Pérez, C T and Bastos Costa, D (2021) Increasing production efficiency through the reduction of transportation activities and time using 4D BIM simulations. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28(8), pp. 2222-2247. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: This 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/approach: This 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. Findings: In 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 implications: In 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/value: The 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.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | case study; simulation |
| Index terms: | design science research, philosophy, strategy, artifact, construction process, time reduction, methodology, construction production process, waste reduction, case study, efficiency, building information modelling, formwork, decision-making process, reinforcement, empirical study, placing, construction production |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, operations management, building materials, management, concrete and cementitious materials, sustainability assessment, design practice, performance management, research methods, philosophical studies, information systems, sociology, decision analysis, building construction |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Sustainability, Construction Technology, Business Strategy, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Site Management, Digital Applications, Design Practice, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here