Abstract
Analyzing the bottlenecks and productivity in construction using simulation has received increasing attention in recent years. This research proposes a Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) model of structural steel fabrication in construction to analyze bottlenecks and improve productivity. The data required for the simulation model are collected from a lead zinc beneficiation plant project executed by a large construction company in Rajasthan, India. Operational inefficiency and resource underutilization in the existing operations of the fabrication yard resulted in more than a 30% loss in productivity. Scenarios (by varying the cranes, manpower, number of weld beds, and job arrival) are proposed to improve the productivity of the fabrication yard. The model is developed using FlexSim software and validated by comparing the model result with the actual throughput obtained from the yard. It is proposed to revise the raw material interarrival time, the number of cranes, the number of weld beds, and the allocation of skilled workers. The productivity and cost associated with the proposed scenario are analyzed. Further, the results obtained are validated using paired t-test. The project managers have shown a reasonable agreement with the findings.
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Prasanna Venkatesan, S., Thomas, J. (2023). Productivity Analysis of Structural Steel Fabrication in Construction Using Simulation. In: Gunasekaran, A., Sharma, J.K., Kar, S. (eds) Applications of Operational Research in Business and Industries. Lecture Notes in Operations Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8012-1_8
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