Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Materials Today: Proceedings

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/matpr

Lean construction analysis of concrete pouring process using value

stream mapping and Arena based simulation model
Seyed Mojib Zahraee a,⇑, Rasoul Esrafilian b, Ramtin Kardan c, Nirajan Shiwakoti a, Peter Stasinopoulos a
a
School of Engineering, Department of Manufacturing, Materials and Mechatronics, RMIT University, Carlton, VIC 3053, Melbourne, Australia
b
Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE), Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
c
College of Engineering and Mines, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 58202, ND, United States

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: An important challenge for the construction industry is how to reduce non-value adding activities which
Received 10 September 2020 produce waste. Many researchers have attempted to resolve it to enhance the performance of this indus-
Received in revised form 16 December 2020 try. However, the concrete pouring process (CPP) has not been adequately investigated in this regard.
Accepted 22 December 2020
Accordingly, the present study aims to examine how to apply the lean manufacturing concepts to CPP
Available online 7 February 2021
effectively determine different wastes generated during operations, the main cause of the waste gener-
ation, and the strategies to minimize or mitigate the generation of the waste. Mixed value stream map-
Keywords:
ping (VSM) and computer simulation are applied to identify and eliminate wastes in a CPP case study by
Lean construction
Concrete pouring process
using lean principles and time-frame formulation through takt time calculation. Based on the future VSM
Value stream mapping improvements, findings showed that that production lead time (PLT) reduced from 11 days to 7 days, and
Computer simulation the value-added time decreased from 38.2 min to 22.5 min. Takt time also was reduced from 138 s to
Waste 93 s. Our results are a valuable resource for construction managers and engineers to improve the concrete
pouring process’s productivity in a cost-effective and timely manner.
Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Second International
Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2020.

1. Introduction Waste generation in the construction industry is addressed in

One of the most critical issues in the construction industry is
resource consumption. Decision-makers and construction planners
typically make an effort to find out how the resources in the con-
struction processes can be best combined to enhance some perfor-
mance measures like total cycle time and process productivity [1].
In large-scale construction projects, various resources are involved,
e.g., labor, materials, and equipment. These resources need to be
well planned and designed in a way to produce maximum benefits.
The methods they have combined influence the whole construc-
tion process [2]. In this field, literature consists of many studies
carried out in recent years aiming to decrease the cost and shorten
construction projects’ cycle time. Thus, one of the main objectives
of research in the construction field is the minimization of project
cost and cycle time and, simultaneously, considering limitations of
available resources and the due date of the project in hand [1].
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: s_mojib_zahraee@yahoo.com, seyedmojib.zahraee@rmit.edu.
au (S.M. Zahraee).
literature as a significant unsolved challenge that needs to be
resolved. Numerous studies [3,4] have recently focused on the
waste reduction problem throughout a construction project life
cycle. Indeed, researchers in this field attempt to improve the con-
struction processes by minimizing construction waste.
Accordingly, in the 1990s, ‘lean construction’ was introduced
referring, to the use of a practical manufacturing theory, i.e., ‘lean
production’, in construction projects. Based on this theory, lean
production principles are required to be applied to the construc-
tion industry. Lean production was pioneered by the Toyota Pro-
duction System (TPS), aiming to meet the customers’
requirements most efficiently by removing the wastes [5]. One of
the most significant objectives of the lean construction theory is
removing waste from the construction process. Regardless of phys-
ical wastes, lean thinking concerns the waste generated during a
construction process. Construction managers may pay attention
merely to physical waste, which often includes material losses
[6]. However, a construction project may consist of other types of
waste, for instance, performing redundant activities, which results
in additional costs without adding any value to products [6]. In [7],

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.12.955
2214-7853/Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Second International Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2020.
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al.
a more comprehensive definition of waste is suggested, which
includes physical wastes and those related to other resources
involved in a project. Based on the lean construction theory, con-
siderable opportunities exist to improve the construction pro-
cesses by eliminating or at least reducing all types of waste,
especially those of a non-physical type. The strategy of lean think-
ing is the use of minimum resources for the maximum outcome
based on five principles as follow [8]:

