Multi-objective optimization in highway pavement maintenance and rehabilitation project selection and scheduling:A state-of-the-art review

The motivation for cost-effective management of highway pavements is evidenced not only by the massive expenditures associated with these activities at a national level but also by the consequences of poor pavement condition on road users.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of multi-objective optimization(MOO)problems that have been formulated and solution techniques that have been used in selecting and scheduling highway pavement rehabilitation and maintenance activities.First,the paper presents a taxonomy and hierarchy for these activities,the role of funding sources,and levels of jurisdiction.The paper then describes how three different decision mechanisms have been used in past research and practice for project selection and scheduling(historical practices,expert opinion,and explicit mathematical optimization)and identifies the pros and cons of each mechanism.The paper then focuses on the optimization mechanism and presents the types of optimization problems,formulations,and objectives that have been used in the literature.Next,the paper examines various solution algorithms and discusses issues related to their implementation.Finally,the paper identifies some barriers to implementing multi-objective optimization in selecting and scheduling highway pavement rehabilitation and maintenance activities,and makes recommendations to overcome some of these barriers.

Accelerated Primal-Dual Projection Neurodynamic Approach With Time Scaling for Linear and Set Constrained Convex Optimization Problems

The Nesterov accelerated dynamical approach serves as an essential tool for addressing convex optimization problems with accelerated convergence rates.Most previous studies in this field have primarily concentrated on unconstrained smooth con-vex optimization problems.In this paper,on the basis of primal-dual dynamical approach,Nesterov accelerated dynamical approach,projection operator and directional gradient,we present two accelerated primal-dual projection neurodynamic approaches with time scaling to address convex optimization problems with smooth and nonsmooth objective functions subject to linear and set constraints,which consist of a second-order ODE(ordinary differential equation)or differential conclusion system for the primal variables and a first-order ODE for the dual vari-ables.By satisfying specific conditions for time scaling,we demonstrate that the proposed approaches have a faster conver-gence rate.This only requires assuming convexity of the objective function.We validate the effectiveness of our proposed two accel-erated primal-dual projection neurodynamic approaches through numerical experiments.

A digital twin model-based approach to cost optimization of residential community microgrids

This paper presents a peer-to-peer community cost optimization approach based on a single-prosumer energy management system.Its objective is to optimize energy costs for prosumers in the community by enhancing the consumption efficiency.This study was conducted along two main axes.The first axis focuses on designing a digital twin for a residential community microgrid platform.This phase involves data collection,cleaning,exploration,and interpretation.Moreover,it includes replicating the functionality of the real platform and validating the results.The second axis involves the development of a novel approach that incorporates two distinct prosumer behaviors within the same community microgrid,while maintaining the concept of peer-to-peer energy trading.Prosumers without storage utilize their individual PV systems to fulfill their energy requirements and inject excess energy into a local microgrid.Meanwhile,a single prosumer with a storage system actively engages in energy exchange to maximize the community’s profit.This is achieved by optimizing battery usage using a cost optimization solution.The proposed solution is validated using the developed digital twin.

Reliability-based life-cycle cost seismic design optimization of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials

Reinforcement corrosion is the main cause of performance deterioration of reinforced concrete(RC)structures.Limited research has been performed to investigate the life-cycle cost(LCC)of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials.In this study,a reliability-based design optimization(RBDO)procedure is improved for the design of coastal bridge piers using six groups of commonly used materials,i.e.,normal performance concrete(NPC)with black steel(BS)rebar,high strength steel(HSS)rebar,epoxy coated(EC)rebar,and stainless steel(SS)rebar(named NPC-BS,NPC-HSS,NPC-EC,and NPC-SS,respectively),NPC with BS with silane soakage on the pier surface(named NPC-Silane),and high-performance concrete(HPC)with BS rebar(named HPC-BS).First,the RBDO procedure is improved for the design optimization of coastal bridge piers,and a bridge is selected to illustrate the procedure.Then,reliability analysis of the pier designed with each group of materials is carried out to obtain the time-dependent reliability in terms of the ultimate and serviceability performances.Next,the repair time of the pier is predicted based on the time-dependent reliability indices.Finally,the time-dependent LCCs for the pier are obtained for the selection of the optimal design.

