Sensitivity Analysis of Construction Simulation Considering Site Layout Patterns

This paper presents a new construction simulation approach using CellDEVS techniques, which allows considering site spatial constraints and the sensitivity analysis of different site layout patterns. The proposed approach includes three phases: pre-processing to configure the simulation, main-processing where the simulation is executed, and post-processing, which incorporates animation and sensitivity analysis of the results. Using Cell-DEVS modeling, spatial resource allocation, worksite layout, as well as the movement of equipment can be explicitly analyzed and visualized. Spatial conflicts can be detected, resolved, and compared based on different site layout patterns. As a result, the accuracy of simulation is improved, especially for situations where spatial conflicts are critical. A case study is presented to illustrate the procedure for modeling and analyzing the sensitivity of simulation results considering several site layout patterns. The difference between the results of MicroCYCLONE and Cell-DEVS illustrates that in some cases the impact of spatial constraints on productivity is significant and should not be neglected. Based on the present study, it has been found that Cell-DEVS simulation is an effective tool for space-related analysis in construction project. Introduction Discrete-event simulation has been used in construction industry to minimize cost, improve productivity, and locate the bottlenecks or overflows. Modern construction simulation tools share some characteristics: (1) They provide more flexibility in modeling complex situations and adapting to a wide range of application requirements (Martinez and Ioannou 1999). Early simulation systems, such as