AN OPTIMAL METHOD FOR SCHEDULING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS INCLUDING REPETITIVE ACTIVITIES IN MANY UNITS

Abstract

This paper presents an optimal method for scheduling construction projects including many repetitive activities in many similar units (e.g., high-rise buildings, highways, or bridges...). The objective of scheduling is to minimize the project duration. This method considers many types of activities with different characteristics (activities must be performed continuously to insure the continuity in their performances, or activities can allow interruptions in their performances) to generate a satisfactory schedule for project managers. This method uses a new scheduling algorithm to find the optimal start and finish times of activities, so that the project duration is minimized. A well-known example is used as an illustration to show advantages of this method to other methods.