Specifying the value of a specific product;

Determining the value stream of each product;

Making the value flow with no interruption;

Allowing customers to gain value from the producer;

Attempting the achievement of perfection.
Top managers of a company are expected to create a polyvalent
environment by fostering teamwork and focusing on lean tools and
techniques to discover existing problems and their causes [8].
Moreover, lean manufacturing usually accompanies lean thinking,
which allows production and industrial engineers to achieve accu-
rate, dependable, and timely information when making their deci-
sions. Therefore, a lean system’s implementation and control lead
to the successful implementation of strategic management [9].
Numerous factories and industries have employed several lean
techniques to enhance the manufacturing process. In the following,
some techniques/tools introduced in this regard are described
briefly:
Just in Time (JIT): It refers to the production or provision of
merely required things, at a required quantity, at the right time [6].
Total productivity maintenance (TPM): It is known as a man-
agement approach to reducing sudden machine breakdowns in
the course of the work’s progress [10]. TPM enhances equipment
efficiency and reliability by eliminating unnecessary waiting in a
process [11].
Total quality management (TQM): This refers to the consistent
implementation of participative management, which aims to
address the customers’ core requests based on the assumption that
the system, not the people, creates incompetency. The most critical
TQM issues are participating and getting prepared, forming a team
to solve problems, the use of arithmetical methods, establishing
long-run objectives, and detection [10].
Kanban: This is an information system applied to controlling
the quantity of parts generated in each production process. The
two most popular types of Kanban are: 1) The withdrawal Kanban
that specifies the quantity that subsequent processes need to pull
from previous processes; and 2) The production Kanban indicates
the quantity required to be generated by the previous process [12].
5 s: It is focused on organizing a useful working site and provid-
ing standardized work events [10].
Cellular manufacturing (CM): It attempts to organize the entire
process for a certain product or associated products to a set or cell
involving all the required machines, operators, and equipment
[10].
Value stream mapping (VSM): It uses the ‘language of lean’ to
depict and improve the inventory or information flow. VSM offers
higher effectiveness as a layout diagram that generates a tally of
steps with no value-added, distance traveled, lead time (LT), and
the number of inventories in a process [13].
The above-explained techniques/tools of lean production and
related concepts have been widely used by engineers and research-
ers in the manufacturing and construction sectors to enhance the
industry performance quality [3,14–17]. The present study adopts
VSM since it refers to all activities (value-added activities and non-
value-added ones) essential for producing a given product by
1280
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286
applying three critical management skills: information manage-
ment, problem-solving, and physical transformation [9]. Zahraee
et al. [18] used the Taguchi method together with computer simu-
lation to find the optimal combination of resources applicable to a
real-world case study that involved the pouring of concrete. Their
objective was to decrease the cycle time and process cost. Based on
the obtained results, to enhance the total performance, the number
of trucks and workers that work in spreading, vibrating, and finish-
ing parts must be set to 3, 1, 1, and 1, respectively.
Another effective method used widely in this field is simulation
modeling. The popularity of this method is because that it is highly
flexible and has a high capacity for simulation and evaluation of
both static and dynamic systems regarding variability and uncer-
tainty between systems like those of manufacturing lines [19],
ports and maritime industry [20], supply chain [21], and building
sectors [22]. In the computer simulation combined VSM approach,
both managerial and operational aspects of manufacturing pro-
cesses are considered. This way, managers will be able to do some-
thing more than conventional static performance analyses. VSM
helps the construction managers differentiate value-added from
non-value-added activities; it can also be applied as a strategic tool
for decision-making applicable to redesigning processes and
improving them continuously. If the comprehensive information
attained from this VSM is well considered, we can check whether
the increased revenues or overall cost savings can be achieved by
adding to capital investment. The implementation of the
simulation-guided VSM is more straightforwardly, conveniently,
interactively, and spontaneously in comparison with the conven-
tional VSM that was based on paper-and-pencil use. Simulations
provided in this system offer an adequate level of flexibility needed
for VSM to effectively handle the changes in permutations and
combinations in this manufacturing process.
The literature lacks adequate research into the concrete pouring
process (CPP) in construction projects through which the produc-
tion costs can further be decreased. Accordingly, the present paper
argues that CPP-related waste may contribute to low production
quality and cost and time overruns that can result in the company’s
poor performance. The persistence of such wastes will lead to the
ineffective implementation of the construction industry. Therefore,
this research implements the mixed VSM method and computer
simulation approach to explore the root of waste in a CPP case
study; to this end, this paper makes use of lean principles and
time-frame formulation through takt time computation.
2. Literature review
2.1. Lean construction
Lean construction is an innovative construction approach,
which differs from the traditional approaches in this field. A
change to a certain arrangement may result in some innovation
[23]. Different countries like Saudi Arabia [24], Singapore [25], Bra-
zil [26], etc., have already implemented lean thinking or lean con-
struction, which has statistically returned significant benefits. The
main principles of lean construction are eliminating waste, con-
stant improvement, value for money, being focused on the user,
efficient supply chain and project management, and enhanced
communications [27]. In recent years, construction practices are
considerably relying on the possibility of sustainable development.
A novel lean thinking-based waste classification is presented in
Table 1. In general, this type of waste can be separated into two
main groups: 1) waste produced because of the nature of pro-
cesses, and 2) waste induced by non-value-adding activities.
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al.
Table 1
Waste categorization based on lean thinking [4].
Activity Type of waste
Construction site
Waste due to waiting periods

