Pierrette P. Zouein's Doctoral Research
Ph.D., The University of Michigan, 1995
Current Position:
Associate Professor
Industrial Engineering Department
Lebanese American University
Byblos, Lebanon
E-mail: pzouein@lau.edu.lb
Dissertation Title:
"MoveSchedule: A Planning Tool for Scheduling Space Use on Construction Sites."
Abstract:
Site layout planning is crucial for enhancing the overall efficiency of construction operations and for reducing materials (re)location costs. More importantly, it helps identify construction time periods with potential spatial conflicts due to limited space so that they can be avoided in early project plans. This research develops an integrated scheduler and space planner, MoveScheduler, that adjusts an initial project schedule to comply with site space limitations in the process of accommodating resource space needs as they change over time.
MoveSchedule solves a constrained dynamic layout problem with the objective of minimizing resource transportation and relocation costs. Two-dimensional geometric constraints between relative positions of resources are being considered. Four different space profiles describe variations of resource space needs over time. The timing of these needs is inferred from the activity schedule. The layout construction algorithm that underlies MoveSchedule uses Constraint Satisfaction to find the set of all positions that meet the constraints on resources" positions and Linear Programming to find the optimal positions that minimize resource transportation and relocation costs. The solution is a sequence of layouts that describe changes in resource positions at discrete points in time corresponding to arrival and departure times of resources to and from site.
When no solution is found, i.e., when the resources needed in a given time period cannot be accommodated on site without violating constraints on their positions, MoveSchedule adjusts durations or start dates of activities to lower the total space need over the problematic time period. MoveSchedule establishes a time-space relationship for each activity in the schedule based on alternative resource levels so that tradeoffs between activity duration and space need on site are possible. The resource levels describe different methods or crew-sizes for performing the activity.
Two example applications of MoveSchedule illustrate other areas of application of the sue of MoveSchedule for optimally solving a MINISUM location problem with constraints on acceptable locations of the new facility, and for evaluating and choosing between alternative material delivery schedules. MoveSchedule is validated using realistic project data and its solution is qualitatively assessed by an experienced engineer on that project.
Publications describing this work:
- Tommelein, I.D. (1991). "Site layout: Where should it go?" in Preparing for Constr. in the 21st Century, Proc. Constr. Congr. '91, Cambridge, Mass., ASCE, pp. 632-637.
- Tommelein, I.D. (1993). "Planning and Controlling On-site Materials Handling through Space Scheduling." EPRI 3rd International Fossil Plant Construction Conference, 26-28 Oct. '93 in Palm Beach, Florida (invited paper), 11 pp.
- Tommelein, I.D., Castillo, J.G., and Zouein, P.P. (1992). "Space-Time Characterization for Resource Management on Construction Sites." in B.J. Goodno and J.R. Wright (eds.) Proc. 8th Conf. on Computing in Civil Engineering, 7-9 June in Dallas, TX, ASCE, New York, NY, pp. 623-630.
- Tommelein, I.D., Dzeng, R.J., and Zouein, P.P. (1993). "Exchanging Layout and Schedule Data in a Real-Time Distributed Environment." Proc. 5th Intl. Conf. on Computing in Civil and Building Engrg., 7-9 June in Anaheim, Calif., ASCE, New York, NY, pp. 947-954.
- Tommelein, I.D. and Zouein, P.P. (1992). "Activity-Level Space Scheduling." Proc. Ninth International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, ISARC '92, sponsored by Japan Industrial Robot Assoc., JIRA, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 411-420.
- Tommelein, I.D. and Zouein, P.P. (1993). "Interactive Dynamic Layout Planning." Journal of Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., ASCE, 119 (2) 266-287.
- Tommelein, I.D. and Zouein, P.P. (1993). "Space Scheduling for Construction Progress Planning and Control." in Watson, G.H., Tucker, R.L., and Walters, J.K. (eds.), Automation and Robotics in Construction X. Proc. 10th ISARC, Elsevier Science Publishers, pp. 415-422.
- Zouein, Pierrette P. (December 1995). MoveSchedule: A Planning Tool for Scheduling Space Use on Construction Sites. Ph.D. Dissertation, Dept. of Civil & Envir. Engrg., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 308 pp. Advisor: Professor I.D. Tommelein.
- Zouein, P.P. and Tommelein, I.D. (1992). "MovePlan: Allocating Space During Scheduling." Proc. CIB '92 World Bldg. Congress, Natl. Res. Council Ottawa, Canada, 18-22 May.
- Zouein, P.P. and Tommelein, I.D. (1993). "Space Schedule Construction." Proc. 5th Intl. Conf. on Computing in Civil and Building Engrg., 7-9 June in Anaheim, Calif., ASCE, New York, NY, pp. 1770-1777.
- Zouein, P.P. and Tommelein, I.D. (1994). "Time-Space Tradeoff Strategies For Space-Schedule Construction." 20-22 June in Wash. D.C., Proceedings 1st Computing Congress, ASCE, New York, NY, pp. 1180-1187.
- Zouein, P.P. and Tommelein, I.D. (1994). "Automating Dynamic Layout Construction." Proc. 11th Intl. Symp. on Automation and Robotics in Construction, 24-26 May in Brighton, U.K., organized by Building Research Est., Garston, Watford, Herts, U.K., pp. 409-416.
- Zouein, P.P. and Tommelein, I.D. (1999). "Dynamic
Layout Planning Using a Hybrid Incremental Solution Method."
ASCE, J. of Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., 125 (6) 400-408, Nov/Dec.
- Zouein, P.P. and Tommelein, I.D. (2001). "Improvement
Algorithm for Limited Space Scheduling." ASCE, J. of Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., 127 (2) 116-124, March/April.
| Iris
Tommelein's Publications
| Project Production Systems Laboratory
| E&PM Program
| U.C. Berkeley |
Pierrette P. Zouein's Doctoral Research / IDT / 18 April 2007