An integrated simulation-based method for considering weather effects on concrete work tasks’ productivity and concrete curing

Sammanfattning: This report presents an integrated simulation-based approach to study the on-site production of concrete frameworks by considering the multiple effects of weather on work task productivity and concrete curing process. The suggested approach enable to systematically study how different weather conditions and the use of climate-improved concrete in combination with different methods to shield concrete curing, affect construction time, cost, and carbon emissions. Concrete construction productivity is affected by weather in at least three ways; 1) manual and machine-assisted work tasks are either hindered or the working pace are reduced; 2) curing of concrete may be subjected to early freezing or may lead to delayed formwork removal; 3) measures to shield concrete curing against weather may imply for additional work tasks and need for extra resources affecting the overall productivity. The results presented in this report indicate that these effects (1-3) collectively extend construction time by 8-42% due to various weather conditions depending on season and location of project. The results also highlight potential reductions in carbon footprint of concrete frameworks by employing climate-improved concrete. However, weather conditions become even more important to consider when using these concrete types since they are generally more sensitive to certain weather conditions, e.g. cold temperature in combination with windy conditions. This report is a result of a research project carried out at Lund University, div. of Structural Engineering. I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. Martin Rudberg (Linköping University), my assistant supervisors Ronny Andersson (Cementa AB) and Miklós Molnár (Lund University) for insightful and valuable comments on this report. The research project has been financially supported by the Swedish construction industry's organization for research and development (SBUF) and Cementa AB. Several concrete manufacturers and contractor companies are also kindly acknowledged for their involvement and collaboration during this research project. The author would also thank Jonas Enhörning at Duke Systems AB for technical support related to ExtendSim.