Equipment wear and tear

Resting time

Excess materials on site

Debris
Construction process
Over production

Safety costs

Scrap waste

Transport/handling time

Rework

Waiting time

Idle time

Unnecessary inventories
External waste
Excess materials

Clarification needs

Waste due to design errors
2.2. Value stream mapping in different industries
Some studies have applied VSM in different manufacturing
industries to deal with different waste reduction-related problems
[9]. Hines and Rich [28] applied VSM using seven tools and con-
cluded that this approach was not only limited to the automobile
industry but can be applied for different industries. Rother and
Shook [13] used the VSM and developed current and future state
maps for a stamping factory. Besides, Seth and Gupta [29] devel-
oped VSM to decrease cycle time and enhance productivity in the
Indian industry. The production output per person worker was
enhanced to 17.54 frames from 13.95 frames. Lead time decreased
significantly from 3.215 days to 0.54 days. Lasa et al. [30] high-
lighted the practical application of VSM by implementing it in a
real manufacturing company. They decreased the lead time to
4 days using the VSM process. Grewal [31] used the VSM in the
Indian camshaft manufacturing industry. They highlighted that
lead time decreased from 19,660 to 19,449 min by adding two
workers to final inspection section. They also applied the lean tool
5S in every section of work-in-progress (WIP).
In another study, VSM along with computer simulation was
used to decrease shortcomings of the mapping process. They
applied QUEST software to simulate the current and future state
models of a door and pipe production line for 30 days. The total
lead time was decreased from 37.87 days to 12.68 days [32]. Suciu
et al. [33] implemented the VSM tool and the help of single minute
exchange of dies (SMED) in a cycle manufacturing company.
Change over time was improved from 60 to 9 min in the threading
operation. Singh and Singh [34] implemented the VSM in an auto
parts manufacturing company and decreased its cycle time by
almost 70%. In another paper, the pump industry made an action
plan to reduce waste and minimize the root cause of product
inventories. They used the VSM and lean approaches such as a pull
system to decrease the lead time from 54 days to 36 days. They
improved the inventory reduction from 33 days to 22 days with
systems’ proper communication flow [35]. In another recent study,
VSM and computer simulation were implemented for a plastic bag
manufacturing unit to identify the waste and bottleneck processes.
Simulation results showed that takt time reduced from 46 min to
26.6 min, and value-added time increased by 74.5% [36].
3. Materials and methods
3.1. Case study
The case selected for this research is part of a concrete building
construction project that is carried out in Mashhad, Iran. It com-
1281
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286
prises two floors each of which, requires 420 m3 of concrete to
be completed according to the design specifications. The operation
is implemented in two phases: 1) concrete pouring of slabs and
beams, and 2) concrete pouring of walls and columns. The present
study focuses on the first phase, separated into four parts of
approximately 91 m3 of concrete. To transfer concrete to the con-
struction site, concrete trucks are used which transferred 7 m3 of
concrete. The starting point of the process is the entrance point
of the construction site. Then, 7 m3 of concrete are transferred into
the site using a concrete truck. Next, the pumping operation starts.
After preparing and testing the concrete, the concrete is poured
using a concrete pump. This step requires an operator to perform
the pumping process. After that, the concrete in the concrete truck
is completely pumped, it is time for the other resource crews to
