Dunlop, P and Smith, S (2000) Stochastic modelling of concrete operations. In: Akintoye, A (ed.) Proceedings of 16th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-8 September 2000, Glasgow, UK.
Abstract
Processes within the construction industry have for many years been systematically modernised and allocated rigid procedures. However, this has not been the case with concrete placing operations. These have been left to evolve naturally and to develop in a piecemeal manner. As a result inefficiencies have become established in concrete operations that have led to wastage in terms of time and money. In a forward-looking industry, in which we are constantly striving to modernise its procedures, it is remarkable that such an area where significant financial savings can be made has been overlooked. There are undoubtedly opportunities for development in this area. Accordingly, this paper considers the amount of wastage involved in the concrete placement process. Results are presented using data gathered over a two-year period from a major civil engineering project in the North-West of England. The data consists of over seventy individual concrete pours. The majority of concrete operations observed involved concrete being pumped into formwork, which was seen to be a complex queuing system. The data collected from actual observations has been analysed using a model that deals with the many factors encountered in concrete placing operations. In this paper the aim is to look, briefly, at queuing systems in general as well as reporting on some of the main findings from the investigation into concrete processes.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | concreting operation; probability distribution; queuing system; stochastic modelling; process |
| Index terms: | investigation, concreting, placing, construction industry, modelling, England, placement, savings, probability distribution, formwork |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, economic analysis, analytical methods, Geography, concrete and cementitious materials, management, statistical analysis, industry analysis, building construction |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Construction Materials, Construction Technology, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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