21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Fortaleza, Brazil - 2013

Heijunka System to Level Telescopic Forklift Activities Using Tablets in Construction Site

George Barbosa1, Fabíola Andrade2, Clarissa Biotto3 & Bruno Mota4

1Civil engineer trainee. Colmeia Construction Company, Fortaleza, Brazil, Phone +55 85 32886600, [email protected]
2Civil engineer. Colmeia Construction Company, Fortaleza, Brazil, Phone +55 85 99848252, [email protected]
3Architect. SIPPRO Management of Construction, Fortaleza, Brazil, Phone +55 85 99484558, [email protected]
4Civil engineer. SIPPRO Management of Construction, Fortaleza, Brazil, Phone +55 85 99458582, [email protected]

Abstract

The use of new information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring benefits to the management of construction sites, such as material savings, productivity growth and the enhancement in the speed of information transmission. To manage the supply of more than 62 blocks of 14 apartments each, spread over an area of 55 hectares, a team of engineers from a construction company in Fortaleza (Brazil) developed a system to schedule and track the progress of activities of forklifts on site in order to avoid idleness of these machines and workers waiting for materials. Thus, this paper describes a computerized system for distribution and leveling (heijunka) of forklift work, using tablets to inform operators about supply and cleanup activities to be performed at the jobsite. The work was developed in five steps: team training in lean construction concepts, recognition of real problems, system development as a problems solution, solution testing and identification of improvements and consolidation of results. Results were reductions of idle machines, work stoppage due to the lack of material and distance travelled. This computerized system has also improved the organization of construction site and the productivity of workers.

Keywords

Tablet, heijunka, ICT.

Files


Full Text
 

Reference

Barbosa, G. , Andrade, F. , Biotto, C. & Mota, B. 2013. Heijunka System to Level Telescopic Forklift Activities Using Tablets in Construction Site, 21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 821-830. doi.org/

Download: BibTeX | RIS Format

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

2015 © All Rights Reserved.