The Link Between Design and Process: Simulation Modeling of Construction Activities

摘要

Current research has developed methodologies and computer-based simulation models to systematically assess the construction process impacts of design and technology alternatives. Specifically, the research takes two distinct approaches. First, the research allows the explicit linking of the design process to the construction processes through the focus on the specific components and subsystems in the built facility The second approach considers the inter-system relationships, both spatially and operationally, throughout the construction phases. The combination of these two approaches provides a means through which the impacts of particular designs and processes can be analyzed with respect to a specific system and for the project as a whole. The research can have significant implications for improving the efficiency of the construction of facilities and the performance of these completed assets. In particular, the application of the methodologies developed in this research can improve the robustness of facility design and technology selections through the explicit evaluation of multiple alternatives with respect to a specific project's design and objectives. The research also provides a means to evaluate new designs and technologies, which can reduce the associated risk and uncertainty, and aid in the effective project planning