Creating Automated Crane Work Plans Using Real Time Operational Data and Predictive Analysis

摘要

Uncertainties are one of the greatest impediments to construction planning and decision-making. Events such as unforeseen site conditions, equipment breakdowns, and late material delivery can affect activities on the critical path, significantly delay the project, and potentially increase the project completion cost. The dynamics involved in most construction projects make it almost impossible to predict all events that may adversely affect a project operational plan. As such, project plans need to be constantly adapted to the real situations during the construction phase. This requires that the latest information about the status of all project entities (including equipment) be collected. Among different classes of construction equipment, cranes are among the most expensive, and activities that rely on crane service usually fall on the project critical path. This implies that the monitoring and analysis of crane related operations is essential to enhance productivity. This paper presents the latest results of an ongoing research which aims to facilitate the planning and control of crane operations by capturing and analyzing data corresponding to a crane's physical movements. The result of this analysis can be used to identify parameters describing different phases of crane operations in order to better predict the performance of crane-related tasks.