Tank, Vessel & Pressure Equipment Fabrication worked example

Shop Bay Utilization at 68% target bay occupancy rate: a worked example in tank, vessel & pressure equipment fabrication

This worked example runs the shop bay utilization numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 68% target bay occupancy rate instead of the typical 95%. Shop Bay Utilization measures what fraction of a fabrication shop's assembly bays are actively occupied by vessels in progress, and how far that sits from your target.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Fabrication bays currently occupied: 8 bays (held at the documented default)
  • Total fabrication bays available: 250 bays (held at the documented default)
  • Target bay occupancy rate: 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 95)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Shop Bay Utilization rate = affected amount รท total amount.
  • Rate works out to 3.2 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gap to target works out to 64.8 points at these inputs.
  • Affected count works out to 8 count at these inputs.
  • Total count works out to 250 count at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target bay occupancy rate sits at 95% and the headline result is 3.2 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 3.2 %.
  • Use it in weekly capacity reviews or when deciding whether to bid additional work against available floor space. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Rate: 3.2 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target: 64.8 points
  • Affected count: 8 count
  • Total count: 250 count

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Shop Bay Utilization calculator, set target bay occupancy rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.