Hesham A. Khalek et al. Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications www.ijera.com ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 5, Issue 7, (Part - 2) July 2015, pp.124-134 www.ijera.com 124 | Page An Automated Input Data Management Approach for Discrete Event Simulation Application in Slip-from Operations Hesham A. Khalek 1 , Shafik S. Khoury 1 , Remon F. Aziz 1 , Mohamed A. Hakam 2 1 Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt 2 Department of Construction Engineering and Management, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt Email : Mohamed.hakam@pua.edu.eg ABSTRACT Slipforming operation’s linearity is a source of planning complicati ons, and operation is usually subjected to bottlenecks at any point, so careful planning is required in order to achieve success. On the other hand, Discrete- event simulation concepts can be applied to simulate and analyze construction operations and to efficiently support construction scheduling. Nevertheless, preparation of input data for construction simulation is very challenging, time consuming and human prone-error source. Therefore, to enhance the benefits of using DES in construction scheduling, this study proposes an integrated module to establish a framework for automating the generation of time schedules and decision support for Slipform construction projects, particularly through the project feasibility study phase by using data exchange between project data stored in an Intermediate database, DES and Scheduling software. Using the stored information, proposed system creates construction tasks attribute [e.g. activities durations, material quantities and resources amount], then DES uses all the given information to create a proposal for the construction schedule automatically. This research is considered a demonstration of a flexible Slipform project modeling, rapid scenario-based planning and schedule generation approach that may be of interest to both practitioners and researchers. Keywords – Automation, Slip forming, Modeling, planning, Data exchange, Scheduling generation, EZstrobe I. INTRODUCTION Modeling and simulation of construction process supports construction planning and can help in reducing the risks concerning budget, time and quality on a construction project [1]. Construction projects are usually delivered in an uncertain environment in which project resources and activities interact with each other in a complex manner [2]. Due to vertical Slipforming process’s linear nature, it is considered a complicated process where it depends on efficient management of numerous parameters, moreover by considering the variability that always exists in construction operations, Slipform operations requires careful and thorough planning where Structure cross section; jacking rate; and concrete layer thickness can affect the Slipforming rate therefore project duration and so can the, pouring method, the site location, equipment location, and many other factors. Therefore, scheduling by coordinating the aforementioned parameters, resources of workers, machines and materials in a time-efficient way is required in order to realize the construction project within the anticipated time and budgeted costs Traditionally and even today scheduling is still mostly specified and accomplished manually using Gantt chart techniques and the critical path method [CPM] which can be an extensive and very time consuming process. Although these two concepts are utilized by a number of commercial software solutions in the field of construction planning and scheduling, software is unable to assess schedule correctness, especially of process duration for a given amount of available resources, as well as its inability to optimize the schedule according to total costs or total duration work against the application of these methods within more complex scheduling tasks. In addition to the previous, generation of construction schedules are currently manually accomplished, resulting in an extensive and time consuming process that is insufficiently supported between software applications. On the other hand, simulation of construction processes has proven to be a suitable approach for detailed investigation of construction schedules, moreover simulation has the ability to incorporate uncertainty, has been used as an effective approach to better capture the complicated interactions and uncertainties found in construction operations [4]. While the benefits of using DES as a decision support tool have been recognized, it has not been widely adopted by the construction industry [5]. One of the reasons for this lack of implementation is the amount of manual work needed to specify and maintain the interdependencies between activities and resources in the construction supply chain [6], RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS