Dynamic Project Management: An Application of System Dynamics in Construction Engineering and Management

Abstract

Computer simulation is one of themostwidely utilized tools for operational research in construction engineering and management.Although discrete event simulation (DES) has been extensively utilized in construction, system dynamics (SD) has received relatively little attention despite its great potential to address dynamic complexity in construction projects, which are inherently complex, dynamic and involve multiple feedback processes and non-linear relationships. This chapter introduces dynamic project management (DPM), an SD-based new construction project modeling approach, which has been successfully applied to deal with dynamic complexities in diverse infrastructure and building projects. Particularly, this chapter introduces three major theoretical foundations of DPM: a holistic approach, a system structureoriented approach, and the incorporation of control time delays. This chapter is expected to serve as a useful guideline for the application of SD in construction and to contribute to expanding the current body of knowledge in construction simulation. © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014.