A Framework to optimize Construction Site Layout Planning

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 09 Issue: 03 | Mar 2022 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
© 2022 , IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.529 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 1911
A Framework to optimize Construction Site Layout Planning
Ar. Utpreksha Vashishtha
Assistant Professor, Department of Design, UP Institute of Design, Noida
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Abstract: The layout and positioning of temporary construction facilities is an important process in construction project
planning that affect cost, productivity, and safety. Even though building site layout planning is a key procedure, systematic
examination of the site layout is always challenging due to a large number of constraint and interconnected planning
limitations. The construction area may consist of an unavailable area that includes existing facilities (sites) and available
areas in which the objects can be located (Amit R Soygaonkar, 2014). The layout of objects is accomplished by optimizing a
specific objective function and satisfying a variety of constraints (Elbeltagi, 2007). Thus, construction site layout is a complex
problem whose solution requires the use of analytical methods (overview, 2019). Mathematical optimization procedures have
been developed to produce optimal solutions, but they are only applicable for small-size problems (overview, 2019). In this
research, an optimal framework for tackling the site layout design problem with linear and real distance between facilities is
created. An ongoing building project is analysed to validate the performance of the proposed model. The results showed that
appropriate solutions could be found and that this optimization framework might be utilized to improve building site
planning. A score-based checklist to determine the requirement for CSLP optimization is also created and applied to 6 ongoing
projects and result of the same are analysed.
Keywords: Construction Site layout Planning, Optimization, site facilities.
1. Introduction
Construction site layout planning entails determining the size and location of temporary and permanent facilities within
the construction site's perimeter, which has a substantial impact on the site's safety, efficiency, productivity costs, and
duration. Although the contractor aims to minimise the travel cost of resources on-site by ensuring proper circulation,
often they do not consider the constraints that are present at the site as the project progresses. Failure to plan the site
layout for construction in advance is a leading source of operational inefficiency, and it can raise the project's overall cost
and duration. This research aims to develop a site layout planning framework that will help in the optimization of site
layout and the same shall be validated in terms of travel cost. An optimized site layout plan enables the most efficient use
of available space, lowers project costs, decrease material relocation during construction, improves site accessibility and
security and worker safety.
2. Aim
This study aims to identify issues at the construction job site due to construction site layout planning and to develop an
optimization framework for Construction site layout planning.
3. Objectives
1. To research and analyse the construction site layout design of various projects to identify concerns and their impact on
the project.
2. To list the issues that occur at the site due to CSLP during the construction timeline of the project.
3. Develop a checklist to determine the requirement for CSLP optimization and design a framework for optimising the
layout in terms of cost.
4. Scope:
This study will focus on developing an optimization framework for the planning of construction site layout based on their
location and distance between them.

5. Limitations:
Since every construction site is unique, this optimization framework only includes the constraints that are available in the
planning of construction job-site layout. A case example has been used for developing the framework which is further
validated through a case study.
6. Element-Issue-Effect Matrix
Elements Issues Effects
 Material Storage
 Labour Hutment
 Construction Equipment
 Batching Plant
 Bar-Bending Shop
 Testing Lab
 Accessibility
 Site Office
 Site Objects
 Services
 Parking
 First Aid Station
 Increase in travel time.
 Barriers/Diversions/narro
w access roads.
 Distance between the
facility and the construction
work area.
 Material Storage: Damages,
Limited space, non-
segregation.
 Labour Hutment: Lack of
Ventilation, Hygiene and
overcrowding.
 Accidents.
 Fire Hazards
 Vandalism and material loss.
 Increased travel distance.
 The increased cost of the project.
 Increase the completion time of
the project.
 Reduction in the quality of work.
 Double handling material.
 Overcrowded Work Space.
 Decrease in Quality
Table: Element, Issue & Effect Table
7. Need for Construction Site Layout Planning
Space on the job site is as valuable as money, time, materials, labour, and equipment. Because site space is restricted, all
facilities must be provided within the property's perimeter. In most cases, site space is allocated based on the project
manager's experience, and adequate site planning is overlooked. There are two general objectives that planners should
seek to meet through the careful organization of the site for construction. (Dr. Emad Elbeltagi). First, the site must be
designed to maximize the efficiency of operations to promote worker productivity, shorten project time and reduce cost.
Second, the final plan must create a project with a good work environment to attract and retain the best personnel and
thus contribute to better work quality and productivity (Dr Emad Elbeltagi). One of the most important tasks of site
management is site layout planning. Huge projects with a large number of workers, subcontractors, and equipment may
face severe schedule and cost overruns if site planning is not comprehensive and methodical. Precise design of the site
layout and placing of temporary facilities can enable management to make considerable improvements by reducing travel
time, increasing productivity, and exhibiting a better and safer work environment. Failure to prepare the site layout for
construction ahead of time is a leading cause of operational inefficiency, and it can significantly raise the overall cost and
duration of a project. A site layout plan should enable the most efficient use of available space, lower project costs, less
material relocation during construction, greater site accessibility and security, and worker safety. Various aspects are
considered when developing an optimal building site layout, many of which interact with site layout design. Through
literature study following broad problem areas have been identified:
• Sequencing of activities and coordination.
• Site Circulation.
• Material storage, location and its sizing.
• Inadequate space availability.
• Temporary facilities location.
• Safety of workers.
• Security at the site.