complete the rest of the concrete operations, which sequentially
involves spreading, vibrating, and finishing. Fig. 1 illustrates the
process map of the process.
3.2. Simulation model development
When the process map of the concrete pouring process is pre-
pared, the data required for the simulation model must be col-
lected. A simulation model typically requires random input data
with the aim of keeping the model’s randomness. For this purpose,
various data samples are needed to be gathered first. In the case of
the simulation model, two input data are required: 1) the duration
of operations (e.g., spreading, finishing, etc.), and 2) the time
between successive arrivals of concrete trucks. After collecting
the needed data samples, each sample needs to be fitted with a
probability distribution function.
The simulation model is developed when the process map for
the concrete pouring process is well developed, and the input data
are acquired in the form of probability distribution functions. The
model can be used to show the current state of the concrete pour-
ing process. A variety of simulation software exists in the market,
which applies to the simulation models’ development. In the pre-
sent paper, Arena 13.9 was selected for simulation purposes in
the simulation model development process. The current-state
model for the concrete pouring process is demonstrated in Fig. 2.
When the simulation model is well developed, its performance
should be evaluated to see whether it is effectively applicable to
real-world problems. To do this, it is necessary to first choose a
parameter of the process and compare the parameter value in an
actual process and the simulation models’ value. For this purpose,
the process cycle time parameter was selected. Based on the field
data, the average cycle time is 205.8 min. The model was run four
times. The results obtained from comparing the simulation and the
real-world outputs are presented in Fig. 3. Note that in the pro-
posed model, the average process cycle time was 213.55 min; it
showed a 3.76% difference between the simulation model and
the actual process, which is considered acceptable.
3.3. Value stream mapping
Value stream mapping (VSM) refers to a lean tool that is imple-
mented to explore the firm’s current scenario and the information
flow, helping solve the problems that appear in the current state,
which can be a big help in the future states [10]. This mapping tool
encompasses the whole process starting from customer order and
manufacturing the product to delivering it to the consumer.
One of the benefits of VSM is that everyone is capable of observ-
ing the production and information flow of the manufacturing line,
hence simply determining and removing the system’s bottlenecks
[10]. The most beneficial point regarding the use of VSM is that
it determines the prospects for future improvements. It can be
plotted using the following set of rules. The VSM needs to involve
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286

Fig. 1. Process map for concrete pouring process.

Fig. 2. Simulation model of concrete pouring process developed using Arena 13.9.

all value-added and non-value activities of a product being pro-
duced. Typically, for drawing a current state map, pencil and paper
are utilized. In the following step, the map is analyzed by exploring
the problems and provision of relevant solutions and the prepara-
tion of an effective action plan to implement the solutions concern-
ing defined deadlines, targets, and responsibilities. VSMs are
indeed pictures of the production activities and applied to the cur-
rent VSM (reality) documentation and the future VSM (the goal).
The former refers to the firm’s current situation based on which
all improvements are measured. In contrast, the latter refers to
the project team vision depicting how the value stream is seen in
the future after applying the improvements [10].

