Fault-Response Mechanism of Production System in Concrete-Dam-Construction Simulation

In the concrete-dam-construction process under real-world circumstances, concrete-production schedules can rarely be executed as planned due to the occurrence of various and unpredictable production-system faults, which greatly influence the rapid succession, quality, and quantity of concrete placement. Therefore, identifying these faults beforehand and determining the critical faults are essential for construction management to guarantee harmonious and rapid operations during the dam-construction process. Construction-simulation technology has proven to be an effective approach for predicting the concrete-dam-construction process and the performance of project schedules. However, existing simulation models do not currently consider the adverse influence of concrete-production-system faults. This paper is intended to determine the impact of production-system faults on concrete placement duration, monthly placement strength, and mechanical placement strength. An analysis of the fault-response mechanism of the system was carried out and a fault-response model has been proposed. Taking a typical concrete-dam project as a case study, a mathematical model of probability and statistics is proposed to clarify the occurrence law of the faults in the production system. Random numbers subjected to fault-probability distribution have been generated to represent whether the fault occurred or not, and the results were then fed back to the placement-simulation module to determine a reasonable placement scheme. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was carried out and the results prove that three kinds of production-system faults, namely, broken conveyor belts, broken stone grooves, and pipe blockages, significantly impact placement progress and quality. This study's primary contribution is to provide a useful approach for the elaborate concrete-dam-construction-process simulations as well as a reference for the reasonable management of production systems and preventive measures.