Abraham, Assefa (PhD)Etsub, Ketema2019-10-212023-11-112019-10-212023-11-112019http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/19547Tower cranes are an expensive investment for construction projects, and the appropriate selection of their location has a significant impact on the cost, efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of a construction project. In many cases, traditional techniques which simply ensure that the crane can reach all the supply and demand points while satisfying other site-specific constraints are used to find the location for the tower crane. However, this process doesn’t necessarily mean the crane has been placed in the optimal location. As construction sites become smaller, and the use of tower cranes becomes more prevalent, the role of Site Layout Planning, is becoming more critical. Tower Crane Location Planning Problem presented in this thesis is a subset of the larger Site Layout Planning problem. The problem is solved using a metaheuristic optimization technique known as Particle Swarm Optimization. The optimization integrates constraints such as temporary offices, plot limits, work information, and crane capacities to search for the optimal location based on the total travel time. Six case studies of high-rise buildings in Addis Ababa were analyzed, with 5 of the projects located in the Financial District of Addis Ababa. In all cases, the optimal location was found to be acceptably close to the actual location on site, except for the Nile Insurance HQ Project. The location selection techniques varied among the 5 contractors, with China State Construction Engineering Corporation using the most scientific technique which ensured that the crane could satisfy the demands of the project. Conversely, Rama Construction utilized the least scientific placement technique, which forced it to dismantle the first tower crane at great cost. The primary recommendation of this thesis is that the contractors should ensure that the crane selected for the project should meet the demands of the projects in terms of capacity, lifting radius and anchoring requirements.en-USParticle Swarm OptimizationSite Layout Planningower Crane Location PlanningThesis