A Review of Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Construction Scheduling Supported with Optimization Tools

Abstract

This article reviews the accomplishments of studies in which optimization tools were used to develop energy-efficient and sustainable construction schedules. With the increase in global awareness of environmental issues, the construction industry has been forced to explore innovative techniques to make the building process more energy-efficient and sustainable. Project managers can use optimization tools in their scheduling procedures to address these issues in the early stages of the project. Therefore, this paper examines different optimization-based construction scheduling methods and their impact on schedule energy efficiency and the three key sustainability goals: economic viability, social equity, and environmental protection. Such a review has not yet been conducted to the best of our knowledge. This research aims to fill the gap and contribute to understanding advanced optimization tools that can pave the way to energy-efficient and sustainable scheduling practices. After a brief introduction, the background of optimization-based construction scheduling techniques that aim to improve construction management and incorporate these aspects into the decision-making process is explained. Then, these approaches are addressed in detail. It is determined for each study whether it adopted energy efficiency goals and which sustainability dimensions it considered within the proposed optimization model. The results of this study indicate a wide heuristic algorithms application for complex scheduling problems. Meanwhile, mathematical programming is still quite unexplored, especially methods that utilize algebraic modeling languages. This study provides a foundation for further research by addressing the current reach in development and possible knowledge gaps that could be researched in future studies. The paper also discusses the advantages and limitations of different approaches and illustrates the potential for utilizing these methods. Supported by the main review findings, conclusions and recommendations for further research are provided.

Optimizing the Scheduling of Electrified Public Transport System in Malta

“…The paper used a column generation method to minimize the fleet cost. A review on the use of heuristics for scheduling transport (for construction) was presented in [15]. The paper presented a comparison of several algorithms reaching the goal of a sustainable transport measure.…”

“…Similar to time, a variable for SOC (s lj ) is defined, which represents the remaining distance in kilometres of a bus at the end of connection l. In (14), if a bus is taking a trip from D n or R n , then s lj will be the maximum SOC (s) minus the kilometres travelled to complete a trip (s tr l ). For the rest of the trips, the remaining SOC will be equal to the SOC at the last completed trip minus the kilometres travelled to complete a trip (s tr l ), shown in (15). If a bus j is used for taking trips, then only corresponding f lj can be one, shown in (16).…”

Structuring and Measuring Environmental Sustainability in the Steel Sector: A Single Case Study

“…We selected strategic customers of Feralpi both from construction and special steel. The steel construction market is often characterized by cyclical resource shortages and tough deadlines, affecting the sustainability of the construction phase [84]. In the special steel market, which also serves the automotive sector, customers are more demanding concerning the use of environmentally friendly technologies and materials by their suppliers [85].…”

Resource optimisation considerations for earthquake-resistant structural design of buildings according to geometric and architectural requirements.

“…Another way to organize projects from an environmental and cost approach is through energy optimization in which a methodology can be used in the balance of energy efficiency, which has been shown to minimize construction costs and environmental impacts. [14] Another vision is an approach based on financing, with an organization based on the floating flow considering the money that one has and the money that will enter or continue to enter as the project progresses, which can be visualized through the creation of mathematical models. [15] The present research uses a model based on volumes of work and materials from the point of view of optimization in the selection of the structural system without neglecting seismic resistance parameters, based on previous research it has been established that it is possible to have seismic resistant buildings in SMF, SCBF, and EBF structural steel systems [16].…”