Simulation in manufacturing planning of buildings

Optimal planning of construction projects requires an efficient allocation of available resources. Labor, material, equipment are to be planned, coordinated and quickly adapted to varying conditions. Frequent (design) changes during the construction period, diversity of trades and the high complexity of interacting processes in building manufacturing require innovative ways to support process-influencing decisions - a tool which allows testing interventions and adjustments in the manufacturing process, including individual sub-processes with the best possible efficiency. In this context, the discrete-event simulation comes into place. A research group simulated the manufacturing process of a hotel project in all details in order to examine applicability of simulation in the construction industry and to scrutinize and adjust it according to the construction specifics. The approach taken, the challenges encountered and insights gained will be presented in this article.