Illustrating the Impact of Implementing Work Zones, Adjusting Work Patterns and Optimizing Crew Starting Positions to Minimize Spatial Conflicts

The construction industry frequently encounters problems with low productivity leading to delays in project schedules. This delay is often addressed by increasing manpower to perform adjacent tasks simultaneously. Although this approach can theoretically expedite project completion, it often results in spatial conflicts, as work teams must coordinate their movements within limited spaces. These conflicts cause congestion and reduced productivity, highlighting the need for better spatial planning strategies to align manpower increases with efficient crew movement.

This study employs simulation to investigate spatial management strategies for mitigating the negative effects of increased manpower. The analysis focuses on the interior finishing of flooring areas, which are subdivided into smaller zones to represent distinct workspaces. Task durations are estimated using a beta distribution, with potential spatial conflicts considered. Several alternative strategies for organizing the workflow are then tested to identify the most effective approaches for optimizing spatial planning.

The findings show that three spatial management strategies significantly improved performance. First, defining clear work zones reduced spatial conflicts by 68.3% and cut delays from 12.97% over the ideal two-team time in the unplanned case to 3.47%. Second, implementing structured work patterns, such as the serpentine approach, further limited team interference and provided a more predictable workflow. Third, combining work zones with optimized starting positions achieved near-ideal performance, with only 1.01% delay over the ideal and 94.7% fewer conflicts than the unplanned scenario, demonstrating the strong impact of strategic spatial planning on reducing delays and enhancing resource use.

This paper contributes to the research field by highlighting the critical role of strategic spatial planning as well as providing guidance for practitioners with directly applicable on-site spatial management strategies for avoiding production congestion when increasing manning.