Special purpose simulation modeling of tower cranes

Abstract

Historically, simulation tools have only been used and understood by the academic community. Special purpose simulation (SPS) techniques have introduced computer modeling to the industry, resulting in reduced model development time and a user-friendly environment. This paper describes the special purpose simulation template, which is based on the tower crane operations performed by PCL Constructors Incorporated. On-site management of the tower crane resource is based on prioritized work tasks that need to be performed within a set period of time. Traditional SPS modeling techniques use 'relationship logic links' to represent the logic contained in the modeled system. As the number of work tasks increases for the tower crane resource, the model complexity using traditional simulation techniques becomes unmanageable, resulting in limited acceptance by industry practitioners. The tower crane template uses 'priority rating logic' to replace the 'relationship logic links'. Evaluation of the tower crane operations at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility (ECERF), being constructed in Edmonton, is used to illustrate the advantages of using the 'priority rating logic' modeling approach for tower crane operations. The simulation model analyzes the ECERF tower crane production cycle yielding outputs for total duration, crane utilization, and lift activity hook-time analysis.