An integrated CAD and simulation model for concrete operations

Pouring a concrete raft slab is a classic problem in down-town projects because it requires special arrangements to be made with city authorities to close the area around the project during the operation. City authorities allow this only during the weekends that puts a lot of pressure on construction staff to finish pouring the concrete in a limited amount of time. In this paper, a simulation model for predicating the pouring time is introduced. This integrated model consists of: Special Purpose Simulation (Simphony), Microsoft Access, Visual Basic for Application (VBA) and AutoCAD software. Moreover, in this paper the sensitive parameters are analyzed and recommendations for choosing pouring concrete sub-contractors are provided. Additionally the proposed model is applied to a practical case for defining the required time for pouring a lower raft slab for ¿The Bow¿ project in downtown Calgary.