Integrated Offsite Logistics Scheduling Approach for High-Rise Modular Building Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148, Issue 6
Abstract
By maximizing offsite work and minimizing onsite activities, modular construction has become increasingly popular in high-rise, high-density cities. For successfully delivering high-rise modular buildings, a key issue is the effective scheduling of offsite logistics, consisting of module manufacturing, transportation, and storage. This paper proposes an integrated offsite logistics scheduling approach for high-rise modular building projects that addresses project-specific constraints and uncertainties, based on the stochastic Petri net (SPN) method. The proposed approach supports multi-criteria decision-making, that considers completion time, total cost, storage capacity utilization, and production process stability under what-if scenarios. Its efficacy and novelty for offsite logistics scheduling were demonstrated through a real-life project case study. The results indicate the need to (1) strengthen suppliers’ demand responsiveness by shortening module production time; (2) enhance manufacturing flexibility by increasing factory storage utilization; (3) improve supply chain synchronization; and (4) capitalize on the government’s role in offsite logistics enhancement. The findings methodologically innovate offsite logistics scheduling, and practically support contractors and module suppliers in successfully delivering high-rise modular building projects in high-density cities.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Research Impact Fund of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (Project No. HKU R7027-18) and the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme from the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Project No. S2019.A8.013.19S). Also acknowledged is Yau Lee Wah Concrete Precast Products Co. for their support and participation in the study.
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Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148 • Issue 6 • June 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 26, 2021
Accepted: Feb 3, 2022
Published online: Mar 30, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 30, 2022
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