Considerations for Site Layout Planning Decision-Making

Site layout planning (SLP) refers to the efficient allocation of temporary facilities on construction sites. SLP especially becomes important when space is scarce in heavily congested sites. Previous research has mainly focused on the optimization of the locations of resources in site layouts. However, despite the achievements made, there is no evidence of the application of these tools in practice. This issue arises from little or no interest in the SLP during the early phases of the projects; a high level of sophistication across optimization tools; difficulty in standardizing optimization models such that they can be used in different projects, and the extensive times required to instruct practitioners in the use of such tools. These causes suggest a potential misalignment between currently available tools and actual requirements from industry practitioners. The long-term goal of this study is to define the requirements and specifications for an SLP tool that is deemed practical to industry practitioners. As an initial step, the objective of this paper is to investigate the decision making process applied by practitioners during the SLP task. Data will be collected using structured interviews and analyzed through qualitative coding techniques. The results of this study will set the foundations of the SLP decision-making process as done in practice. Ultimately, this will lead to developing the attributes required in an SLP tool that can address the needs of practitioners in the construction industry and potential research opportunities for further developing the SLP tool.