Simulation-based Reactive Scheduling for the Concrete Delivery Problem Using Actual Data and Delivery Site Constraints

Construction project control requires reliable delivery schedules. The delivery schedule decisions examine the information available regarding material, equipment, concrete quality controls, delivery times, construction site delays and other external factors such as congestion and traffic conditions. This paper investigates a sector-specific problem for a non-fixed construction project (highway sector) to generate a daily concrete delivery schedule. The objectives of the delivery schedule are to maximize daily throughput and minimize queues at the construction site by considering constraints from the concrete supplier and construction site — comparison of Simulation-based reactive schedule with current manual practice in industry demonstrates 13% throughput improvement by having deliveries just-in-time.