Priority rating logic simulation model for tower crane operations management

Tower cranes are the most expensive and frequently shared resources on building construction sites. In practice, tower cranes are managed based on demand, urgency, and prioritized work tasks that must be performed within a set period of time on the field. Computer simulation proved to be an effective tool for aiding practitioners in modeling complex construction operations. Special Purpose Simulation (SPS) techniques have introduced computer modeling to the construction industry, resulting in a reduced model development time and a more user-friendly environment. Traditional SPS modeling techniques use "relationship logic links" to represent the logic contained in a modeled system. However, as the number of work tasks increases for the tower crane, the complexity of the relationship logic links model increases, resulting in limited acceptance by industry practitioners. This paper presents a new approach for handling process interactions for computer simulation modeling using "priority-rating logic," which is used to represent a tower crane's non-cyclic construction operations. The use of a priority rating logic control for model process interaction is implemented through the development of a SPS tower crane template. A case example and six variations to the case are presented to illustrate the advantages and viability of using the priority rating logic simulation modeling approach for tower crane operations.