Publisher's Synopsis
Developed here are models reflecting the stochastic (or variable) nature of construction and mining operations. The models will serve as tools in scheduling, manpower planning, facility planning, productivity analysis and cost analysis. The author develops queueing theory models based on assumptions applicable to construction and mining. The models are computed, tabulated and graphed for ready reference, instead of being left in equation form; hence the results can be used not only by engineers needing quick calculations, but also be those without adequate computing facilities, for example on remote mines or construction sites. Reference to many field data records, where theory and practice are compared, establishes the validity of the models.;The applications are versatile and include concrete production, distribution and supply, earthmoving, quarrying, and open-cut mining operations, and also machine maintenance and repair among many others.;The author's approach in operations research, management science and systems engineering, provides the capability of describing construction and mining operations in terms of practical quantities - eg loading and hauling times. There is no reference to specific makes of plant or equipment or specific materials moved; the operations are interpreted in terms of their fundamental variable, and stripped of all discipline-dependent terms. The models permit the forecasting of productivity, times and costs for any combination of production units, and are management and planning tools aiding in optimization procedures which balance production units, capacity and demand, and point to maximum productivity or minimum cost solutions.
