Interactive Models Based on Virtual Reality Technology Used in Civil Engineering Education - Teaching through Multi-User Virtual Environments - page 404

Figure 18. Installation of the metallic launching nose

Figure 19. Displacement of the launching nose

Figure 20. Nose arriving at a pier

ment. The Figure 20 illustrates the transposition
process of the pier by the nose. In it the small
brown parallelepiped are the launch pads and are
placed manually by workers between the nose
and the temporary support placed over each pier.
The camera is positioned to show properly the
work. This phase of the animation is programmed
to run various actions at the same time, adequate-
ly synchronized.
The construction of the remaining segments
is performed in fast mode, because the process is
identical to the initial segment. Already in the
final phase of construction the yard is removed
and the space is covered of land. Finally the guards

are positioned and also other finishing elements
(Figure 21).
The model was placed in a repository created
under the activities of e-school, a platform devel-
oped in the Technical University of Lisbon, to be
accessed by students and teachers of another in-
stitutions related to Civil Engineering. The ap-
plication is oriented, not only as a learning tool,
but also to professionals related to the construction
of this kind of bridges.
This model presents a great complexity of
geometry and material concerning the different
elements used in a real work process. It provides
an immersive capacity inherent to virtual world