Dynamic Site Layout Optimization With An Ant Colony Optimization Approach

Efficient allocation of sit space to accommodate resources throughout the duration of a construction project is a critical problem. layout may be approached as static or dynamic layout. Solving a dynamic layout problem may be approached by creating a sequence of layouts that span the entire project duration, given resources, the timing of their presence on site, their changing demand for space over time, constraints on their locations, as well as their relocation costs. This paper attempts to solve a dynamic site layout problem for a construction project benefiting from ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. ACO is a heuristic algorithm that works with artificial ants which can introduce solutions some very desirable for many optimization problems. Previous experiments with ACO indicate that this method works very well for solving the combinatorial and discrete optimization problems. While solving the problem, an endeavor has been made to make modification on algorithm in order to make it consistent with the model required. To examine the efficiency of the algorithm a semi-benchmark dynamic layout problem was considered and the results were compared with those available from the researches.