3: Improving construction accuracy and preventing mistakes with AR

On construction sites, slight positional misalignments or dimensional errors are major causes of rework. Traditionally, reliance on craftsmen’s experience and checking against drawings meant that millimeter-level deviations could go unnoticed during construction, later requiring extensive corrections. By using AR, 3D design data of the targeted elements can be overlaid onto live site video, allowing on-the-spot verification that installations match the drawings. This eliminates sole reliance on visual checks or paper drawings and prevents human-error-related mistakes in advance.

For example, a general contractor introduced an AR system for managing equipment piping construction, enabling comparison between the design model and the actual object on a tablet screen. This significantly reduced the burden of verification work compared to conventional paper drawings and reportedly decreased mistakes. By visualizing the positions of pipes and rebar in AR beforehand and checking for clashes, “redoing” work during construction and wastage of materials can be avoided.

Thus, on-site dimensional and positional checks with AR have a major effect on ensuring construction quality and reducing rework. Small deviations can be detected early and corrected immediately, improving final as-built accuracy and reducing inspection workload. Because components can be installed at the correct positions and angles with confidence, the overall level of quality control for the structure rises.

Reducing rework also cuts excess labor and material costs. Additionally, recording and sharing AR-verified content as photos or point cloud data contributes to simplifying inspection reports and speeding up information sharing. If layout marks (positioning) are placed on structures using AR, accurate reference lines and mounting positions can be indicated without relying on experience, preventing variability in construction.

Note: slight deviations on the order of millimeters (mm; 0.04 in) can be detected and corrected early.

Case 4: Safe construction through AR visualization of buried utilities

In civil engineering, the presence of buried pipes and cables underground is a major risk factor. If lifelines are accidentally damaged during excavation, not only is public safety threatened, but restoration entails considerable cost and time. Traditionally, the location of buried utilities could only be inferred from drawings or detection equipment, but AR makes it possible to visualize what is “invisible.” By displaying virtual pipe models on the actual ground based on underground infrastructure data, the locations of buried utilities can be understood at a glance.

In 2016, a major construction company announced a “subsurface utility visualization system” using a tablet. When the surface is filmed with the camera, the underground piping network is displayed on that image in real time. Because it links with a cloud-based buried-utility database and always reflects the latest information, accurate buried positions can be identified on site with just one tablet. This enables efficient excavation by selecting safe locations and greatly reduces the risk of damaging lifelines.

AR visualization of buried utilities directly improves on-site safety. As underground structures can be understood without digging up the ground, the effort required for preliminary surveys is reduced and construction planning can proceed with greater confidence. Recently, services that display the locations of pipes and cables in AR without excavation have emerged, helping to prevent clashes or incorrect installations of underground infrastructure. There are also examples where AR simulation is used to determine the optimal placement of road signs without trial excavations. By virtually verifying with AR, unnecessary work and potential accident causes can be removed in advance, leading to safer and more reliable construction.

Furthermore, AR has potential applications in supporting heavy equipment operators. Wearing AR glasses can emphasize the positions of workers or buried objects in blind spots that are hard to see from the vehicle, assisting safety checks.

Case 5: Improving maintenance efficiency by applying AR to infrastructure inspections

AR is beginning to be used for inspection and maintenance tasks for infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and tunnels. Traditionally, thorough on-site surveys relied on veterans’ intuition and experience, with notes taken on paper drawings or record sheets. However, manual inspections carry risks of oversight, and managing vast amounts of equipment information is cumbersome. Using AR, invisible deterioration or internal structures can be visualized and inspection points can be indicated intuitively, dramatically improving the accuracy and efficiency of maintenance.

For example, with an AR app linked to structural drawings, virtual markers can be displayed at locations to be inspected for patrols. During bridge inspections, AR highlighting of hard-to-see joint elements or previously repaired areas ensures thorough checks without oversight. Also, AR-enabled 3D scanning allows damage such as cracks to be digitally recorded on the spot. If the position and size of a crack are saved as 3D data with absolute coordinates, detailed analysis and tracking of changes over time can be done later in the office.

AR eliminates omissions in inspection tasks and enables reliable maintenance. As the number of experienced engineers declines, AR also allows veteran engineers to support sites remotely or lets younger engineers train in environments close to reality. Moving away from methods that rely on experience and intuition toward data-driven smart maintenance, AR becomes a powerful tool.

Inspection data can be shared in the cloud so headquarters and sites can view the same information in real time and make accurate decisions quickly. AR support is also expected to shorten inspection time, enabling efficient infrastructure maintenance with limited personnel.