8. Factors affecting Construction Site Layout Planning
Following are the various factors that affect Construction Site Layout Planning: Nature of the Project, Topography, size of
Site, Construction Methods, Types and Availability of Resources, Phasing, Construction sequence, Pre-Existing site factors,
Access to Site, Internal Roads, Availability of Accommodation, Services.
9. Optimization Framework of Construction Site Layout Planning
This chapter contains a framework for improving the construction site layout planning process. It includes the technique
as well as the explanation of each step. Because it is a CSLP framework, it is best used on new construction sites where the
site may be planned using the framework's standards and parameters to save money, improve safety, and increase
productivity. The site constraint of irregular movement is taken into account by this framework. A marking system for the
construction site plan will be developed at the end of the framework to determine whether the site is adequate or whether
it needs optimization. This is accomplished by analysing the site and calculating the scores using a checklist. If the site's
score falls below 50%, it's time to reassess the procedures and come up with a better solution.
Table: Construction site layout planning methodology
Step 1: Data Collection
Data to be available to start planning construction site layout are:
Site details
Phasing of project
Available constraints at the site
Step 2: Identification of facilities required for CSLP
To identify all the facilities that are required or will be later required for the successful completion of a project. Through
case example review and literature study, a data set of facilities has been developed in appendix 1.
Step 5: Group formation of identified Facility
For this study, based on literature and case example analysis, identified facilities are grouped to provide a more defined
layout – in appendix 2. Out of the identified groups, Group 6 and 7 are not clubbed for their proximity but their type and
for the optimization problem they will not be considered.
01 Data Collection Project and site details
02 Identification of Required Facilities Appendix 1
03 Demarcation of Excavation Line The first step before planning
04 Dividing Site into a Grid Minimum of 1m X 1m
05 Group formation of identified Facility Reference to Appendix 2
06 Sizing of Facilities Groups As per Appendix 2
07 Distance identification between groups
08 Generating Construction Site Layout Plan CAD, BIM etc
09 Compliance with the Checklist Table 5-1, 5-2
10 Generation of the optimum site layout.
Re-iterate if required and then to be compared with the cost of travel.

Step 6: Sizing of Facilities Groups
As developed through literature study, we can successfully calculate how much are would one group of the facility take.
This step is required for layout planning.
Step 7: Distance identification between groups
The closeness relationship matrix has to be made and the required distances between them are identified on this basis of
the literature study.
Proximity weight Desired relationship Representation
X Undesirable A
2x Unimportant B
3x Ordinary C
4x Important D
5x Very important E
Table: Closeness relationship and their proximity
It is represented in the proximity closeness relationship matrix as follows:
Figure 5.2.1 Proximity Matrix Source: (Amit R Soygaonkar, 2014)
Step 8: Generating Construction Site Layout Plan
The site and facilities are modelled in the present study using a two-dimensional grid. Each grid unit is called a cell, the
area of which is user-defined. Hence, any irregular shape of the site can be modelled. A facility can be represented in the
grid as several grid units, which can be calculated later.
Checklist for efficient site layout: Planning
Sr. No. Questions Y/N
1 Size of the temporary facility as per Appendix 1
2 Design of material storage as / standards
3 Compliance of facility groups as per closeness relation (Appendix 2)
4 More than 1 access gate to the site.
5 Adequate Parking for Construction Equipment
6 Planned storage of material inside/near the building
7 Segregated and properly barricaded storage for topsoil
8 Absence of obstacles in material movement at the site
9 Adequate Parking near the site office
10 Availability of planned Material laydown area

