Active BIM Approach to Optimize Work Facilities and Tower Crane Locations on Construction Sites with Repetitive Operations

Abstract

This paper presents an active building information modeling (BIM) approach for work facilities and the optimal positioning of tower cranes on construction sites with repetitive operations. In this context, the metamorphosis of a passive BIM approach into an active approach is described. Here, the enhancement of the construction-ready BIM model starts with the export of the optimization input parameters, such as the 3D coordinates of the building, perimeter of the construction site, space for feasible solutions, relevant segment of the building with repetitive works, etc. Depending on the complexity of the problem, the user selects a suitable optimization approach and formulates the tower crane positioning optimization problem with the objective of minimizing the total duration of the operation’s cycle. Similarly, according to the model formulation, the user also chooses the optimization tool, including the search algorithm. The final step involves the post-optimal analysis and importing of the optimal solution into the BIM. An application example is demonstrated at the end of the paper to show the advantages of the proposed approach in which the optimization model has significantly improved the initial solution of the crane and depot positions.