14th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Santiago, Chile - 2006

Critical Flow – Towards a Construction Flow Theory

Sven Bertelsen1, Lauri Koskela2, Guilherme Henrich3 & John Rooke4

1MSc, Consulting Engineer, External Lecturer, Danish Technical University, Roennebaervej 10, app 108, 2840 Holte, DK Denmark, Phone +45 4542 4705, [email protected]
2Professor, School of Construction and Property Management – University of Salford, 4 th Floor, Maxwell Building, The Crescent, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4WT, UK, Phone +44 161 2957960, FAX +44 161 2954587, [email protected]
3Civil Engineer, M.Sc., MBA, Ph.D. candidate, School of Construction and Property Management – University of Salford, 4 th Floor, Maxwell Building, The Crescent, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4WT, UK, Phone +44 161 2954143, FAX +44 161 2954587, [email protected]
4Research Fellow, School of Construction and Property Management – University of Salford, 4 th Floor, Maxwell Building, The Crescent, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4WT, UK, Phone +44 161 2956344, FAX +44 161 2954587, [email protected]

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of Construction Physics as a more comprehensive way of understanding the construction process from a flow perspective. It establishes a preliminary definition of the term and investigates briefly the present knowledge, flow models and methods for their management. From this it argues that the state of the art does not fully cover the whole process and proposes a holistic view of the flow of all prerequisites feeding the process. It introduces the key term Critical Flow and concludes by recommending areas that should be investigated as a joint IGLC research, development and testing programme.

Keywords

Critical flow, construction physics, flow management, theory, variability

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Reference

Bertelsen, S. , Koskela, L. , Henrich, G. & Rooke, J. 2006. Critical Flow – Towards a Construction Flow Theory, 14th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 31-32. doi.org/

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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.

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