Using Genetic Algorithms to Optimize the Dispatching Schedule of RMC Cars

Effective and efficient dispatch of Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) cars to construction sites is an important issue for both RMC plant and construction site managers because of the timeliness requirement of RMC. To develop an efficient utilization plan for dispatching RMC cars, RMC plant manager must consider both timeliness and flexibility while meeting the schedule at the job site. However, a system approach to such problem has seldom been done due to the facts of the complexity and uncertainty involved at the job site. For example, a RMC plant manager usually wants to keep dispatching RMC cars as many as possible to maximize production and profits of the plant. But delays of casting concrete at the job site and loading limits of RMC cars required by the law often cause that the schedule of dispatching RMC cars fails to meet the above goal and needs to be changed from time to time. Therefore, a system approach to such problem is necessary. This paper presents a new model, which is based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to optimize the dispatching schedule of RMC cars. The results show that GAs can easily transfer such problem into the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and have satisfactory outcomes. In addition, a computer program written with Visual BasicÒ is developed to help the RMC plant engineers dispatch RMC cars.