A Novel Approach Based on Fluid Dynamics for On-Site Safety Assessment

Abstract

Construction safety assessment is a major component of safety management in construction projects. However, thus far, most assessment studies have focused on either cross-sectional or longitudinal performance. This study aims to develop a proactive and preliminary safety assessment method using a fluid dynamics (FD) approach by integrating longitudinal contractor performance with cross-sectional safety conditions. To this end, an FD framework was first developed using three processes: (a) identifying the connections between FD principles and safety analogs, (b) incorporating the Darcy-Weisbach equation into the framework, and (c) modifying FD equations for construction safety assessment. Subsequently, two case studies were investigated, and the results obtained were compared and verified with one existing assessment results. The results indicate that the state of safety at a construction site incorporates both the occurrence of hazards and conservation of energy. Thus, the proposed FD approach can be used to preliminarily assess and predict safety conditions by combining safety-related measures with the dynamic characteristics of construction processes. The approach considers a comprehensive range of indicators and parameters, which enables the comparison of safety performance between projects or assessment periods by independently changing parameters.