SMART OPTIMIZER SCHEDULING MODEL FOR READY MIXED CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS AND TRUCKS FLEET BY USING GENETIC ALGORITHMS

Abstract

Effectively managing the delivery of Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) for diverse construction projects poses a significant challenge for concrete batch plant supervisors. The formulation of an efficient schedule for dispatching concrete truck mixers is paramount, requiring a delicate balance between practicality and adaptability. The concrete batch plant administrator must establish a productive timetable that aligns activities at the concrete batch facility and construction sites. RMC delivery requests inundate the ready mixed concrete batch plant during specific operational hours, necessitating swift decision-making by the concrete batch plant administrator to create a dispatching schedule that meets the varied requirements of different construction projects. The dispatching schedule time for all batch plants is primarily influenced by the dispatcher administrator's experience and preferences. For instance, a ready mixed concrete batch plant administrator may opt to dispatch as many truck mixers as possible to the busiest construction project. However, while the batch plant waits for the RMC trucks to arrive, this strategy may cause truck congestion at the project site. Clearly, an effective dispatching schedule is crucial for enhancing the overall system efficiency of construction projects and batch plants. This paper initially presents various optimization methods and subsequently analyses the ready mixed concrete system and its transportation strategy, delineating the factors impacting the dispatching schedule. The study then introduces a systematic model employing simulation processes and Genetic Algorithms to optimize the dispatching schedule while minimizing the waiting time of RMC truck mixers at construction projects. The goal of this optimisation is to meet the needs for RMC delivery from various building projects while minimising the impact on casting processes. Ultimately, concrete batch plant administrators will find assistance in organising and managing the dispatching procedure from an automated software that was created utilising the C-sharp programming language and included all pertinent modules. Three cases from the available research were examined, and field data from the DECOM batching facility was applied over the course of three working days to evaluate the software's effectiveness.