1282
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al.
Fig. 3. Validation of Simulation vs. real-world cycle time results.
4. Results and discussion
4.1. Current VSM
In this paper, a method proposed by Rother and Shook [13] was
used to collect the complete information regarding the current-
state map of VSM. The current VSM designed and displayed in
Fig. 4, where small boxes show the CPP, and the number of the
boxes signifies the number of operators working for every process.
Moreover, a data box was assigned to every process, which
included the: cycle time (CT): is the time it takes to complete the
production of one unit from start to finish; machine reliability
(MR): measures the failure rate of a machine to perform its
intended task.
Fig. 4. Current VSM.
1283
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286
Fig. 4 depicts the timeline, which includes two parameters. The
first one shows the production lead time (in days) that defines as
the period between an order being placed and an order being ful-
filled and completed. It is calculated by summing the number of
lead-time from every process. The total lead time was recorded
as nearly 11 days. Value-added or processing time is equal to
38.3 min. It is the time spent that improves the outcome of a pro-
cess. It was calculated by adding the processing time for every pro-
cess in the production line.
4.2. Current VSM TAKT time
The Takt time is the time between completions of each product
of the manufacturing system. The formula presented below (Equa-
tion1) is generally used to compute the Takt time [10]:
Takt time has significant effects on the production line. With
Takt time, users can effectively estimate the minimum batch sizes
in situations where changeovers are involved.
ðAv ailable minutes for productionÞ  ðtime for breakÞ
Takttime ¼
Required unites of production
ð1Þ
ð83600Þ  ð13600Þ
Takttime ¼ ¼ 138seconds
182
4.3. Future VSM
The future-state map is used to demonstrate the company’s
future after the lean tools are well implemented. This map pro-
vides tools that are essential for continuously improving construc-
tion performance. Some required in-depth operational analysis
was done; then, some recommendations were given to balance
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al.
the CPP and optimize the delivery times. In addition, several rec-
ommendations regarding the 5S concepts were provided for the
construction site, applicable to the standardization of the work
and material flow. Operational improvements were accomplished
by optimizing the delivery times and inventory levels and by
decreasing the total cycle time.
Simulation results pointed out the high idle times for concrete
pumping and finishing. The simulation outcomes and the lean
techniques were employed to create a future map as follows:
Making the line balanced: First, there is a need for a value
stream to realize the existence of a line. An important factor that
causes a delay between the production activities is queuing. It
accumulates the work, and this way, it causes uncontrollable bot-
tlenecks to be created. To solve this problematic situation, the fol-
lowing techniques are recommended to be adopted:
Removing bottlenecks: Based on the current VSM, the concrete
pumping activity has the highest cycle time with 8.5 min, which
makes WIP before the process. For this reason, one more operator
and a Kanban system were added to this activity. It decreases the
cycle time from 8.5 min to 6 min. Moreover, two more crews are
also added to the vibrating and finishing process, giving help to
each other, thereby increasing the output product rate. It causes
to decrease the cycle time near 35% and 20% respectively. Finally,
adding 2 trucks to the whole process leads to a decrease in the pro-
duction lead time near 35%. It was also suggested to reduce one
crew from the spreading due to its lowest cycle time.
Another important problem is discontinuous flow due to the
high differences in cycle times. Continuous flow is used to produce
required products using a batch of the size of one. This can be rec-
ognized as a highly efficient production tool because no inventory
is formed between the process steps, and it can remove numerous
types of waste. Accordingly, the Kanban method was adopted to
eliminate the waste generated from overproduction and inventory
procedures. It completely removes the physical inventories;
Fig. 5. Future VSM.
1284
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286
instead, it relies on signal cards to show that more products are
required to be ordered.
Note that the safety stock inventory must be computed pre-
cisely to keep a high level of customer service. Numerous firms
consider their demand fluctuations, then assume that enough con-
sistency does not exist to predict future variabilities. Subsequently,
these firms fall back on trial-and-error or rule-based methods to
hold both cycle stock and safety stock inventory, for instance, by
having a certain number of weeks of historical average demand.
As a result, the safety stock inventory was performed before the
test process, which helps to:

