Increasing production efficiency through the reduction of transportation activities and time using 4D BIM simulations

Abstract

PurposeThis paper proposes to apply the lean philosophy principle of minimizing or eliminating non-value adding activities combined with 4D building information modeling (BIM) simulations to reduce transportation waste in construction production processes.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts design science research (DSR) because of its prescriptive character to produce innovative constructions (artifacts) to solve real-world problems. The artifact proposed is a set of constructs for evaluating the utility of 4D BIM simulations for transportation waste reduction. The authors performed two learning cycles using empirical studies in projects A, B and C. The construction process of cast-in-place (CIP) reinforcement concrete (RC) was selected to demonstrate and evaluate 4D BIM's utility. The empirical studies focused on understanding the current transportation waste, collecting actual performance data during job site visits and demonstrating the usage of 4D BIM.FindingsIn the first cycle, 4D BIM successfully allowed users to understand the CIP-RC process's transportation activities, which were modeled. In the second cycle, 4D BIM enabled better decision-making processes concerning the definitions of strategies for placing reusable formworks for CIP concrete walls by planning transportation activities.Practical implicationsIn Cycle 2, three different scenarios were simulated to identify the most suitable formwork assembly planning, and the results were compared to the real situations identified during the job site visits. The scenario chosen demonstrated that the 4D BIM simulation yielded an 18.75% cycle time reduction. In addition, the simulation contributed to a decrease in transportation waste that was previously identified.Originality/valueThe original contribution of this paper is the use of 4D BIM simulation for managing non-value adding activities to reduce transportation waste. The utility of 4D BIM for the reduction of those conflicts considered three constructs: (1) the capacity to improve transportation activity efficiency, (2) the capacity to improve construction production efficiency and (3) the capacity to reduce transportation waste consequences.

Waste Elimination based on Lean Construction and Building Information Modelling: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Additionally, CSC products are associated with an increased number of parts and inconsistent organisations structures (i.e., variety in stakeholders with conflicting goals and needs) (Glenn Ballard and Howell 1997). The possible wastes in a fragmented CSC are transportation, congestion, doublehanding, movement, and waiting (Pérez and Bastos Costa 2021;Björnfot and Jongeling 2007).…”

“…This approach enables the construction industry to limit transportation waste, adding value to productivity and sustainability in terms of contribution toward a circular economy (Vrijhoef 2020). At the logistics level, the workspace management allocates resources according to their spaces, storage, areas, routes, and paths (Pérez and Bastos Costa 2021). At the same time, the production demand is provided by signals from lean planning and control systems that prioritise pulling rather than pushing work packages downstream and assure that the between handoffs trades are discussed and resolved.…”

Competencies Driving Waste Minimization during the Construction Phase of Buildings

“…Most wastes on construction sites happen due to a lack of planning and sequencing of construction activities. Pérez and Bastos Costa [48] asserted that planning and scheduling is a critical factor in the quest to achieve sustainability; hence it needs to be well addressed and reflected in construction schedules to avoid any delays and wastage of materials. The recycled content, as well as the recyclability of construction material, enhances sustainability which eventually contributes to waste reduction.…”

“…Hence, construction stakeholders need to be aware of the importance of implementing sustainable construction practices to CW minimization at the construction stage of projects. According to Pérez and Bastos Costa [48], the lack of effective waste management plans also contributes to waste generation on construction sites. Therefore, there is a need to develop and implement waste management plans [37].…”

Green Building Construction: A Systematic Review of BIM Utilization

“…In addition, based on green building project planning, construction site conditions, and feedback from subcontractors, BIM can assist the construction teams in developing the requirements and configurations of personnel, materials, and equipment [4,5,99,100,130,[141][142][143]150]. Based on the abovementioned information, the logistics and transportation routes can also be automatically formulated through BIM [158][159][160][161][162]. Finally, through the information mentioned above, the estimated cost and budgets can be put forward by BIM [123,124,151].…”