4D-BIM Dynamic Time–Space Conflict Detection and Quantification System for Building Construction Projects

Workspace in construction projects is considered a resource and a constraint that needs to be addressed in project scheduling. Without proper workspace planning, time–space conflicts frequently may occur at construction sites. In this study, a novel four-dimensional building information modeling (4D-BIM) dynamic conflict detection and quantification system was developed to identify time–space conflicts and quantify their impacts on project performance. Using the proposed approach, the conflict between different activities workspaces was identified considering the labor crew movement in the assigned workspace during different time intervals. For this purpose, four distinct execution patterns were defined, which in combination with four starting positions, led to 16 execution alternatives. The conflict's severity was then calculated through the quantitative assessment of its effects on labor productivity. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, it was implemented on a building project. The time–space conflicts were detected and quantified using the proposed approach. Finally, a what-if analysis was performed to select the optimum execution scenario with the minimum number of time–space conflicts. Using the proposed approach, conflict detection can be performed more accurately, and a more precise value for conflict severity is achieved.