Schedule Optimization for Dry Dock Construction Projects in Spatially Constrained Naval Facilities

Construction of dry docks in spatially restricted naval plants is deemed unique project endeavours that are characterized by the need to consider scheduled timing to prevent loss of time, hindered work dislocation, and safety concerns in the limited workspace and relying on extensive interdependency in the activities. In this study, the focus is on developing optimization approaches to dry dock construction schedules where phased segmentation of the space solutions is interrelated, floating and semi-submersible platforms are used temporarily to increase working space and crane logistics are planned considering the limited space of the naval corridors. The use of 4D Building Information Modeling (BIM) and location-based scheduling methods in relation to its visualization in real-time and enhanced stakeholder coordination is also included in the study. There is also the discussion of the strategies to reduce schedule risks due to tidal windows and the environmental regulations, which overlooks its compliance, but compliance does not affect the project timelines. Validation in the form of a case based on the comparison of the metrics such as project duration, the idle time of the cranes, and schedule reliability shows that the suggested methods may cut the construction time by up to 16.7 per cent and enhance the schedule compliance by around 15 per cent. The outcomes demonstrate that the integration of both advanced planning practices and digital technologies boasts the efficiency of improving the schedule performance of dry dock constructions in naval and defence-related port structures. The results also provide immediate advice to managers of naval facilities, contractors, and construction planners who need to maximize scheduling performance under extreme spatial limitations, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness and minimizing the disturbance of the activity in sensitive maritime premises.