4D schedule generation for flat slab BIM models

Planning & scheduling has made some amazing progress in the past 20 years, a period when numerous site engineers felt that utilizing formal planning was unnecessary to everyday operations and a period expending diversion. From that point forward, it has turned into a necessary piece for most projects, yet remains a period consuming, mistake inclined and manually initialized tool. This process is dependent on the method statements and the construction logic that are defined at the beginning of the project which will help in the development of the time schedule of works. Contractors use a set of defined productivity rates for the different construction activities that satisfy the required finish milestones specified by the contract; overcrowding and overmanning are not taken into considerations between labor in the project when selecting the productivity rates for the activities. Moreover, the site management team takes a huge amount of efforts and time to optimize the formwork area available and their reuse in different parts of the project. This research was divided into three stages; first stage was the collection of data stage which is mainly the interviews stage where interviews were held with about 14 experts. Second stage was the model was developed based on a number of algorithms to develop the time schedule and the cost estimation of a BIM model by minimum user inputs as well as including many parameters that are not being taken into considerations by planners in the contractors or the engineers side. Parameters include: the area of formwork available for construction in m2, the reuse of formwork in different zones for cost reduction, crowdedness and overmanning reduction for increase of productivity per crew, automatic zoning of building with relation to the construction joints in a building, optimization of number of crews and their allocation and the enhancement between the area of formwork available for construction and the number of crews. The model was validated with a case study project where the approved baseline schedule and the used method statement were compared to the model outputs. The results highlight the model\u27s robust features in terms of: generating construction zones that account for the available amount of formwork and their reuse while minimizing the construction cost, optimizing the productivity rate per crew while considering the crowdedness of the job location per construction zone and over all optimizing the construction schedule in terms of time, cost and generating different method statement through formwork movements. Thus, using this model, a contractor could significantly improve his productivity, effectively generate construction schedules and method statements of a project

Time-cost tradeoff model for multiple asphalt paving projects using genetic algorithms

[abstract not available]https://fount.aucegypt.edu/faculty_book_chapters/1379/thumbnail.jp

Analytical hierarchy process decision support system (AHP-DSS) for trenchless technology

[abstract not available]https://fount.aucegypt.edu/faculty_book_chapters/1384/thumbnail.jp

Non-Deterministic Workspace Simulation and Management in Construction

As design complexity increases and clients demand faster deliveries, multiple activities involving machinery and labor are executed simultaneously, requiring the same space at the same time. This may lead to delays and safety risks. Previously developed models failed to acquire traction due to three gaps: lack of considering spatio-temporal uncertainties; absence of modelling the propagating effects of 4D-clashes on schedule progress; and not accounting for the unpredictability of crews’ decisions for resolving a 4D-clash. Additionally, the recent pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities with the need to implement physical distancing, which created a new class of soft clashes. They are a result of different crews’ proximity to each other but do indicate a physical obstruction. This has triggered the need to introduce physical distance as a new independent workspace and to redefine the previously implemented clash detection rules. Addressing the gaps, this thesis develops a framework and tool, adopting open BIM. Contributions are: simulating space as a probabilistic variable; automatically generating physical distance workspaces; smart clash detection identifying soft and operational clashes, while eliminating unrealistic and redundant results; automated clash resolution based on heuristic rules and constructability constraints; and modelling crews’ decision for handling unresolved clashes. The tool utilizes Blender’s GUI, benefiting from its open-source license and IfcOpenShell add-on. Additionally, an application using C# language was developed to specify user thresholds. 60 use-cases were created to test the functionality of the method/software. Comparing to manual calculations / geometrical intersection tests (used in clash detection software) the tool achieved a 99% accuracy in clash detection and volume estimation. The work was validated through two case studies. The first case study focused on labor workspaces for a residential project. The results showed a 50% clash (volume and instances) increase stochastic simulation without physical distances. The second case study simulated the refurbishment of an industrial plant during its shutdown. The solution presented 6,930 project completion possibilities recommending an 8% duration increase to achieve a 75% confidence level. The results were presented to industry experts whom acknowledged the benefits of the research in its current state, highlighting the ability to extend/adapt it to other domains

Multi-objective optimization for rehabilitation of heath facilities

[abstract not available