Defining background tasks in SimFC

Process simulation in construction has proven to be a promising alternative for estimating project costs, driving initial schedules and estimating resource requirements. Different platforms have been developed which allow users to model various construction processes with different constraints. This paper introduces Simulator For Construction (SimFC) as a new construction-related simulator currently in development. Special emphasis is placed on defining and modeling background tasks within given processes. The validity and simplicity of SimFC is illustrated further in a case study where a pipe-rack construction process is modeled. The findings are of interest to construction planners, schedulers, estimators, project managers and researchers who are interested in using and promoting simulation in construction.