Modular construction system simulation incorporating off-shore fabrication and multi-mode transportation

The global material supply chain for modular construction, consisting of assemblies prefabrication, material delivery and handling, module assembly, and site installation, can be regarded as a "Big Site" problem. With a combination of various transportation modes (i.e., trucks, ships, and rails), insufficient logistic planning on the capacity and time availability of unloading bays and transportation resources potentially delays material arrival dates on an industrial construction site and field installation schedules. Previous related research in construction engineering and project management domain largely focused on matching material supply with site demand without emphasis on logistics and supply chain management. A special purpose simulation template is developed based on the Simphony platform to facilitate the simulation modeling of module fabrication, transportation, assembly, and installation processes. System performance indicators are adapted from port management literature in order to assess different scenarios of modular construction planning. A case study representing modular construction practice is presented.