Publications / 2019 Proceedings of the 36th ISARC, Banff, Canada

Applying Kanban System in Construction Logistics for Real-time Material Demand Report and Pulled Replenishment

Ningshuang Zeng, Xuling Ye, Xiaofeng Peng and Markus König
Pages 1018-1025 (2019 Proceedings of the 36th ISARC, Banff, Canada, ISBN 978-952-69524-0-6, ISSN 2413-5844)
Abstract:

Drawbacks of the absence of the flow view in the conventional construction logistics planning gain more attention. Inefficiency and wastes (e.g., on-site overstock) in the construction logistics caused by adopting an avoidance strategy is recognized. Meanwhile, the unstable labour productivity and periodic planning method cause difficulties for adopting Just-in-Time (JIT) approach in construction. As a real-time control system of a production flow with the ability of rapid and precise acquisition of facts, the Kanban system can be a solution for a pulled production and related logistics. This paper explores how to apply Kanban concept to record the material consumption, report the real-time demand and trigger a material replenishment from off-site to on-site. A methodology of designing and applying Kanban batch in the digital construction logistics with Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems or tools is proposed. A case study of an infrastructure project is carried out to address the functions and performance of a Kanban-triggered material replenishment. The results of the case study show significant savings of site storage area and construction time by applying Kanban concept in the construction logistics.

Keywords: Kanban; Construction Logistics; Pull; Real-time Demand; Building Information Modeling