I think 3ds Max is a great tool to do what you're asking. I've done a number of construction sequencing videos, on a larger scale though. Think bridges and highways. At AU 2018 I taught a class demonstrating some animation techniques for construction. Here's the link if you're interested.
https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Make-It-Move-Animating-Objects-Construction-2018
But like I said, your first step is to plan out your animation in an outline or storyboard. Break down the process into individual steps. I've always liked setting up a spreadsheet with all the steps along with their lengths. I would set up some arithmetic in there so one column listed the start frame of the action, the next was the length of the action (which I typed in) then the next column added the two to give you the end frame of the action. Start with some estimates of time, and adjust as you work through the animation in 3ds Max. Having your timing documented like this can be a life saver!
Now develop your 3d assets and your stage. You should be ready at this point to begin making some keyframes.
Good luck!
Chris Medeck
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