Complex construction projects are developed in a dynamic environment, where uncertainty conditions have a great potential to affect project deliverables. In an attempt to efficiently deal with the negative impacts of uncertainty, resilient baseline schedules are produced to improve the probability of reaching project goals, such as respecting the due date and reaching the expected profit. Prior to introducing the resilient scheduling procedure, a taxonomy model was built to account for uncertainty sources in construction projects. Thence, a multi-objective optimization model is presented to manage the impact of uncertainty. This approach can be described as a complex trade-off analysis between three important features of a construction project: duration, stability, and profit. The result of the suggested procedure is presented in a form of a resilient baseline schedule, so the ability of a schedule to absorb uncertain perturbations is improved. The proposed optimization problem is illustrated on the example project network, along which the probabilistic simulation method was used to validate the results of the scheduling process in uncertain conditions. The proposed resilient scheduling approach leads to more accurate forecasting, so the project planning calculations are accepted with increased confidence levels.
This literature review critically examines the incorporation of mineral wool waste (MWW), a byproduct of insulation materials, into new construction materials as a sustainable recycling strategy. Covering research published between 2000 and 2025, the review focuses on the effects of MWW on various material properties and performance, including concrete, mortar, alkali-activated materials (AAMs), geopolymers (GPs), building ceramics, and asphalt. Experimental evidence demonstrates that MWW can enhance or alter the performance of these materials, offering promising opportunities for waste valorization. The review also identifies challenges related to optimizing material compositions and production methods, and highlights the need for further research to facilitate the industrial-scale application of MWW-recycled construction materials. By synthesizing current knowledge, this work aims to inform sustainable development and circular economy practices in the construction sector.
During the execution of construction projects, uncertain events, such as delays, prolongations and disruptions of project activities, have the potential to cause a significant deviation between the planned and realized state of a project. As a result, progress on important project objectives can decrease and this leads to critical delays as well as heavy profit loss. For this reason, we propose the implementation of the customized evolutionary algorithm to generate resilient baseline schedules which include a sufficient number of time floats to absorb the negative impact of uncertainty. This way, the baseline solution is searched as a trade-off between project duration, its final profit and the overall baseline stability. The proposed algorithm is applied to real construction project data and the results of the analysis suggest improved stability for resilient baseline schedules. Application of the genetic algorithm to solve the existing multi-objective problem enables practical implementation of new technologies and methods in construction management. Resilient baseline schedules can be used in an uncertain environment to achieve more accurate predictions and support decision making in the areas of construction scheduling and costing.
The growth of the global population has led to increased demand for agricultural products, resulting in greater agricultural waste production. One sustainable response to this challenge is using agricultural waste as raw material in building materials. This study examines the potential for partial replacement of natural aggregates in concrete with agricultural waste from typical Mediterranean fruits: sour cherry pits, grape seeds, ground olive pits, and carob seeds. To evaluate the effect of treatment on the behavior of agro-waste aggregates, ground olive pits were used untreated, treated with ash water, or treated with seawater. Carob seed concrete deteriorated during water curing due to seed swelling and tannin-related degradation, revealing its unsuitability without prior stabilization. Partial replacement of natural aggregates with agricultural waste resulted in decreased density, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), dynamic elastic modulus, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity, while increasing saturated water absorption. Treatment with ash water on ground olive pits improved the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), resulting in 29% increase in compressive strength relative to untreated ground olive pits. Concrete with ash water treated ground olive pits demonstrated the highest practical potential among all tested agro-waste concretes.