A BIM-based automated site layout planning framework for congested construction sites

• Current CSLP tools require large number of inputs and cannot cope with changes.
• An automated CSLP framework is proposed that leverages BIM as a source of input data.
• Interior storage within buildings is considered to reduce site congestion.
• Optimizing the dimensions of facilities allows a greater utilization of site space.
• The A* algorithm is used to compute actual travel distances between facilities.

Site layout planning is often performed on construction sites to find the best arrangement of temporary facilities so that transportation distances of on-site personnel and equipment are minimized. It could be achieved by creating dynamic layout models, which capture the changing requirements of construction sites. However, formulating such models is extremely tedious because it requires much manual data input and changes to design and construction plans are manually updated by layout planners. This study presents an automated framework of creating dynamic site layout models by utilizing information from BIM. The A* algorithm is used in conjunction with genetic algorithms to develop an optimization framework that considers the actual travel paths of on-site personnel and equipment. To address the space limitation on site, our model optimizes the dimensions of facilities and also considers interior storage within buildings under construction. A case example is demonstrated to validate this framework and shows a 13.5% reduction in total travel distance compared with conventional methods.