A Case Study on the Use of Simulation for Improving Equipment Utilisation and Productivity

Abstract

Lean is all about creating value for customers and eliminating waste. The construction industry is plagued with time and cost overruns due to physical and non-physical waste. One of the non-physical wastes is the over allocation of equipment. Therefore, there is a need to assess the optimum allocation of equipment at the site as part of equipment planning. Simulation can be a valuable tool to verify various options for equipment allocation. Further, simulation helps to understand the implications before physical implementation and saves time and efforts. Moreover, simulation is beneficial to capture the various factors influencing the activity and visualise the expected output. Therefore, a methodology to use simulation for equipment allocation and productivity under different allocation scenarios is presented in this study. Further excavation is taken as a case study, by site data collection, and developed computer simulation model using Anylogic software. The proposed model can be used by practitioners for planning and estimation works, and the academicians for using it as a teaching tool for construction productivity and by researchers can do further development. Using simulation and lean is recommended to increase productivity and thus alleviate time and cost overruns in the construction industry.