The utilization of the discrete event simulation method in scheduling repetitive construction

Abstract

Abstract The critical path method (CPM) has been widely used in construction project scheduling. However, it is not very suitable for repetitive construction like residential complex projects. Discrete event simulation (DES) is a common approach used in manufacturing operational management. Since the construction of a residential complex is similar to the production line with a conveyor belt system found in the manufacturing process, this study argues that the scheduling of the construction of a residential complex can be done using discrete event simulation. A residential compound project designed for low-income community housing with 10 houses was simulated using the Simul8 simulation package. The simulation results show that the completion time of 10 houses was 153 days regardless of the inter-arrival time. The study findings also show that it is also possible to schedule each house for any inter-arrival time.