Provide effective protection against unpredicted variations in
supply

Compensate for the imprecision of predictions (only in cases
where demand exceeds the prediction)

Avoid disruptions that may take place in the production process
or product deliveries

Avoid stock out to keep high levels of customer service and cus-
tomer satisfaction.
Eq. (2) calculated the Takt time for the Future VSM as follow:
ðAv ailable minutes for productionÞ  ðtime for breakÞ
Takt time ¼
Required unites of production
ð2Þ
Takt time ¼ ð83600Þð13600Þ
¼ 93seconds
270 per day
Fig. 5 shows the future state of the value stream map based on
the improvements.
4.4. Discussion
This work focuses on the remarkable amount of waste which is
produced in a construction industry-CPP real-world case study by
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al.
Fig. 6. Current state vs. future state.
implementing the combined lean VSM approach and Arena com-
puter simulation modeling. Findings confirmed that such princi-
ples greatly enhance CPP and diminish the waste generation rate
throughout the processes. As a result, one crew was added to con-
crete pouring, vibrating, and finishing in the future-state map, and
one crew was reduced from the spreading. Two extra trucks were
then added to the process aiming to diminish the non-value-added
time during the processes. The Kanban methods’ adoption, the
stock inventory technique, and continuous flow resulted in effi-
ciently organizing the workplace, improving the working location,
minimizing losses related to failures and breaks, and significantly
improving both safety and quality levels of the project. Supermar-
kets are positioned between processes to diminish each activity’s
inventory wastage and convert the process from a build-to-stock
process to a make-to-order process. The downstream activities pri-
orities are raised to implement the pulling concept properly. In
other words, in the proposed model, the workers and resources
are set to choose to perform downstream activities instead of
upstream activities.
In the real-world simulation model, all activities are assigned
with an equal priority, which prevents the implementation of the
pulling concept in the model. For applying this concept to the sim-
ulation model, in case several activities are sharing similar
resources, those that are closer to the end of the process and can
be thought of as downstream activities are allocated with a higher
level of priority. Moreover, the suggested approach provides a
framework for decision-makers to enhance the construction pro-
cess performance and optimize the resource allocation for con-
struction process planning in a cost-effective and timely manner.
Computer simulation would help to decrease the cost by evaluat-
ing different scenarios to find the best combination of resources.
The implementation of these techniques resulted in some
remarkable enhancements. For example, the PLT reduced from 11
to 7 days, the value-added time decreased from 38.3 to 22.5 min,
and likewise, the takt time reduced from 138 to 93 s (see Fig. 6).
5. Conclusion
Lean construction refers to applying lean manufacturing princi-
ples (or lean thinking) to the building environment. The benefits of
the new production philosophy regarding quality, productivity,
and indicators were practically suitable enough to accelerate the
speed of diffusing the new principles. This research contributed
to existing knowledge investigating the way lean thinking applies
to decreasing waste in CPP. This knowledge can be of great benefit
to the present and future state of the construction industry. The
framework introduced in this paper can help concrete producers
in three processes: 1) recognizing the gaps existing in their imple-
mentation efforts; 2) focusing upon areas requiring improvement;
and 3) gaining access to advantages that can be achieved through
1285
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286
applying the lean approach to their construction process. In addi-
