Abstract
The construction industry is always searching for better ways to manage construction projects and improve productivity while leaving a smaller ecological footprint. To help with this goal, a simulation model was developed in a 3D simulation modeling framework to examine the impact of successful concepts from the manufacturing industry, such as just-in-time (JIT) deliveries, Lean tools, and prefabrication in construction. The model developed was based on a real 6-story wooden building erected in the province of Quebec, Canada. Through a design of experiment, results of the simulation showed the impact of each concept and their interactions on the construction duration, shortages, and labor utilization. They also put into light the quantitative advantages and disadvantages of implementing 0%, 50%, or 100% Lean management methods, keeping between 1 and 4 days of buffer stock on the construction site, having 80% or 100% prefabrication of components, and using 1 or 2 construction teams. As a result, this paper contributes to the work of scholars and practitioners by simulating a real construction project to assess the impact of prefabrication, JIT, and Lean principles with tangible metrics, construction duration, shortages, and labor utilization.
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Data Availability Statement
Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for its financial support through the ICP and CRD programs (IRCPJ 461745-12 and RDCPJ 445200-12) as well as the industrial partners of the NSERC industrial chair on eco-responsible wood construction (CIRCERB).
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 145 • Issue 5 • May 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 1, 2018
Accepted: Nov 7, 2018
Published online: Mar 12, 2019
Published in print: May 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Aug 12, 2019
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