Comparison of manual and automated simulation generation approaches and their use for construction applications

This paper compares two fundamentally different approaches and their efforts to create functional simulation models to analyze and optimize construction operations. It contrasts the traditional manually created discrete-event simulation with an automated simulation model generation engine. While input data remain the same for both, the former requires a user to extensively determine, creates, and connects the different elements, followed by an often time-consuming verification to correct flaws in details. The latter has the proven potential to radically reduce the time, cost, and skills of creating complex models by using process templates from which models for construction applications can be rapidly deployed. Moving from the traditional paradigm to automated, yet user-supervised modeling can finally make the rich body of knowledge in simulation accessible to practitioners, who can reap new benefits from being able to rehearse their projects in the computer and optimize their processes before any costly physical resources are committed.