Simulation‐based scheduling of module assembly yards: case study

Abstract

PurposePipe‐spool module assembly involves a variety of uncertain factors and constraints, which complicate the assembly scheduling process. These factors also pose a challenge for the scheduler who struggles to produce a schedule that optimizes both the use of available resources (e.g. space) and meets the project's delivery deadlines. In the relatively quick production cycle of module assembly, the scheduling process plays an operative role. Thus, automation of the process would enhance productivity of the schedule updating process. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachA simulation‐based approach is presented for scheduling pipe‐spool module assembly. This approach incorporates physical and logical constraints. General purpose simulation (GPS) is used to model these logical and heuristic constraints.FindingsThe application of the proposed model to an actual case study demonstrates the significant improvement in the assembly schedule when compared to traditional CPM‐based scheduling techniques.Originality/valueThe proposed model allows schedulers to experiment with various rules in order to improve the scheduling process by, for example, instantly updating the schedule.

Time-stepped, simulation-based scheduling system for large-scale industrial construction projects

“…However, it is increasingly being used to plan and schedule short-term construction operations (Song and AbouRizk 2006;Mohamed et al 2007;Hu and Mohamed 2010). DES can be categorized, based on the time advance mechanism, into two groups: (1) event-driven and (2) time stepped (Figure 1).…”

Program Committee / Reviewers

“…Scheduling based on rough information and updating the plan based on new information received from the client or other supply chains is an exhausting process, particularly in the dynamic environment of the module yard with inter-dependency of the modules. Such a schedule should satisfy several constraints in the module assembly yard including the following [13]:…”

“…Priorities of modules which are in-progress (i.e., as-built modules) are also set higher than the priorities of as-planned modules. This model is explained in depth in the previous literature [12,13].…”

BIM-Based 4D Simulation to Improve Module Manufacturing Productivity for Sustainable Building Projects

“…Mohanty and Siddiq [11] Vercellis [12] Elsayed et al [47] Boctor [48] Advanced heuristic techniques Lawrence and Morton [13] Wiley et al [44] Kumanan et al [14] Goncalves et al [41] Simulation approaches Borrego [45] Liu [46] Mohamed et al [15] Taghaddos et al [49,50] In Borrego's model, a module manufacturing yard schedule is created that determines and simulates the order of priority based on priority dispatching rules and 3D visualization [45]. Here, the simulation model for each event is connected to a module manufacturing yard where a variety of processes occur simultaneously, and the interactions between these processes are analyzed.…”

“…A variety of methodologies have been proposed to optimize the factory module manufacturing process, including mathematical analyses for process planning in multiple projects under multiple resource environments [11,12], heuristic techniques for calculating the parameters of processes that require minimum costs [13], a generic algorithm for finding a process that minimizes work time [14], and a simulation-based mathematical approach [15]. However, most of these depend on mathematical analyses and have only a limited ability to carry out multiple analyses of various variables in an actual module manufacturing environment [16].…”