tion, the framework introduced in this paper can be of considerable
advantages for researchers working in this field.
Based on the findings of the present research, it can be con-
cluded that VSM has a great contribution to decision making
regarding the flow represented, making it simplified and logical,
addressing lean techniques and concepts, as well as the different
construction activities. Furthermore, it should be noted that while
the present research was dedicated only to one of the numerous
operations in a construction project, almost all projects in this sec-
tor can achieve significant improvements by applying lean princi-
ples and simulation. In future studies, researchers can extend the
present research to different construction industry processes, e.g.,
brick production process and reinforcement operations.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Seyed Mojib Zahraee: Conceptualization, Investigation, Data
curation, Formal analysis, Software, Writing - original draft. Rasoul
Esrafilian: Methodology, Software. Ramtin Kardan: Resources,
Data curation. Nirajan Shiwakoti: Supervision, Writing - review
& editing. Peter Stasinopoulos: Supervision, Writing - review &
editing.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
The first author would like to acknowledge the postgraduate
research stipend scholarship and research training support funds
provided by RMIT University.
References
[1] S. Zahraee, M. Hatami, N.M. Yusof, M. Rohani, F. Ziaei, Combined use of design
of experiment and computer simulation for resources level determination in
concrete pouring process, J. Teknol. 64 (1) (2013) 43–49.
[2] B.G. Hwang, Z.B. Yeo, Perception on benefits of construction waste
management in the Singapore construction industry, Eng. Constr. Archit.
Manage. 18 (4) (2011) 394–406.
[3] A. Aka, A.D. Isah, C.J. Eze, O. Timileyin, Application of lean manufacturing tools
and techniques for waste reduction in Nigerian bricks production process, Eng.
Constr. Archit. Manage. 27 (3) (2020) 658–679.
[4] A. Nikakhtar, A.A. Hosseini, K.Y. Wong, A. Zavichi, Application of lean
construction principles to reduce construction process waste using computer
simulation: a case study, Int. J. Serv. Operat. Manage. 20 (4) (2015) 461–480.
[5] S.M. Zahraee, A survey on lean manufacturing implementation in a selected
manufacturing industry in Iran, Int. J. Lean Six Sigma 7 (2) (2016) 136–148.
[6] L. Koskela, Application of the New Production Philosophy to Construction,
Stanford university Stanford, 1992.
[7] C.T. Formoso, L. Soibelman, C. De Cesare, E.L. Isatto, Material waste in building
industry: main causes and prevention, J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 128 (4) (2002)
316–325.
[8] J.P. Womack, D.T. Jones, Lean thinking—banish waste and create wealth in your
corporation, J. Operat. Res. Soc. 48 (11) (1997) 1144–1150.
[9] L. Romero, A. Arce, Applying value stream mapping in manufacturing: a
systematic literature review, IFAC-PapersOnLine 50 (1) (2017) 1075–1086.
[10] S.M. Zahraee, A. Hashemi, A.A. Abdi, A. Shahpanah, J.M. Rohani, Lean
manufacturing implementation through value stream mapping: a case study,
J. Teknol. (Sci. Eng.) 68 (3) (2014) 119–124.
[11] F. Chan, Effect of kanban size on just-in-time manufacturing systems, J. Mater.
Process. Technol. 116 (2–3) (2001) 146–160.
[12] Y. Monden, Toyota production system: an integrated approach to just-in-time,
CRc Press, 2011.
[13] M. Rother, J. Shook, Learning to see: value stream mapping to add value and
eliminate muda, Lean Enterprise Institute, 2003.
[14] J.M. Rohani, S.M. Zahraee, Production line analysis via value stream mapping:
a lean manufacturing process of color industry, Procedia Manuf. 2 (2015) 6–10.
Seyed Mojib Zahraee, R. Esrafilian, R. Kardan et al.
[15] I.J. Suleiman, V.G. Luvara, Factors influencing change of design of building
projects during construction stage in Dar-es-salaam Tanzania, Int. J. Constr.
Eng. Manage. 5 (4) (2016) 93–101.
[16] J. Matthews, P.E. Love, J. Mewburn, C. Stobaus, C. Ramanayaka, Building
