Representations and formalisms for generating conflict-free workspaces of mobile cranes on construction sites

Planning mobile crane operations and modeling workspace requirements of mobile cranes prior to their actual operations could minimize hazardous conditions and delays associated with spatial conflicts on construction sites. When crane operations are not planned and workspaces of mobile cranes are not taken into account ahead of time, the potential for spatial conflicts between cranes and other components such as building structures, other pieces of equipment, and temporary facilities located within close proximity increases. Existences of such spatial conflicts can potentially result in work interruptions, productivity reductions, hazardous work conditions, and damages to the existing structures. There is a need for modeling the workspaces of cranes so that project engineers and operators can be aware of possible spatial conflicts ahead of time and can accordingly take necessary preventive actions.; This PhD research focuses on this need and specifically addresses two problems associated with generation of workspaces of mobile cranes on construction sites: (1) the lack of formalisms for automating the generation of the workspaces of mobile cranes and (2) the lack of a representation of workspaces that enables accurate spatial conflict detection. These problems result in project engineers not being able to determine appropriate locations for mobile cranes and to identify crane-related spatial conflicts efficiently and accurately. Project engineers need a tool that automatically generates workspace requirements of mobile cranes and identifies possible locations, where they can be situated to operate without spatial conflicts.; The primary objective of this PhD research is to develop formalisms for (1) transforming project-level process information in a product and process model into operation-level process information and generating motion of mobile cranes, (2) generating equipment workspaces that support spatial conflict detection, and (3) dentifying possible locations for mobile cranes to perform a sequence of operations with minimal relocation and without encountering potential spatial conflicts. Based on these developed formalisms, it is possible to automatically identify conflict-free workspaces of mobile cranes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...