Suitability and benefits of implementing lean production on road works

Proceedings IGLC-19, July 2011, Lima, PerúLean Production (LP) has been implemented all over the world for the last years, while Lean Construction (LC) just recently began to be implemented regularly in the construction sector. Some companies are currently testing LC methods, but the majority is still unaware of its potential. The purpose of this work is to assess the applicability and benefits of using Lean construction to road works, by means of the elimination of waste. This article is based upon a literature review on Lean principles and on case studies in Portuguese roadwork companies. Value Stream Mapping of the production process on site was carried out in different jobs and companies, in order to assess the generalization of the observations, results obtained and of the solutions proposed. Finally, the results and conclusions obtained were validated in one road works job site. A characterization and analysis of the waste types and forms in road works was achieved, and the Lean tools that reduce or eliminate them identified. This study sets out to identify the main problems and wastes present in road works, and assess how and to what extent LC provides solutions to their correction or elimination, introducing simple modifications in the processes

Lean construction in rehabilitation works – suitability analysis and contribution for the definition of an implementation model

Proceedings IGLC-19, July 2011, Lima, PerúIn recent years, the construction industry in Portugal has been waking up to the paradigm of Lean Construction. This is due, in part, to the strong global economic crisis and the consequent need to increase the competitiveness of enterprises. The aim of this paper is to assess the applicability of the Lean Construction techniques in rehabilitation works, as well as to contribute to the definition of a corresponding application model. This article reports the application of Lean Construction techniques in a rehabilitation project, having used the methodology of document analysis, direct visualization of processes, development of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) of the target processes and implementation and review of proposals for improvement. Finally, interviews were conducted on key elements of senior management of the company in order to evaluate the receptivity to the proposed changes and their generalization potential to the whole of the rehabilitation works of the company. It was concluded that it is possible and beneficial to implement Lean techniques in rehabilitation works. It was noticed that some of the good practices implemented on site closely matched or even completely materialized Lean techniques, such as Just in Time (JIT ), the 5S, Kanban and Last Planner®. However, and having in mind the Lean philosophy of continuous improvement (kaizen), it was still possible to formulate proposals for improvement to processes not yet fully optimized

An Exploratory Study Of Lean Construction in Portugal – Owners and Designers`Perspectives

21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 21), July 2013, Fortaleza, BrazilAs Lean Construction steadily grows all over the world, not much is heard about this new paradigm in Portugal, and the Portuguese construction industry still seems unaware of its potentials. This study aims at characterizing and analyzing the main causes for waste that could be tackled with Lean Construction solutions and techniques in the Portuguese construction sector. It is assumed that lean construction can greatly contribute to the Portuguese construction sector by the positive costbenefit results. An analysis is made on how lean construction can be beneficial in the Portuguese context, from the perspectives of owners and designers. The study is an exploratory qualitative research that is observational in nature. Overall, 8 private owners, 10 public owners and 13 design firms participated in this study. The results obtained are in line with similar studies and indicate that the origin of most waste in Portuguese projects has its roots in the design phase due to owners’ actions. This work seeks to demonstrate the key role that owners have in the adoptions of lean construction methods and principles, which can be implemented to mitigate the main problems found

BIM-lean synergies in the management on MEP works in public facilities of intensive use – a case study

21st Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction – IGLC 21 – Fortaleza, BrazilAEC industry has been known for budget overruns and delays for a long time. One important reason for weak performances is the difficulty to visualize the production flow, and the deficient information transmission between the different stakeholders involved in a construction project. The use of 3D models plays a significant role in facilitating the implementation of Lean principles, as it significantly improves the process visualization and supports the planning and coordination activities. This study portrays the utilization of VSM on a train station renovation project and proposes the use of a combined approach of BIM tools and Lean techniques for the coordination of MEP works.. BIM-Lean synergies were identified and set the foundation for the proposal of a team coordination approach combining BIM tools and Lean techniques. Besides an important reduction of non-added value activities and durations, the implementation of this approach achieved the alignment of interests of all stakeholders towards a common objective of meeting the overall project schedule. The findings show how a combined BIM-Lean approach improved workflow in MEP maintenance projects, and opens perspectives towards the generalization of the proposed approach into a practical Lean-BIM based production management method

Lean construction and sustainability - complementary paradigms - a case study

Proceedings IGLC-19, July 2011, Lima, PerúIn times when Sustainability is a major concern in public opinions all around the planet, it has become a constant issue for most Industries. The Construction Sector is not an exception to this trend, and efforts have been reported on seeking to adopt metrics that can measure Sustainability on site. On the other hand, the concept of Lean Construction (LC) is becoming a reality more and more present in this sector. Its effectiveness in controlling and eliminating wastes are becoming more and more acknowledged. Both concepts appear to have significant principles in common, hence this paper intends to examine and establish a relationship between LC and Sustainability, and assess their complementarity. This paper portrays a case study where LC tools and techniques where applied on a construction site, in order to observe and assess the relationship and complementarity between those and the Sustainability Construction Index (SCI) developed by a major Portuguese Construction Company, Soares da Costa Construções, S.A.(SDC)

Lean production in the precast concrete components’ industry

Proceedings IGLC-19, July 2011, Lima, PerúThis article is a case study applying Lean Thinking and Lean Production principles in a factory that produces prefabricated reinforced concrete components. The objective is to reduce waste production and increase productivity. Nine factories were analyzed, of which one was chosen for developing an implementation model. A number of changes were proposed based on Lean concepts and the study of several similar factories to improve productivity. A Black Belt Team was created to improve the execution and continuance of the lean concepts. Value Stream Mapping was also used as an aid in the identification of existing waste and improvement opportunities, to which various Lean tools were applied in order to solve the identified problems. The main conclusions of this study are that it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in the production system of prefabricated reinforced concrete components using Lean philosophy. Improvements in the reduction of lead-time, reduction of waste and increase in productivity are achieved with simple and low cost technique

O BIM como plataforma única para os concursos públicos - solução para um ciclo vicioso?

