Document Type : Research Note
Authors
1
Faculty of Architecture Tehran University
2
Dept. of Civil Engineering Payame Noor University
3
Faculty of Computer Engineering Sharif University
Abstract
Space is considered a significant and effective resource and constraint in building construction projects. In order to execute project activities, other resources, such as labor, machinery, equipment, and material, require space. In other words, each activity needs different types of space. In case the space constraint is neglected, resources allocated to two or more activities, will be obliged to work in a common area during at least a portion of activities duration. Conflict among spatial requirement of activities, can cause serious problems in their execution. Nowadays with the considerable increase in demand for early completion of projects, in many cases the project schedule is compressed. Schedule compression is also used for the purpose of delay compensation. "Fast tracking'' or the parallel execution of previously sequential activities, is among the common methods to shorten the project
schedule. In case of fast tracking, more activities will be executed concurrently. Therefore, conflict among their spatial equirements will be more likely. Physical conflicts among concurrently executed activities are referred to as ``time-space conflicts'', and these conflicts are among the most effective factors in labor productivity decrease in building construction projects. They can also seriously impact other performance indexes such as time, cost, quality, and safety. Thus, development of efficient methods and tools for workspace planning can have a significant effect on project performance. In the present research, considering the mentioned necessity, the significance of space as a resource and constraint in building construction projects is studied, and various types of space and space requirements in building construction projects are identified. Furthermore, a 4D-based software
approach is developed to identify potential time-space conflicts in the schedule and assess their impact on labor productivity. This approach makes conflict identification and assessment of its effects possible. Through this approach, with the use of proper solutions, the number of potential conflicts will be reduced before the start of the construction phase; therefore, an optimized schedule is resulted.
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