Summary

Above, we introduced five examples of AR use in the civil engineering field. AR technology accelerates on-site DX across a wide range of scenes from surveying to construction management and maintenance, contributing greatly to efficiency and safety improvements. Trial introductions have begun not only at major companies but also among small and medium-sized contractors and local governments, and government promotion of ICT and CIM is supporting the spread of AR civil engineering. In overseas project cases, reports indicate that directly using 3D design data via AR and omitting 2D drawing creation reduced costs equivalent to 7–11% of the total project. These outcomes demonstrate the high expectations for AR technology. AR will likely become a commonplace tool at more and more worksites in the future.

In the past, using AR required expensive dedicated equipment and advanced skills. Today, however, combining smartphones or tablets with cloud services makes on-site AR easily achievable. For example, simplified surveying systems such as LRTK—where a smartphone is used with a high-precision GPS receiver—have emerged, enabling anyone to acquire high-accuracy position information quickly and display 3D models in AR. By leveraging such solutions, small teams can immediately improve on-site work efficiency with AR.

AR technology is poised to greatly change civil engineering worksites going forward. Moving away from methods dependent on paper and intuition to smart construction that fully utilizes digital data—the AR technology is one of the keys to that transformation. Why not consider implementing AR at your own sites so you don’t miss this wave?

FAQ

Q: What is AR? How is it different from VR and MR? A: AR (Augmented Reality) is a technology that overlays digital information onto real-world images. It composites 3DCG models and text onto actual scenery via a camera to augment the real world. In contrast, VR (Virtual Reality) is a technology that immerses users in a completely virtual world, where users wear goggles to experience a 3D space separate from reality. MR (Mixed Reality) is an intermediate concept between AR and VR that highly integrates reality and virtuality. In civil engineering, AR that can be used on real sites is particularly useful; VR is mainly used for simulation and training, and MR is generally at an advanced demonstration stage.

Q: What are the benefits of using AR in civil engineering? A: The main benefits are as follows.

• Reduced work time and labor savings: Surveying and inspection times are greatly shortened, enabling efficient work with fewer people.

• Reduced mistakes and improved quality: Deviations from the design can be detected and corrected on site, reducing rework and stabilizing quality.

• Improved safety: Buried utilities and hazardous areas can be visualized in advance, allowing workers to identify points requiring caution and reducing accident risks.

• Enhanced communication: Sharing the finished image becomes easier, facilitating explanations to clients and nearby residents. Experts can also support remotely.

• Support for human resource development: Displaying procedures and precautions in AR helps inexperienced workers understand tasks, bridging the gap between veterans and novices.

Q: What is needed to use AR on site? A: It can be started relatively easily, but the following are needed.

• Compatible devices: AR-capable smartphones, tablets, or dedicated AR glasses.

• Software: AR apps or compatible systems. There are a variety of options from commercial apps to enterprise solutions depending on use.

• Digital data: Site drawings and 3D models (such as BIM/CIM data) to overlay accurate information in AR.

• Positioning technology: For accurate outdoor alignment, high-precision GPS (RTK method) or marker installation methods are useful.

Q: Is it difficult to introduce AR? A: No, the barriers have fallen significantly in recent years. Special equipment was required in the past, but now familiar smartphones and tablets can be used for AR. Even trying free or low-cost AR apps can let you experience on-site effects. Necessary equipment can often be substituted with existing devices, and many systems are designed to be operable without specialized knowledge. It is increasing practice to start with small-scale implementation to confirm effects and gradually expand use. Even small companies can start without issue. However, to fully realize AR’s benefits, some preparation such as converting drawings to 3D data and training site staff is needed. These hurdles can be overcome gradually through phased implementation and accumulated experience.

Q: How will AR technology develop in civil engineering going forward? A: AR is expected to become increasingly pervasive on civil engineering sites. On the hardware side, tablets are currently mainstream, but lightweight AR glasses are likely to become widespread in the future, allowing workers to view information while using both hands. On the software side, integration with AI is expected to advance, enabling automatic detection of defects from AR images and highlighting hazardous areas. More advanced uses, such as displaying real-time sensor data (structure deformation, vibration, etc.) in AR as a digital twin for management, are also conceivable. With such technological progress, AR will become a standard tool in civil construction, enabling anyone to intuitively understand and judge site conditions regardless of experience.

Q: What precautions should be taken when using AR on site? A: There are several precautions when using AR. First, positional accuracy of AR displays is important. Devices should be calibrated (position-aligned) accurately in advance to prevent misalignment between digital data and actual positions. Also, ensure rules so that focusing too much on the AR screen does not neglect surrounding safety checks. AR is only an assistive tool, so do not neglect human final checks and safety awareness.