information modelling in construction: insights from collaboration and change
management perspectives, Product. Plann. Control 29 (3) (2018) 202–216.
[17] S.M. Zahraee, A. Tolooie, S.J. Abrishami, N. Shiwakoti, P. Stasinopoulos, Lean
manufacturing analysis of a Heater industry based on value stream mapping
and computer simulation, Procedia Manuf. 51 (2020) 1379–1386.
[18] S.M. Zahraee, G. Rezaei, A. Shahpanah, A. Chegeni, J.M. Rohani, Performance
improvement of concrete pouring process based resource utilization using
taguchi method and computer simulation, J. Teknol. 69 (1) (2014) 17–24.
[19] M. Hatami, S.M. Zahraee, A. Khademi, A. Shahpanah, J.M. Rohani, Evaluating
the effect of main factors in manufacturing production line based on
simulation experiment, Appl. Mech. Mater. 606 (2014) 199–203.
[20] A. Shahpanah, A. Hashemi, G. Nouredin, S.M. Zahraee, S.A. Helmi, Reduction of
ship waiting time at port container terminal through enhancement of the tug/
pilot machine operation, J. Teknol. (Sci. Eng.) 68 (3) (2014) 63–66.
[21] S.M. Zahraee, S.R. Golroudbary, N. Shiwakoti, A. Kraslawski, P. Stasinopoulos,
An investigation of the environmental sustainability of palm biomass supply
chains via dynamic simulation modeling: a case of Malaysia, J. Cleaner Prod.
237 (2019) 117740.
[22] S.M. Zahraee, M. Hatami, A.A. Bavafa, K. Ghafourian, J.M. Rohani, Application of
statistical taguchi method to optimize main elements in the residential
buildings in Malaysia based energy consumption, Appl. Mech. Mater. 606
(2014) 265–269.
[23] E.C.E.-D. de Ligny, P. Erkelens, Construction technology diffusion in developing
countries: limitations of prevailing innovation systems, J. Constr. Develop.
Countries 13 (2) (2008) 43–64.
[24] J. Sarhan, B. Xia, S. Fawzia, A. Karim, A. Olanipekun, Barriers to implementing
lean construction practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction
industry, Construct. Innovat. 18 (2) (2018) 246–272.
1286
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 1279–1286
[25] X. Li, G.Q. Shen, P. Wu, H. Fan, H. Wu, Y. Teng, RBL-PHP: Simulation of lean
construction and information technologies for prefabrication housing
production, J. Manage. Eng. 34 (2) (2018) 04017053.
[26] E. Ekanayake, Y. Sandanayake, LiVE approach: lean integrated Value
Engineering for construction industry, Built Environ. Project Asset Manage. 7
(5) (2017) 518–533.
[27] S. Sapuay, Construction waste–potentials and constraints, Procedia Environ.
Sci. 35 (2016) 714–722.
[28] P. Hines, N. Rich, The seven value stream mapping tools, Int. J. Operat. Product.
Manage. 17 (1) (1997) 46–64.
[29] D. Seth, V. Gupta, Application of value stream mapping for lean operations and
cycle time reduction: an Indian case study, Product. Plann. Control 16 (1)
(2005) 44–59.
[30] I.S. Lasa, C.O. Laburu, R. de Castro Vila, An evaluation of the value stream
mapping tool, Bus. Process Manage. J. 14 (1) (2008) 39–52.
[31] C. Grewal, An initiative to implement lean manufacturing using value stream
mapping in a small company, Int. J. Manuf. Technol. Manage. 15 (3–4) (2008)
404–417.
[32] A. Gurumurthy, R. Kodali, Design of lean manufacturing systems using value
stream mapping with simulation, J. Manuf. Technol. Manage. 22 (4) (2011)
444–473.
[33] E. Suciu, M. Apreutesei, I.R. Arvinte, Value stream mapping-a lean production
methodology, USV Ann. Econ. Public Adminis. 11 (1) (2011) 184–196.
[34] H. Singh, A. Singh, Application of lean manufacturing using value stream
mapping in an auto-parts manufacturing unit, J. Advan. Manage. Res. 10 (1)
(2013) 72–84.
[35] S.B. Dighe, A. Kakirde, Lean manufacturing implementation using value stream
mapping: a case study of pumps manufacturing company, Int. J. Sci. Res. 3 (6)
(2014) 2492–2498.
[36] A. Deshkar, S. Kamle, J. Giri, V. Korde, Design and evaluation of a Lean
Manufacturing framework using Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for a plastic
bag manufacturing unit, Mater. Today. Proc. 5 (2) (2018) 7668–7677.