Integrating Case-Based Reasoning and Simulation Modeling for Testing Strategies to Control Safety Performance

Abstract

Assessment models capable of determining the impact of various safety-related scenarios on safety performance have been developed and described in the literature. In spite of this, however, practical implementation of this work remains limited due to the inability of these models to consider the dynamic nature of construction processes. This paper proposes a conceptual approach, which combines case-based reasoning and simulation modeling, to account for the dynamic nature of construction projects by allowing the assessment of safety performance over time. In the proposed approach, safety scenarios predicted by the simulation model are compared with historical cases within a database to assess safety performance. Then, the simulation model, which combines discrete and continuous simulation to replicate the life cycle of the project, is used to update safety-related measures at specified time intervals. This integrated approach was applied in practice to predict how resource allocation and safety policies of a construction project could affect safety performance and was found capable of assisting managers with the proactive development of strategies designed to improve safety performance.