Points: A/10
Checklist for efficient site layout: Safety
Points: B/10
TOTAL: (A+B)/20
If the total point score is less than 50%, then it is essential to review the practices and come up with an optimised result. In
appendix 2, Checklist compliance is done on 6 case examples (Appendix 3) out of which 4 sites received less than 10
marks. Site 3 is identified to receive the lowest marks.
10. Conclusion
By analysing various construction site layouts and through literature study, it is evident that all of them needs
optimization in different criteria such as safety at the site, compliance with fire standards, excessive space utilization,
distances between the facilities, etc. Since this study was based on only the planning aspect of CSLP, other constraint
related to project schedule, stakeholder decision was not touched upon. There is a scope for further study in this area as
well as scope for an increase in awareness of the proper planning of construction sites. By applying the framework to a
case study, and modifying the Construction site layout, compliance with the checklist came to 18/20 instead of 7/20.
Travel cost was reduced to 30%. This can be further be enhanced by using dynamic planning tools. Through literature and
case example, it is also concluded that the current site layout practices that are being followed in our industry need
thorough review as no one calculate the implication of cost and time it bears if it is not well planned.
Sr. No. Questions Y/N
1 Availability of Fire Evacuation Route
2 Entry/Exit sufficient for the movement Fire Fighting Vehicle
3 Separation of Flammable Material Location
4 Separate storage for Hazardous Material combination
5 Segregation of Heavy Vehicle Movement and Pedestrian Movement
6 Availability of First Aid Facility near Site Office
7 Availability of Assembly area
8 Segregation of waste material storage
9 Closed storage for waste material
10 Minimum 3m clear distance around the excavation line

10. Reference
1. Examination of job-site layout approaches and their impact on construction job-site productivity; Edgar P. Small,
Marwa Baqer; 2016
2. Proposal in efficient site layout, construction activity simulation and output rate estimation; Demewez Asfaw, Deneke
Fikre, Isaac Beyene; 2016
3. Site Layout Design That Ensures the Efficiency at Construction Site; Muhammad Zulfikri bin Mamat, Rosli bin
Mohamad Zin; 2015
4. Consideration between Site Layout Facilities, Provision of Work Equipment and Construction Planning for Extremely
Large and Complicated Construction Projects; Raymond W M Wong, Jonathan S C Siu, Dr. Christabel Ho; 2013
5. Construction Site Layout Planning; Dr. Emad Elbeltagi; 2010
6. The constructs of site layout modeling an overview; Farnaz Sadeghpour and Mohsen Andayesh;2015
7. Construction Materials Management on Project Sites; Khyomesh V. Patel, Prof. Chetna M. Vyas; 2011
8. Existing Site Layout Planning Models and Approaches; Mohamed Nour El-Din, Hesham Bassiouni, Khaled Shawki;
2013
9. Multi-objective construction site layout planning using genetic algorithms; Ioanna N. Papadaki, Athanasios P.
Chassiakos; 2016
10. The Impact of Effective Material Management on Construction Site Performance for Small and Medium-Sized
Construction Enterprises; Sohrab Donyavi1 and Roger Flanagan; 2003
11. Causes Leading to Poor site Coordination in Building Projects; Dr K.W. Andy NG Prof D.F. Andrew Price
12. The time dimension in site layout planning; Andayesh, M. and Sadeghpour, F; 2014
13. Amit R Soygaonkar, P. P. B., 2014. Study of Job Layout for Construction Project.
14. overview, T. c. o. s. l. m. a., 2019. Farnaz Sadeghpour, Mohsen Andayesh.
15. Samaneh Zolfagharian, J. I., 2014. Current Trends in Construction Site Layout Planning.

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