Dispatching concrete trucks using simulation method

Sławomir Biruk


Department of Construction Methods and Management; Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture; Lublin University of Technology (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4392-8426

Abstract

Ready mixed concrete (RMC) is the primary material required for buildings and public infrastructure work. RMC is produced to meet customer’s demands and its deliveries must conform to construction site and technological operating constraints – the material cannot be prepared in advance and stored. Concrete production scheduling and truck dispatching is mainly handled manually by experienced RMC batching plants staff. The paper presents simulation model which can be used to asses alternative strategies for truck allocation and production planning in stochastic environment. The models’ operation is illustrated by a notional case – the model prompted solutions of improved transhipment efficiency and reduced plant operating cost under assumed operating constraints.


Keywords:

ready mixed concrete distribution, truck dispatching, simulation modelling

Asbach L., Dorndorf U., Pesh E. Analysis, modeling and solution of concrete delivery problem. European Journal of Operational Research 193 (2009) 820–835.
  Google Scholar

Feng Ch. W., Cheng T. M., Wu H. T. Optimizing the schedule of dispatching RMC trucks through genetic algorithms. Automation in Construction 13 (2004) 327–340.
  Google Scholar

Lin P. C., Wang J., Huang S. H., Wang Y. T. Dispatching ready mixed concrete trucks under demand postponement and weight limit regulation. Automation in Construction 19 (2010) 798–807.
  Google Scholar

Lu M., Lam H.-C. Simulation – optimization integrated approach to planning ready mixed concrete production and delivery: validation and applications. Proceedings of the 2009 Winter Simulation Conference 2593–2604.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/WSC.2009.5429729   Google Scholar

Matsatsinis N. F. Towards a decision support system for the ready concrete distribution system: A case of a Greek company. European Journal of Operational Research 152 (2004) 487–499.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00039-0   Google Scholar

Naso D., Surico M., Turchiano B., Kaymak U. Genetic algorithms for supply-chain scheduling: A case study in the distribution of ready mixed concrete. European Journal of Operational Research 177 (2007) 2069–2099.
  Google Scholar

Park M., Kim W. Y., Lee H. S., Han S. Supply chain model for ready mixed concrete. Automation in Construction 20 (2011) 44–55.
  Google Scholar

Sobotka A., Biruk S., Jaskowski P. Process approach to production management in a construction company. Proceeding of the Fourth European Conference on Product and Process Modelling in the Building and Related Industries, Portož, Slovenia, 19–11 September 2002.
  Google Scholar

Tommelein I. D., Li A. E. Y. Just-in-time concrete delivery: mapping alternatives for vertical supply chain integration. Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction IGLC-7, California 1999, 97–108.
  Google Scholar

Yan S., Lin H. C., Jiang X. Y. A planning model with a solution algorithm for ready mixed concrete production and truck dispatching under stochastic travel times. Engineering Optimization 44 (2012) 427–447.
  Google Scholar

Yan S., Lai W., Chen M. Production scheduling and truck dispatching of ready mixed concrete. Transportation Research. Part E 44 (2008) 164–179.
  Google Scholar

Yan S., Lin H. Ch., Liu Y.-Ch. Optimal schedule adjustments for supplying ready mixed concrete following incidents. Automation in Construction 20 (2011) 1041–1050.
  Google Scholar

Yan S., Lai W. An optimal scheduling model for ready mixed concrete supply with overtime considerations. Automation in Construction 16 (2007) 734–744.
  Google Scholar

Wakefield R., Sears G. Petri Nets for simulation and modeling of construction systems. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 123(2) (1997) 105–112.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(1997)123:2(105)   Google Scholar

Zayed T.M., Halpin D. Simulation of concrete batch plant production. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 127(2) (2001) 132–141.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2001)127:2(132)   Google Scholar

Download


Published
2015-06-09

Cited by

Biruk, S. (2015) “Dispatching concrete trucks using simulation method”, Budownictwo i Architektura, 14(2), pp. 005–010. doi: 10.35784/bud-arch.1638.

Authors

Sławomir Biruk 

Department of Construction Methods and Management; Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture; Lublin University of Technology Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4392-8426

Statistics

Abstract views: 637
PDF downloads: 165


License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Budownictwo i Architektura supports the open science program. The journal enables Open Access to their publications. Everyone can view, download and forward articles, provided that the terms of the license are respected.

Publishing of articles is possible after submitting a signed statement on the transfer of a license to the Journal.