Recipes: How to Work with the Recipe Matrix

This article explains the Recipe Matrix template and how to use it in ALICE, including:

  • Pages overview
  • Recipes: where the user can define the project recipes
  • Resource Pool: where the user can define the project resources pool
  • Overview of each column in the table
  • Inputs needed for each column
  • The newest Recipe Matrix template can be downloaded HERE.

Tab 1: Recipes 

Here is the columns overview:

Column Letter

Column Name

Purpose/Comments

Example Values

A

Recipe Name

Define Recipe name

Determine which operations belong to the same recipe (same value should be used for all operations that belong to the same recipe)

Typical Concrete Columns

B

Recipe Type

Defines the recipe type: Construction, Demolition, or Temporary

Construction

C

Number

Reference number that can be used to reference activities while defining precedence relationships (see the Precedence column below)

It’s recommended to use a value of “1” for the first activity of each recipe, and then increment from there

1

D

Operation Name

This will allow the user to define the names of each operation/task in a recipe.

The same name should not be used twice within the same recipe but can be used again in different recipes. E.g.: we may have a “pour” operation in the “concrete slabs” and the “concrete columns” recipes

Close Forms

E

Precedence

Defines the Predecessor(s) of each operation by referencing the “number” of the preceding operation from the same recipe as well as the relationship type and lag.

The “^” and “$” signs can be used to reference the “previous element” and “next element” (aka recipe nodes) respectively. The acceptable relationship types are FS, FF, SS, SF, FaS, FaF, SaS, and SaF.

Each relationship should be separated by a comma, and a “+” sign can be used to add lag to each relationship (in hours)

4FaS+3,$FS

F

Subcontractor

Name of the subcontractor that will be handling the operation on the same row.

You may type “No Subcontractor” if there is no subcontractor for this operation (ex: self perform or curing time)

Note: Here we start to work with entries that also relate to the resource pool (covered in the next section)

Concrete Sub

G

Crew Type

Name of the crew from the subcontractor that will be handling the operation in the same row

If the general contractor is leading this effort and has no visibility on the different crew types a subcontractor will use, they may use a generic crew type for that subcontractor. However, more detailed information could allow for better optimization as ALICE works through the different possible construction strategies

You may type in “No Crew Required” if no crew is required

Carpenter Crew

H

Min. Crews Required

Minimum number of crews required by the specific task (most common value is 1)

This is not related to how many crews you wish to bring on-site for your project.

1

I

Max. Crews Required

This number is used when it is possible to assign more crews than the minimum to the same activity in order to complete it faster

This should be greater than or equal to “Min. Crews Required”

3

J

Equipment Type

Name of the equipment needed

This field can be left blank if no equipment is required

Multiple Assignments are supported, simply separate each equipment by a “;”

Excavator; Forklift

K

Qty. Equipment Required

Number of equipment needed

Formulas may be typed in this field

*Element parameters are currently not supported here

For multiple assignments, you may place a single value for all assignments, or separate values by semi-colons in the right order

1;2

L

Crane Type

Name of the crane that may service this activity

This field can be left blank if no crane is required

Multiple Assignments are supported, simply separate the names of the cranes by a semi-colon.

Tower Crane West

M

Material

Name of the material needed

This field can be left blank if no material is required/supplied by the activity

*Multiple Assignments are currently not supported

Formwork

N

Action

Defines whether the Material from the previous column is required or supplied by the activity

This may be left blank if no material is supplied/required. Otherwise, the possible values are “requires” and “supplies”

Requires

O

Qty. Material Required

Quantity of material needed

Formulas can be used in this field

*Element parameters are currently not supported here

5

P

Production Rate

Names of the rate that will be used in any of the duration/quantity formulas

Multiple Assignments are supported, simply separate the names of the rates by a semi-colon.

pour_rate

Q

ALICE Duration (hours)

Duration value in hours

Formulas such as: “3*8” or “mat.concrete/pr.concrete_pour” are acceptable values.

4*8

 

Tab 2: Resource pool

Note: Resources entered in this part of the matrix will only be imported if they are used in a recipe from the previous tab.

Here is the columns overview:

Column Letter

Column Name

Purpose/Comments

Example Values

A

Subcontractor

Name of Subcontractor

Use the same value for different crews belonging to the same subcontractor.

“Concrete Sub”

B

Trade

Subcontractor specialty

The same value should be used for the same subcontractor

“Concrete”

C

Crew

Name of crew

“Carpenter Crew”

D

Qty.Available

Initially assumed available amount of crews for this project (this can later change while exploring simulations)

4

E

$/hour

Cost of 1 crew per working hour

300

F

Equipment

Name of Equipment

Excavator

G

Qty.Available

Initially assumed available pieces of that equipment for this project (this can later change while exploring simulations)

3

H

$/hour

Cost per hour of owning/renting a single piece of this equipment.

Note: this cost will be charged for 24 hours of each day that the equipment is on-site

600

I

Cranes

Name of Crane

Tower Crane West

J

Radius (ft)

Radius of Crane

230

K

Move Time (hrs)

Move (set-up) time for mobile cranes with multiple predefined positions.

3

L

Qty.Available

Number of cranes of each type available for this project

1

M

$/hour

Cost per hour of owning/renting a crane of this type

Note: this cost will be charged for 24 hours of each day that the crane is on-site

1000

N

Material

Name of Material

Formwork

O

Type

Type of material “Consumable” vs “Reusable”

Consumable

P

Qty.Available

Amount of material initially assumed available for the project

 

Q

$/unit

Cost per unit of the material defined

300

R

Production rate

Name of rate

Note: when used in formulas, rate names will be prefixed by “pr.” (example: “concrete_pour” becomes “pr.concrete_pour”

concrete_pour

S

Qty/hr

Value of production rate per hour

8

Further Resources

 

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