Modeling industrial construction processes using multi agent resource allocation framework

Resource allocation is very critical to construction processes. Many construction operations involve entities sharing and competing for limited resources such as equipment and labour. The decision to allocate these resources to particular entities has a significant impact on the schedule and cost of construction operations. The dynamic and continuously changing nature of construction operations justifies the need for decision support tools with high adaptability and the capability of handling uncertainties, especially for those assembly projects that suffer from delivery delays and occur within unique environments. This research presents an Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) approach using Multi Agent Resource Allocation (MARA) framework. Different components of MARA are introduced. A sample model is built by implementing the MARA framework to model a construction assembling process and several experiments are committed based on the sample model to demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of the MARA framework, as well as its limitations.