Applications of Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) in Enhancing Facility Operation and Management

Agent-based modeling (ABM), as a relatively new simulation technique, has recently gained in popularity in the civil engineering domain due to its uniquely advantageous features. Among many civil engineering applications, ABM has been applied to facility operation and management, such as energy consumption management, as well as the enhancement of maintenance and repair processes. The former studies used ABM to manage energy consumption through simulating human energy-related behaviors and their interactions with facilities, as well as electrical, heating, and cooling systems and appliances, while the latter used ABM to enhance maintenance process through facilitating coordination, negotiation, and decision making between facility managers, service providers, and repair workers. The present study aims to provide a short qualitative review on the most recent applications of ABM in the above-mentioned areas. Based on the review and follow-up analysis, the study identifies the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of ABM applications to facility operation and management, and offers several potential future research topics in the hope of filling the existing literature gaps.