Simulation in GPSS/360 of a highway paving operation using a mobile central-mix plant with different haul truck speeds and fleet size combinations

Abstract

The simulation program was written to describe a concrete highway paving operation using mobile central-mix plant and slip form paver, in combination with different truck haul fleet sizes and truck speeds. The trucks queue at the plant, load, travel to the slip form paver, queue, unload, and then complete the cycle by returning to the plant. Because the distance, plant to paver, first decreases and then increases as the paving strip moves toward the plant, passes in front, then moves away in the other direction, the trucks' mean arrival rate is not constant. The program is completely probabilistic and provides for truck fleet size, truck haul speed and rate of paving progress to be treated as variables.