Chronographical Spatiotemporal Planning for Construction Projects

Most building projects are scheduled using the Gantt/Precedence diagram method, which is a timeline scheduling approach that combines a graphical representation of activities through a bar chart diagram and constraints on precedence dependencies logic. The linear diagram is also marginally used for scheduling building projects. The lack of consideration of the sequence of work and traffic in the limited spaces of construction sites makes the resolution of conflicts more complex; deterministic and stochastic mathematical optimization techniques have been used to solve these problems. However, these solutions are less viable for application in real projects. There are too many parameters to be considered or processed with reasonable efforts and time. Graphic modeling is considered an appropriate solution because of its communication capability. Coordination and decision-making on construction sites become simpler, and spatiotemporal graphical planning is then more suitable as a scheduling model because it considers activities, resources, and spaces simultaneously. This paper presents an explanation of the chronographical spatiotemporal modeling solution that integrates considerations of the space, crews, and operations in the same image. The objective is to link the spatial and temporal aspects to ensure suitable rotation of the workforce in various spaces and efficient linear production. An approach that calculates the project duration is based on critical space and the site occupancy rate; the model also defines seven space management layers (creation of spaces, installation of systems, envelopes, division of spaces, finishing, closing of spaces, and exterior works). The validation process was performed using several case studies on scheduling building projects. In conclusion, the integration of spaces, operations, and temporal aspects promotes efficient use of building sites and helps managers maximize the site occupancy rates, ensure suitable rotation of the workforce between zones and support linear productions of spaces and teams.