The timely execution of a construction project is very important to the owner, who makes plans and commitments on the basis of the project’s anticipated completion date. Failure of design professionals to consider how a builder will implement the design can result in scheduling problems, delays, and disputes during the construction process. Constructability of design is a subjective scale that depends basically on a number of interdependent project-related factors. Many design firms have a formal (explicit) constructability program that is launched as early as the conceptual planning stage of the project. This research examines design professionals’ efforts to pursue constructability and provides recommendations for performing constructability reviews in an efficient and effective manner.

The difficulties encountered in scheduling construction projects with resource constraints are highlighted by means of a simplified bridge construction problem. A genetic algorithm applicable to projects with or without resource constraints is described. In this application, chromosomes are formed by genes consisting of the start days of the activities. This choice necessitated introducing two mathematical operators (datum operator and left compression operator) and emphasizing one genetic operator (fine mutation operator). A generalized evaluation of the fitness function is conducted. The algorithm is applied to the example problem. The results and the effects of some of the parameters are discussed.Key words: scheduling, genetic algorithms, construction management, computer application.

By finding the minimum total potential energy of a structural system with a defined degree of freedoms assigned as design variables, it is possible to find the equilibrium condition of the deformed system. This method, called total potential optimization using metaheuristic algorithms (TPO/MA), has been verified on truss and truss-like structures, such as cable systems and tensegric structures. Harmony Search (HS) algorithm methods perfectly found the analysis results of the previous structure types. In this study, TPO/MA is presented for analysis of plates for plane stress members to solve general types of problems. Due to the complex nature of the system, a novel hybrid Harmony Search (HHS) approach was proposed. HHS is the hybridization of local search phases of HS and the global search phase of the Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA). The results found via HHS were verified with the finite element method (FEM). When compared with classical HS, HHS provides smaller total potential energy values, and needs less iterations than other new generation metaheuristic algorithms.

Tensile integrity (tensegrity, tensegric) structures are suggested for possible use in architectural works, bridges, covering large areas, and especially for habitats in outer space and on space bodies because of their minimal need for structural materials and ease of transfer and mounting. Structurally, their behavior is nonlinear and thus their analysis necessitates special care with recourse to special techniques. This study shows that their structural analysis can successfully be performed by a method called total potential optimization using metaheuristic algorithms (TPO/MA) with no special precautions in a very general way. In the applications, which are conducted using software prepared for analyzing all types of nonlinear trusses and trusslike structures, the load-displacement behaviors of tensegric structures are investigated to include also the effect of prestressing level on cables. Genetic algorithms are used in this study as the metaheuristic technique for solving the optimization par...