Planning is crucial for the success of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) projects. 4D construction simulation is an innovative approach that is in line with the development of Building Information Modeling (BIM). It combines a 3D model of the building to the planning of activities in order to simulate its realization over time. Several studies have shown that 4D simulations are particularly useful for comparing the constructability of structures and working methods for the identification of conflict and overlap, but also as a collaborative tool for stakeholders to discuss and plan the project progress. The construction planning is nowadays necessarily collaborative. However, the use of collaborative 4D simulation is still limited, mainly because of the lack of adaptation of views proposed to users. Indeed, most current 4D tools, even if they offer this "collaborative simulation" as sales argument, simply offer the same "standard" views (3D + Gantt chart) to all users. Yet traditional working methods in the sector rely on different visual representations (eg, 2D drawings, 3D model, "white" 3D model, "photorealistic" model, quantities table) that professionals usually choose according to their specific needs. The hypothesis of this doctoral research considers that the views proposed in 4D collaborative simulation tools should be adapted to the needs of each stakeholder involved. The objective is to propose a method to design 4D multiple views adapted to the real business needs of participants in a collaborative 4D simulation. Thus, the research examines planning practices in the construction sector, and theories from Information Visualization, views design, and Computer-Supported Collaborative Work fields. The proposal firstly defines an original conceptualization of collaborative 4D construction simulation. It then translates into a structuration of views adaptation needs, and a structured approach to design 4D multiple views adapted to different stakeholders in a 4D collaborative simulation. Metamodels are also proposed and provide method users with a structured language for the progressive design of 4D multi-views. The methodological approach proposes first to identify the "business" issue relying on a literature review and interviews with professionals. Then, a decrease in the theoretical field of Information Visualization and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work led to formalize initial metamodels of collaborative situation, of visualization tasks, of business view and coordinated multiple views. These metamodels are then confronted with real 4D visualizations from construction projects to progressively refine their content and the consistency of the proposed method. A final experiment develops and validates the method as a whole. It is complemented by a survey with professionals in order to validate the results.
