Simulation of the structural steel erection process

The construction industry's growth and the adoption of newer means, methods, and materials of construction have resulted in an increase in complexity of on-site construction processes. Consequently, the construction industry's need for advanced tools and techniques to study, plan, and manage these complex construction processes has developed. The paper illustrates a Petri net based hierarchical and modular modeling and analysis technique that can be used for simulation of complex construction processes. Through the use of hierarchy, modularity, and resource modeling, Petri nets provide clear advantages in the modeling of complex construction processes. The paper highlights the advanced features of Petri nets and their utilization in the modeling and analysis of a structural steel erection process.