Cost approach to the flow-shop construction scheduling

Abstract

A flow-shop construction scheduling – especially for a higher number of tasks projected – requires the use of metaheuristic algorithms to find the optimal schedule. The criteria of optimality may vary as well as constraints assumed for the schedule. The paper presents base rules of the flow-shop scheduling as well as the methods of making the work of engaged brigades continuous. When the cost of work execution is analyzed, it can occur that the optimal schedule understood as providing the shortest total time of project execution or the shortest total slack times of working brigades is not the cheapest solution. The following cost generators are taken into account: a daily cost of each brigade (working or waiting for the work), the technology applied to work execution, penalties for not keeping the milestones. The model of a time-cost evaluation of the flow-shop time schedule is formulated, analyzed and discussed. For the illustration of the presented model, the exemplary flow-shop time schedule with some constraints assumed is analyzed with and without the lowest cost as a criterion of optimality.