Materials Handling and Site Layout Control

Construction field operations are markedly inefficient in terms of where and how materials get stored and handled. This is often due uncertainty at the time of advance planning, the difficulties associated with achieving real-time coordination, and lack of control in the field, as materials get delivered and used by many different people throughout the construction process. At any given point in time, key questions asked by field personnel are “Where are the materials we need and when will they get here?” and conversely, “Who are the materials, when are they needed, and where?” The described research presents a new layout planning and control system to address these questions. This model, named MoveCapPlan, integrates the MovePlan system, that aids in creating sequences of layouts corresponding to an activity schedule, with the CAPSYTM’s spatial positioning data creates actual layouts that can be compared against those planned. Accordingly, control decisions-assessing of rehandling means, or reassigning lay down space-can be made. Example uses illustrate the capabilities of this novel integrated system for planning and controlling on-site materials handling.