| Author: | Chan, Kang Yuen |
| Title: | Optimizing construction planning and scheduling by virtual prototyping enabled resource analysis |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Subject: | Construction industry -- Management. Project management. Prototypes, Engineering. Rapid prototyping Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Building and Real Estate |
| Pages: | xvi, 176 leaves : col. ill. ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Effective construction planning and scheduling is the first and crucial step towards a successful and efficient construction project. All succeeding tasks, or activities, should follow the planning stage. The planning and scheduling process is arduous, complex and time-consuming. Even experienced construction planners find it impossible to construct a comprehensive and faultless master construction plan, and during construction operations make reviews and updates as necessary. These reviews and updates bring waste and increase the project duration and cost. A literature review clarifies the definition of construction planning and scheduling and resource planning used in this study is based on current and past approaches related to optimization methods. Conventional computer-assisted technologies such as computer simulation, 4D CAD, Building Information Modelling (BIM), virtual construction, and virtual prototyping (VP) are studied and examined, the aim being to find potential technologies which help to optimize and visualize the construction plans and schedules in order to reduce construction plans, schedules review and update frequency. The core of the research methodology for this study is action research which helps to develop the framework for integrated planning using VP technology enabled resource analysis. The cyclic process of action research is adopted 1) identification of construction planning and critical issues 2) development of the solution framework 3) implementation and test 4) feedback. Site validation was held during the application of the VP technology. Also, focus group meetings were held at which feedback and comments were collected to enable modifications of the developed VP system to better achieve optimized plans and schedules. A solution framework was implemented for two case studies representing two different types of project. The first implementation was conducted on a building site to demonstrate the use of a virtual prototyping enabled resource analysis to reallocate space and logistics on an access road and also to arrange tower cranes to achieve a 6-day floor construction cycle. The second implementation applied to a bridge project which demonstrated the use of VP in the design and location of a temporary working platform on a difficult steeply sloping site. The structure for integrated planning was modified to fulfill the needs of the bridge project. In this case study, the temporary platform design and the allocation of plant resources were interdependent. The results of this research study encourage planners to test the various construction plans using VP system. Better understanding of the construction process and prediction of possible mistakes is enabled. As a result, planners are more able to identify the optimal construction plan. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b25301007.pdf | For All Users | 3.32 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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