Magazine Digital eUAU - Maio 2011Numa primeira fase, tal poderá eventualmente resultar numa fase de concepção e projecto mais longa e onerosa. Mas estes custos devem ser comparados com os benefícios resultantes, numa análise custo-beneficio alargada e a médio prazo

Metodologia para suporte da colaboração na indústria AEC baseada em BIM e em interoperabilidade

Congresso Construção 2012 - 4º Congresso Nacional/18, 19 e 20 DezembroO Building Information Modelling (BIM) apresenta-se como metodologia para o desenvolvimento de projectos e gestão de empreendimentos na indústria da Arquitectura, Engenharia e Construção (AEC). A utilização da metodologia BIM na indústria AEC tem como objectivos aumentar a produtividade, eficiência, qualidade de construção, e simultaneamente reduzir custos ao longo do ciclo de vida dos empreendimentos. Para tal, há que garantir a interoperabilidade entre as TIC utilizadas no sector, não só ao nível de dados, mas também ao nível dos processos de negócio internos dos vários intervenientes do sector AEC, bem como nas suas relações de colaboração com entidades externas. Neste estudo é proposta uma metodologia para servir de base à colaboração entre os vários intervenientes da indústria AEC, baseada nos princípios de referência de interoperabilidade aos níveis de processos, serviços e dados, assegurando a representação da colaboração em TIC baseadas em BIM. Para este efeito são analisadas várias metodologias para a modelação de processos colaborativos suportados em dados de produto – ISO 10303 (STEP), GTPPM, IDM, e CBP – sendo proposto um método para suportar a colaboração baseado nesta análise. É efectuada uma aplicação do método proposto à representação da colaboração no contexto da determinação de quantidades e análise de custos durante a fase de coordenação de propostas. Através da realização deste estudo conclui-se que o método proposto pode ser aplicado em diversos contextos durante o ciclo de vida de empreendimentos. O método proposto pode ser aplicado a formas contratuais que variam no grau de colaboração entre intervenientes da indústria. As capacidades de abstracção na definição e implementação de processos colaborativos constituem uma importante contribuição para a protecção da propriedade intelectual dos intervenientes

Lean a ferramenta para aumentar a segurança e produção em obras geotécnicas

13º Congresso Nacional de GeotecniaNas obras geotécnicas é difícil efetuar a previsão do comportamento geomecânico do maciço com precisão, pelo que a segurança em obra tem que ser continuamente monitorizada. Esta abordagem leva a que os prazos não sejam cumpridos e, por consequência. as expectativas do Dono de Obra não sejam atingidas. Presentemente existem ferramentas ajustadas às obras geotécnicas (barragens, escavações, contenções, estradas) que incorporam a incerteza no planeamento. Este artigo propõe um conjunto de soluções para este tipo de empreendimentos baseado na Lean Construction e em indicadores de desempenho, discutindo as suas potenciais vantagens e campos de aplicação. Por fim, é feita uma antevisão da provável evolução destas áreas do conhecimento, sendo também apresentadas desenvolvimentos recentes no planeamento Lean com visualização 3D

BIM nas obras públicas em Portugal: Condicionantes para uma implementação com sucesso

Congresso Construção 2012 - 4º Congresso Nacional/17, 18 e 19 DezembroO “Building Information Modeling” (BIM) tem vindo a assumir o papel principal dentro das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) no sector da Arquitectura, Engenharia e Construção (AEC). As suas vantagens têm sido descritas tanto por profissionais como por académicos, sendo que estas culminam num aumento de produtividade durante a execução do projecto e na diminuição de custos ao longo do ciclo de vida do empreendimento. Em ambiente de contenção de custos, o BIM poderá então ser uma oportunidade para apostar no crescimento sustentado da indústria, em que a reestruturação do processo de colaboração entre as várias partes envolvidas no projecto estimula a transparência e promove a imagem do sector. Pelo mundo fora, vários países já tornaram o BIM obrigatório nas suas obras públicas. Uns através de alterações da lei (Singapura, EUA), outros através da criação de orientações e directivas (Finlândia, Noruega), muitos fazendo uso de “Industry Foundation Classes” (IFC)(China, Dinamarca), outros tantos aplicando limites máximos ao custo do empreendimento a partir dos quais o projecto terá que ser executado sobre plataforma BIM (Holanda, Finlândia). Há até governos a implementar o BIM com o objectivo de reduzir emissões de carbono (Reino Unido). Todos estes países têm em comum a forte aposta na Investigação e Desenvolvimento(I&D) do BIM como base para as suas estratégias de crescimento. Neste estudo é sistematizado um conjunto de condicionantes a ter em conta num processo desta natureza. É efectuada uma revisão da literatura, apoiada em entrevistas em profundidade a profissionais representativos da indústria, com o intuito de aferir o ajustamento dos resultados apurados à realidade nacional. É ainda apurado, analisado e discutido o impacto das condicionantes no sucesso da implementação do BIM como plataforma necessária para concursos públicos em Portugal, bem como as suas interacções, implicações, oportunidades e desafios, tendo em conta todas as entidades envolvidas no ciclo de vida de uma edificação. Por fim, são propostos futuros campos de pesquisa