Discussion on Construction Project Cost Budget Settlement Review

Construction project cost control involves many complex contents,forming a large amount of data information.If the processing method is unreasonable,it will likely affect the cost control efficiency.Therefore,in the current construction project management,the review of project cost budget settlement is the focus to solve the cost management problems of construction projects and promote the development of the construction industry.This article mainly analyzes the influencing factors and current situation of construction project cost budget settlement review,and based on this,it explores the project cost budget settlement review strategy to promote the healthy development of construction project cost work.

Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Power Grid Construction Project Investment Ranking Based on the Prospect Theory Improved by Rewarding Good and Punishing Bad Linear Transformation

Using the improved prospect theory with the linear transformations of rewarding good and punishing bad(RGPBIT),a new investment ranking model for power grid construction projects(PGCPs)is proposed.Given the uncertainty of each index value under the market environment,fuzzy numbers are used to describe qualitative indicators and interval numbers are used to describe quantitative ones.Taking into account decision-maker’s subjective risk attitudes,a multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM)method based on improved prospect theory is proposed.First,the[−1,1]RGPBIT operator is proposed to normalize the original data,to obtain the best andworst schemes of PGCPs.Furthermore,the correlation coefficients between interval/fuzzy numbers and the best/worst schemes are defined and introduced to the prospect theory to improve its value function and loss function,and the positive and negative prospect value matrices of the project are obtained.Then,the optimization model with the maximum comprehensive prospect value is constructed,the optimal attribute weight is determined,and the PGCPs are ranked accordingly.Taking four PGCPs of the IEEERTS-79 node system as examples,an illustration of the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method is provided.

Study on Rural Solid Waste Collection and Transportation Mode and Route Optimization Strategy in the Cold Regions of Northern China

Rural vitalization is a major strategy for reform and development of agriculture and rural areas in China,the key task of which is improving rural living environment.Imperfect rural solid waste(RSW)collection and transportation system exacerbates the pollution of RSW to rural living environment,while it has not been established and improved in the cold region of Northern China due to climate and economy.Through the analysis of the current situation of RSW source separation,collection,transportation and disposal in China,an RSW collection and transportation system suitable for the northern cold region was developed.Considering the low winter temperature in the northern cold region,different requirements for RSW collection,transportation and terminal disposal,scattered source points and single terminal disposal nodes in rural areas,the study focused on determining the number and location of transfer stations,established a model for transfer stations selection and RSW collection and transportation routes optimization for RSW collection and transportation system,and proposed the elite retention particle swarm optimization–genetic algorithm(ERPSO–GA).The rural area of Baiquan County was taken as a representative case,the collection and transportation scheme of which was given,and the feasibility of the scheme was clarified by simulation experiment.

Hybrid ant colony optimization for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem

To solve the resource-constrained project scheduling problem （RCPSP）, a hybrid ant colony optimization （HACO） approach is presented. To improve the quality of the schedules, the HACO is incorporated with an extended double justification in which the activity splitting is applied to predict whether the schedule could be improved. The HACO is tested on the set of large benchmark problems from the project scheduling problem library （PSPLIB）. The computational result shows that the proposed algo- rithm can improve the quality of the schedules efficiently.

Drilling cost optimization in a hydrocarbon field by combination of comparative and mathematical methods

In drilling operation, a large saving in time and money would be achieved by reducing the drilling time, since some of the costs are time-dependent. Drilling time could be minimized by raising the penetration rate. In the comparative optimization method, by using the records of the first drilled wells and comparing the criteria like penetration rate, cost per foot and specific energy, the drilling parameters of the next wells being drilled can be optimized in each depth interval. In the mathematical optimization technique, some numerical equations to model the penetration rate, bit wear rate and hydraulics would be used to minimize the drilling cost and time as much as possible and improve the results of the primary comparative optimization. In this research, as a case study the Iranian Khangiran gas field has been evaluated to optimize the drilling costs. A combination of the mentioned optimization techniques resulted in an optimal well which reduced the drilling time and cost considerably in comparison with the wells already drilled.

