Enhancing BIM for construction safety education on mobile devices with unreal engine

Conventional engineering-safety approach often leads to suboptimal learning outcomes because of inadequate simulation environments, lack of immersive on-site internships, and safety risks inherent in authentic construction settings. This paper presents a cutting-edge three-dimensional (3D) virtual engineering safety education system developed with Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) within an actual university building. Guided by embodied cognition principles, the system delivers a holistic training experience that addresses essential aspects of engineering safety, including hazard identification and spatial awareness. By importing the building's 3D model into UE5, the system enables students to interact through a hybrid of first-person-shooter (FPS) and role-playing game (RPG) mechanics. This platform is accessible across multiple devices including smartphones, PCs, and virtual reality (VR) headsets. The fusion of UE5 with BIM sets the stage for significant future expansion, allowing the incorporation of more complex safety scenarios and operational procedures. The framework and insights outlined in this paper can provide valuable guidance for developing virtual learning systems across various educational fields.