Scalable simulation models for construction operations

Construction operations are often repetitive not only in terms of time (the same tasks are performed over and over) but also in terms of space (the same tasks are repeated at several places, such as different floors in a high-rise building). Thus, construction simulation models in general must be cyclic to represent temporal repetitions, but also scaleable to represent spatial repetitions. This paper presents the mechanisms for preprocessor replacement and automatic code generation that have been designed and implemented to facilitate the development of scaleable simulation models in STROBOSCOPE, a general-purpose discrete-event simulation system developed by the authors. A relatively complex simulation model for the vertical transportation of people serves as an example to illustrate how to develop a completely scaleable model for the operation of an elevator in a building with any number of floors.