An innovative time-cost-quality tradeoff modeling of building construction project based on resource allocation

ScientificWorldJournal. 2014 Jan 30:2014:673248. doi: 10.1155/2014/673248. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The time, quality, and cost are three important but contradictive objectives in a building construction project. It is a tough challenge for project managers to optimize them since they are different parameters. This paper presents a time-cost-quality optimization model that enables managers to optimize multiobjectives. The model is from the project breakdown structure method where task resources in a construction project are divided into a series of activities and further into construction labors, materials, equipment, and administration. The resources utilized in a construction activity would eventually determine its construction time, cost, and quality, and a complex time-cost-quality trade-off model is finally generated based on correlations between construction activities. A genetic algorithm tool is applied in the model to solve the comprehensive nonlinear time-cost-quality problems. Building of a three-storey house is an example to illustrate the implementation of the model, demonstrate its advantages in optimizing trade-off of construction time, cost, and quality, and help make a winning decision in construction practices. The computational time-cost-quality curves in visual graphics from the case study prove traditional cost-time assumptions reasonable and also prove this time-cost-quality trade-off model sophisticated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Construction Industry*
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Organizational Innovation*
  • Quality Control*
  • Resource Allocation*
  • Time and Motion Studies