during the implementation, construction projects usually encounter situation that considerably affects the project scheduling and cost. this study aims at using an improved version of the harmony search algorithm (hsa) to schedule resource constrained construction projects. this model is formulated as a global optimization problem. it will determine the duration of each activity to minimize the...

in the early stages of a construction project, the reliability and accuracy of conceptual cost estimates are major concerns for clients and cost engineers. previous studies applied scoring methods and established common rules or mathematical methods to assess the quality of cost estimates. however, those approaches have some limitations in adapting to real-world projects or require understandin...

in this paper, a location allocation (la) problem in construction and demolition (c&d;) waste management (wm) is studied. a bi-level model for this problem under a fuzzy random environment is presented where the upper level is the governments who sets up the processing centers, and the lower level are the administrators of different construction projects who control c&d; waste and the after tre...

cash flow forecasting is an indispensable tool for construction companies, and is essential for the survivalof any contractor at all stages of the work. the time available for a detailed pre-tender cash flow forecast is oftenlimited. therefore, contractors require simpler and quicker techniques which would enable them to forecast cash flowwith reasonable accuracy. forecasting s-curves in constr...

the use of value engineering (ve) methodology in construction industry has grown significantly, mainly in view of its extensive benefits. the main task in evaluation phase of ve workshop is to assess alternative ideas, proposed for each function. this phase of ve, hence, could be deemed as a multi criteria decision making (mcdm) problem. this paper presents a fuzzy decision support system (dss)...

The increasing complexity of construction, along with its rapid development, as well as ambiguities and gaps in the legal terms governing constructions, lack of trust in the parties regarding obligations and regulations are the main reasons of disagreements in domestic projects. These disagreements are inevitable even in contracts which are set correctly. Disagreements are costly, time-consumin...

This paper documents evidence of widespread collusion among construction firms using a novel dataset covering most of the construction projects procured by the Japanese national government from 2003 to 2006. By examining rebids that occur for auctions when all (initial) bids fail to meet the reserve price, we identify collusion using ideas similar to regression discontinuity. We identify about ...

Through rapid advancements in ICT, opportunities arise in enhancing communication between participants of different organisations in construction projects. The use of ICT in construction is, however, relatively limited and ineffective compared to other sectors such as the automotive or the aerospace industry. An understanding of the project context and the nature of communication between organi...

rough sets theory is a mathematical approach for analysis of a vague description of objects presented by a well-known mathematician, pawlak (1982, 1991). this paper explores the use of rough sets theory in site location investigation of buried concrete water reservoirs. making an appropriate decision in site location can always avoid unnecessary expensive costs which is very important in constr...