An Algorithm for Optimizing the Location of Attached Tower Crane and Material Supply Point with BIM

Attached tower crane is globally used in the high- rise construction to transport components vertically and horizontally. To reduce cost and improve overall efficiency, the tower crane should be well located to move heavy materials. This paper proposes an optimization algorithm to identify the optimal type and location of attached tower crane with proper location of material supply point. The algorithm concerns four main models:1) tower crane location generation model to define alternative type and area for allocating crane.2) supply point location model for selecting all potential area to establish supply point.3) tower crane optimization model to get the ideal location of tower crane and supply point. 4) 4D simulation model to evaluate and visualize the optimal layout scheme through BIM. Then, a practical case, in China, is described in order to demonstrate the outputs obtained by the optimization algorithm. Later, three typical situations of construction site are discussed based on the case. The results reveal the rule that the trolley sliding movement is weightier than the jib rotation movement when considering the optimal layout scheme.