BIM-based 4D mobile crane simulation and onsite operation management

Abstract

Heavy industrial construction, particularly when modularization is adopted, requires thorough heavy-lift studies to manage the extensive use of mobile cranes in congested and dynamic site layouts. This study introduces an integrated 4D crane simulation and onsite operation management framework for multiple concurrent mobile crane operations in the BIM environment with the support of a comprehensive database. Unlike similar recent efforts, the proposed framework is built upon previously developed crane planning and optimization systems, which enables generating accurate operation plans both in micro (objects) and macro scales (site). This framework addresses five different components regarding onsite crane operation management, including BIM-based multi-crane lift animation, scheduling and cost analyses, motion controlling in the BIM environment, safety monitoring and clash detection, and spatiotemporal site analyses. The developed framework's functionality is validated by implementing it into a portion of a real project in Alberta, Canada, through three different cases.