Kandil, A A (2005) Multi-objective optimization for large-scale highway construction projects. PhD thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.
Abstract
The utilization of new incentive-based contracting methods in the construction industry has increased in recent years in order to motivate contractors to simultaneously minimize both the cost and duration of construction projects, while maximizing their quality. The application of these contracting methods requires construction planners to search for and identify optimal resource utilization plans that optimize project cost, duration, and quality. The main challenge in this optimization problem is identifying an optimal resource utilization option for each construction activity in the project from a set of feasible alternatives that lead to unique activity durations, costs and levels of quality. The availability of various resource utilization options at the activity level creates a very large number of possible combinations of resource utilization plans at the project level. The enumeration of all of these possible alternatives becomes computationally prohibitive for large projects especially that the number of these alternatives increases exponentially with the increase in the number of activities in the project. In order to overcome this major challenge and enable the optimization of project cost, time, and quality in large-scale highway construction projects, this study aims to: (1) develop a multi-objective optimization model for highway construction projects that is capable of searching for and identifying near optimal resource utilization plans that simultaneously optimize construction time, cost, and quality; (2) formulate a parallel computing framework that enables the optimization of real-life large-scale highway construction projects; and (3) develop a prototype automated multi-objective optimization system that integrates the research developments made in this thesis with available project management software applications to facilitate their ultimate use and adoption by the construction industry. The main research development of this study contribute to the advancement of current practice in highway construction planning and can lead to: (1) an increase in the efficiency of resource utilization in highway construction projects which can ultimately produce significant savings in public expenditures; (2) a reduction in the duration of highway construction and renovation projects leading to an accelerated revitalization of the currently aging highway system; and (3) an improved level of quality in newly constructed and renovated roads.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | El-Rayes, K |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction activity; contracting methods; duration; efficiency; optimization; highway; computing; construction planning; project cost; renovation |
| Index terms: | contracting method, construction planner, computing, project management software, construction project, project cost, prototype, construction time, option, construction planning, duration, construction industry, multi-objective optimization, highway construction, renovation, savings, construction activity, public expenditure, efficiency, resource utilization |
| Subjects: | digital technology, modelling and simulation, contractual arrangements, construction operations, construction planning, site logistics, economic analysis, practitioner, computing systems, project controls, decision analysis, industry analysis, political science, renovation and retrofit, algorithms, economics, civil engineering, performance management, production management |
| Topics: | Procurement, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Quality Management, Governance, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Site Management, Time Control, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here