Resource-constrained scheduling of construction projects and simulation of the entropy impact on a project’s duration and cost

Abstract

The paper reports on research work about the relationship between project resources and the entropy generated during construction, as well as on the development of a related mathematical model that utilises entropy for resource-constrained scheduling. The aim is to optimise the allocation of resources by use of an entropy metric, to study the delays which occur during a project and to relate them with the resources and the project?s entropy. Entropy is taken as the disorder brought about by the fluctuation of resources and a higher entropy value relates to a higher risk in terms of schedule completion. The reported case study shows that a significant reduction in time (up to 25.7%) can be achieved by utilising the entropy method. Furthermore, should a resource constraint be imposed then the entropy approach results in a schedule that shows a 6.25% improvement in duration (and 8% in profit) over classical scheduling methods.

The paper reports on research work about the relationship between project resources and the entropy generated during construction, as well as on the development of a related mathematical model that utilises entropy for resource-constrained scheduling. The aim is to optimise the allocation of resources by use of an entropy metric, to study the delays which occur during a project and to relate them with the resources and the project?s entropy. Entropy is taken as the disorder brought about by the fluctuation of resources and a higher entropy value relates to a higher risk in terms of schedule completion. The reported case study shows that a significant reduction in time (up to 25.7%) can be achieved by utilising the entropy method. Furthermore, should a resource constraint be imposed then the entropy approach results in a schedule that shows a 6.25% improvement in duration (and 8% in profit) over classical scheduling methods.