Simulation as a Tool for Assessing the Economical Aspects of Construction Processes

Abstract

This study aims at utilizing simulation in reducing cost and time of construction and maintenance processes. For this we selected two case studies. The first one deals with the construction process of the college of architecture building in the university of Dammam campus where we reorganized the sequence of activities leading to four main scenarios. The second case study deals with the maintenance process of the electrical company located in Dammam metropolitan area in which we introduced the concept of multi-skilled technicians.For both cases we depicted flowcharts containing all activities and decisions associated with all numerical values like time distribution to complete a task. In addition these flowcharts were validated by interviewing those involved in the two processes. Thereafter we modelled the flowcharts in a simulation package called Extend+BPR®. Likewise we validated the simulation models by comparing the results of both models with the actual data.Results for both cases demonstrated significant improvement in the utilization of resources and consumed energy, which is consistent with the principle of sustainability. It is also apparent that construction and maintenance processes need more careful investigation to make them more efficient, which will lead to more sustainable built environment. In conclusion: Simulation method is cost- effective, flexible, as well as accurate in modelling complicated systems.