A good arrangement of site layout on a construction project is a fundamental component of the project’s efficiency. Optimization on site layout is necessary in order to reduce the transportation cost of resources or personnel between facilities. Recently, the use of bio-inspired algorithms has received considerable critical attention in solving the engineering optimization problem. These methods have consistently provided better performance than traditional mathematical-based methods to a variety of engineering problems. This study compares the performance of particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), and symbiotic organisms search (SOS) algorithms in optimizing site layout planning problems. Three real-world case studies of layout optimization problems have been used in this study. The results show that SOS has a better performance in comparison to the other algorithms. Thus, this study provides useful insights to construction practitioners in the industry who are involved in dealing with optimization problems
A common method used to increase the strength of concrete is to add more cement to reduce the water-to-cement ratio. However, this is not always acceptable as adding more cement increases autogenous shrinkage, thermal and shrinkage cracking, and the cost of concrete production. By appropriately using superplasticizers, highperformance low cement concrete (LCC) can be produced. This study explores the potential of LCC by limiting cement content, adding alternative cementitious materials, and superplasticizers. Data was collected from the outcome of an annual National Student Concrete Competition conducted in Indonesia over three consecutive years. The new concept of LCC mix design was explained to all participants, i.e., civil engineering students, before they made their concrete specimens. Following the competition, all mixture compositions and their resulting concrete properties were analyzed. It was found that the participants' knowledge on the use of superplasticizer and cementitious materials was the most notable challenge. Nevertheless, they discovered that making LCC is a possibility. Concrete with a compressive strength of 50 MPa (7252 psi) can be made using cement content as low as 200 kg/m 3 (337 lb/yd 3) with sufficient workability. Furthermore, the effect of several factors on the performance LCC is described in this study.
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