"Practicing" in Construction through detailed sequencing simulations.
About 10 months ago I was sitting in a design team meeting for the UBC Brock Commons Phase 1 Project (also known as Tall Wood) and the development manager was watching the DELMIA sequencing simulation we created to analyze the assembly process when he said to the team “This is great, in construction we never practice. Every project is different and we only get one chance to build the prototype. This is a game changer because now we can practice, we can try things and fail, learn and try something new, all prior to digging a hole in the ground.” I thought that was a genuine moment capturing the frustration of seasoned veterans in the construction industry. Practicing, as he referred to the simulation, in the manufacturing industry is called a Digital Mock Up. Due to the cost structures in the manufacturing world, digital mock ups are the most cost effective and timely way to test part designs, assemblies and assist with optimization for later design iterations. With some tweaks to fit our process, we can do the same in construction.
There are a few options on the market for looking at this type of modeling and simulation, I will talk in the article about DELMIA 3DEXPERIENCE on cloud, an extremely powerful software tool that is popular in the shipbuilding, aerospace and automotive industries. DELMIA is not just about simulation, it is a large player in robotics and CAD/CAM integration, among other applications. We are trying to capture that sequencing simulation capability and apply it to help solve problems in construction. There are a few levels of detail in the following ways:
- Detailed construction assembly sequencing evaluation with time motion study: We are using this to drill down into the assembly of live construction processes, either at a larger macro level, or at the minute details of a freestanding core form-work sequence (see below). At this level it's not about the GANTT, we are at the component level and we are trying to apply assumed times into construction processes, or working backwards from the full sequence and aggregating time in an effort to breaking down each step and see where processes can be automated to hit a full target construction timeline. This starts to get fun for an engineer and can provide invaluable feedback in a digital mock up environment to optimize the full construction process, regardless if the project is stick built, prefab, modular or a hybrid of any one of these. Its much less expensive to make a mistake on the computer screen than live in the field.
2. Process planning with manufacturing item definition and Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM): Now we are getting into true optimized construction workflows with this level of simulation. The process planner and manufacturing item definition level of detail really lends itself to prefab and/or modular processes but can be applied to stick build processes as well. At this level we are taking construction pre-planning to a new level by breaking down master assemblies to sub assemblies and ultimately to the individual part levels. At each of these levels precedence links can be created to define the real life sequence of installation on site to analyze sequences, identify bottlenecks, enable just-in-time with lead time analysis from subcontractors/suppliers (objects can be linked to ERP and logistics tracking systems), export the final GANTT chart for construction (after optimizing in DELMIA), generate automatic BOM's and even draft spool drawings directly from DELMIA. Shipbuilding, airplanes have done this for a long time…we do this for construction projects and it’s a competitive advantage.
3. 4D modeling: The linking of 3D geometry and a 1D project schedule is not novel but a good start in terms of planning and scheduling. It also helps think through site logistics, crane locations, lay down areas, temporary hoarding, etc. and DELMIA has 4D clash detection capabilities which can help for crane swing analysis (see below for a mash up of 4D models we have done recently).
Javier Glatt
Associate Vice President at Tata Consulting Engineers Limited
5 年Interesting
Solution Architect at Dassault Systèmes
7 年Fantastic.
Making things that help others make things ??????
7 年thanks for sharing Javier, there is a lot packed into this post that could be unpacked in a 100 new learning/applications for any business that leans toward low volume, high complexity, historically long lead ETO/CTO type business. beyond "practicing" i think the other disruption is risk management and growing margin by making a optimal First time Yield(FTY) and on time delivery(OTD)! the tradition convention that has to change is this activity of building/mfg planning and simulation needs to happen CONCURRENTLY in the design phase NOT AFTER in execution phases, work with the cloud on preliminary data and re-analyze when parts that are "finalized or released" through configurations back into BOM and Process with Digital Mock-up analysis of real time changed to piece parts. because then you can write a check or make a bid that can minimize the risk profile because you can literally have every BOM and process step accounted (with no extra cost or cycle) for in any monte carlo method or other risk probably tools, you can significantly increase the inputs and confidence and get a better price or cost associated with the product being produced by the customer awesome story thanks for sharing!