HEURISTIC SOLUTION FOR RESOURCE SCHEDULING FOR REPETITIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Construction project planning and control are core processes for building project management. In practice project time management is achieved by computer based techniques like Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM). Many researchers and practitioners claims that Networking techniques as such do not provide a suitable model for construction process, especially in repetitive projects. Construction process modeling, for repetitive projects in particular, should incorporate for specific features of resource flows through project activities. With the aim of improving resource scheduling with PDM, a heuristic algorithm for repetitive activity scheduling process is presented (REPNET), based on a precedence network plotted on a resource–space chart. The heuristics of REPNET are used to carry out resource timing in two phases: in the first phase as soon as possible project schedule is performed; in the second phase the REPNET algorithm search for resource scheduling optimization by minimization of resource idle time in repetitive activity performance. The work continuity constraint is relaxed in order to maintain the PDM minimum project duration. Optimized project schedule of case study is compared with original schedule and discussed.