Sharing of Temporary Structures: Formalization and Planning Application

• We examine geometric and action conditions affecting temporary structure sharing.
• We formalize spatial relationships and action compatibilities for a computer application.
• The formalization allows rapid generation of multiple temporary structure-sharing options.
• Computer-assisted method enables better informed decisions for sharing temporary structures.

Sharing temporary structures minimizes the risks and costs associated with their set-up and break-down. Yet sharing makes temporary structure planning and re-planning more complex, as construction engineers need to understand the conditions of activities to determine the accessibility and sharing possibilities. BIM (building information modeling) technology can extract and process geometric and action data in 3D models. Using BIM can increase consistency and speed in identification of sharing solutions for temporary structures. At present, the construction industry does not leverage advances in BIM for planning temporary structures because it lacks formalization that defines key properties and relationship variables for sharing. In this paper, the geometric and action conditions affecting temporary structure sharing are examined to put forth a formalization for a computer application (a proprietary tool developed by the primary author) called the Temporary Structure-Planning Generator (TSPG). The formalization for the TSPG allows construction engineers to rapidly generate multiple temporary structure-sharing options with a selection consistency not yet seen in current construction practice.