Reducing construction waste in the construction life cycle of industrial projects during design phase by using system dynamics

Abstract

There is tremendous growth in the construction of industrial projects in Egypt, resulting in a substantial quantity of construction waste during the industrial projects construction life cycle (CLC). This research assumes that managing the factors of construction waste will inevitably reduce its quantity during the CLC using building information modeling (BIM) and lean design. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of two techniques (Designing Out Waste and Design Strategies) based on qualitative factors using the BIM/Lean design concepts in the design phase which could reduce construction waste in the CLC of industrial projects. To achieve this aim, the research presents a comprehensive analysis of the factors of construction waste using system dynamics. A model was proposed that serves as a decision-support tool to ensure construction waste reduction in the CLC. The model in this study includes eight causal loop diagrams giving the professionals better understanding for the objectives to reduce construction waste. This model has been processed using AnyLogic software with a stock-flow diagram to create the system dynamics model. Finally, the validation and implementation are demonstrated using a case study for the suggested model. The case study's findings improved the model's confidence in order to utilize it for quantitative analysis. It has been further assessed for its impact in two proposed scenarios to reduce construction waste. The system dynamic model in this study contributes to better practices and proper decisions in the construction field.