3 research outputs found
A Process-Based Approach for Integrating the Last Planner System In 4D Modeling for Equipment Workspace Planning in Elevated Urban Highway
Transportation developments are shifting from the construction of new highways to the reconstruction of existing ones, especially in urban areas. The reconstruction of elevated urban highways typically requires substantial capital investments and long durations. The prevalence of non-value adding activities otherwise referred to as non-physical wastes according to the Lean Construction (LC) paradigm is one attributable reason for this. Another feature of urban highway projects is the use of heavy construction equipment. Planning the equipment workspace becomes very important to facilitate the reduction/elimination of non-physical wastes and ensure no delays to the project completion arising from spatio-temporal conflicts. Four-dimensional (4D) modelling techniques have proven benefits to effective construction planning. Still, some limitations exist in the lack of a practical approach to support construction planning and incorporate workspace modelling in the 4D model development process. Several studies with different perspectives have been carried out to describe the gains of using 4D models in workspace management. However, none of them considered the effects of the limited usable space in the reconstruction of elevated urban highways. Moreover, the requirements for multiple levels of detail (LOD) in scheduling large and complex projects present a new challenge. To counter these challenges, a considerable amount of time is required to ensure that the LOD of the 4D model is sufficient to account for the following: (1) micro-scheduling of heavy equipment typically used in these types of operations, and (2) producing a 4D model with a sufficient LOD to accommodate daily work plans.
The purpose of this study is to categorize and prioritize factors contributing to non-physical wastes using empirical data obtained from a questionnaire survey. The survey results identified "planning" as an important factor in promoting non-physical wastes in elevated urban highway projects. A hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach was proposed to formalize selecting project planning/scheduling methods applicable to elevated urban highway projects where micro-scheduling short duration activities involving heavy construction equipment is critical to project success. Equipment workspace planning was considered a vital aspect in the planning process as conventional planning methods fail to consider spatial planning for short duration activities, especially in highway projects. To facilitate the equipment workspace planning, a research initiative that involved developing a detailed 4D model by integrating the Last Planner System (LPS), a LC planning and scheduling technique in a 4D model with multiple LOD's was proposed. The development of this 4D model can help facilitate the reduction of non-physical wastes during the construction phase of elevated urban highways, improve the reliability of the planning process, and reduce the time waste associated with planning and scheduling urban highway projects subject to space constraints. The research method is described, and a case study is developed to demonstrate the proposed method's feasibility
Recommended from our members
EDDE : a framework to explore, design, develop and evaluate technology-enhanced instruction for construction
textTechnology-enhanced instruction has a great potential to support the learning process. However, the engaging power of technology can become a distracting factor if it is not deployed properly. Unfortunately, the current literature in instructional design and user interface design is broad and not easily accessible by construction faculty. This dissertation presents a framework to guide the development of technology-assisted instruction for the classroom. The framework developed is called EDDE which stands for four conceptual steps involved in the creation of a technology-supported teaching tool: Explore, Design, Develop, and Evaluate. EDDE contains a novel synthesis of the literature in instructional design and user interface design as well as survey data of student subject matter knowledge and information technology background. A computerized tool called EDDEaid makes accessible the large store of knowledge supporting EDDE. Assessment of EDDEaid is presented with evaluation results from nine university faculty that teach construction subjects as well as through critique of and changes to an existing interactive learning tool. EDDE and EDDEaid are found to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the deployment of technology-enhanced instruction and provide support to construction faculty developing learning tools.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin
Recommended from our members
Increasing engagement with the supply chain to improve the performance of power sector projects
Global and complex supply chains are the norms on capital projects, particularly in the power sector, and better integration of the supply chain is an opportunity to improve project cost, schedule, quality, and safety. In that context, this research wants to identify opportunities that can improve the engagement with the supply chain in power projects and understand the potential of those opportunities to improve the project performance. Based on the review of existent literature and twelve open-ended phone interviews with industry experts representing different stakeholders, eleven opportunities were identified. Opportunities varied from framework agreement with suppliers and modularization to improvements in supplier's contracts and early design freeze. In order to determine the relationship between the opportunities and project performance, a survey was designed, and 30 responses were collected and analyzed. According to the respondents, all opportunities are viable for consideration and have potential to improve project performance, but early involvement of stakeholders, use of standard designs across projects, and better integration of suppliers in Advanced Work Packaging ranked in the top. Overall, the present work provides recommendations that mainly owners and contractors in the power sector can consider in order to improve the engagement with their suppliers. Companies should choose the opportunities that are better for them to implement based on their current involvement with the supply chain, their objectives, and their resources.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin