Optimal selection and location of tower crane for the construction of prefabricated buildings with different prefabrication ratios

Tower cranes had been used extensively with the new upsurge of prefabricated buildings in China. Construction time and cost could be affected by the prefabrication ratio of prefabricated buildings, the selection and location of tower cranes. This study proposed a cost-based selection and location optimization model for tower crane to reveal the relationship between the prefabrication ratio and the optimal selection and location of tower crane. Moreover, this study further discussed different prefabrication ratios. The range of the tower crane type was preliminarily determined on the basis of its performance parameters and the construction project scope. The location scope of the tower crane was determined by investigating the positional relationship among tower crane and supply and demand points. Then, the optimal selection and location of the tower crane were obtained with the lowest cost. Three typical construction cases were discussed under different prefabrication ratios by taking a ten-story prefabricated building in Chongqing as an example. Results demonstrate that when the required prefabrication ratio is not less than 30%, selecting prefabricated beam is the most economical for the construction project. When the number reaches 50%, the combination of prefabricated columns and beams is the most economical. The lowest cost of the tower crane is obtained when the supply point is located at the midpoint of the long side in the construction project. The proposed method provides reference for the selection of prefabricated components and the selection and location of tower crane of prefabricated buildings. © 2019 School of Science, IHU.