Success probability orientated optimization model for resource allocation of the technological innovation multi-project system

A success probability orientated optimization model for resource allocation of the technological innovation multi-project system is studied. Based on the definition of the technological innovation multi-project system, the leveling optimization of cost and success probability is set as the objective of resource allocation. The cost function and the probability function of the optimization model are constructed. Then the objective function of the model is constructed and the solving process is explained. The model is applied to the resource allocation of an enterprise's technological innovation multi-project system. The results show that the proposed model is more effective in rational resource allocation, and is more applicable in maximizing the utility of the technological innovation multi-project system. ? 2016 Beijing Institute of Aerospace Information.

Green Investment Cost Optimization Model in the Supply Chain

The objective of this study is to develop a model that determines the optimal points for investment in green management by defining a mathematical relationship between carbon trading profits and investments in green management using a company’s supply chain information. To formulate this model, we first define and analyze a green supply chain in a multi-dimensional and quantitative manner. The green investment alternatives considering in our model are as follows: 1) purchasing eco-friendly raw materials that cost more than conventional raw materials but whose use in production results in lower CO2 emissions;2) replacing current facilities with new eco-friendly facilities that have the capability to reduce CO2 emissions;and 3) changing modes of transport from less eco-friendly to more eco-friendly modes. We propose a green investment cost optimization (GICO) model that enables us to determine the optimal investment points. The proposed GICO model can support decision-making processes in green supply chain management environments.

Simple Real Time Non-Co-Operative Game Theoritic Model for Energy Cost Optimization in Developing Countries

This paper describes the significant cost saving opportunities for consumers in developing countries by the use of a simple non-cooperative game theoretic mathematical model for demandside management techniques to mitigate the massive use of diesel back-up during grid outages and also other cost optimization schemes. Application of real time load scheduling optimization is investigated during power outages, for residential consumer in India. This method involves a beautiful formulation of a non–cooperation behavior between the diesel generator & the residential consumer during power outages. This involves a tree model with a two player game, where in player one is the diesel generator & player two is the consumer. Depending on the duration of the outage & the consumers limit on the cost for energy different cost optimization strategies can be generated. The load types modeled include passive loads and schedulable, i.e. typically heavy loads. It is found that this DSM schemes show excellent benefits to the consumer. The maximum diesel savings for the consumer due to strategy formulation can be approximately ranging from 45% to as high as 75% for a flat-tariff grid. The study also showed that the actual savings potential depends on the timing of power outage, duration and the specific load characteristics.

Research on the Development of Project Cost Informatization in the Era of Big Data

Under the background of big data,Informatization plays an important role in the development of the engineering cost industry.The rapid development of the industry and the increasing complexity of construction projects require higher standards of informatization.The current information processing methods and models have been difficultly to meet new requirements.Based on this,this study deeply analyzes the key factors that impede the informatization of engineering cost development,and tries to find corresponding solutions through theoretical analysis and empirical research to break these constraints.This will play a guiding role in the development of informatization in China's engineering cost industry.

Thinking About the Economic Management of Universities Based on Capital and Cost Management Optimization

The economic management of colleges and universities has always been a topic of great concern to China’s educational career,therefore,this paper will firstly make the necessary analysis of the current implementation of the economic management of colleges and universities in China,and then the reasons for the problems of economic management of colleges and universities in China is realized a detailed investigation,and finally,the economic management of colleges and universities based on capital and cost management optimization strategy is made a full discussion,looking forward to providing the necessary guidance for researchers in this field.

Investigation into the Computational Costs of Using Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Annealing for the Optimization of Explicit Friction Factor Models

Research reports show that the accuracies of many explicit friction factor models, having different levels of accuracies and complexities, have been improved using genetic algorithm (GA), a global optimization approach. However, the computational cost associated with the use of GA has yet to be discussed. In this study, the parameters of sixteen explicit models for the estimation of friction factor in the turbulent flow regime were optimized using two popular global search methods namely genetic algorithm (GA) and simulated annealing (SA). Based on 1000 interval values of Reynolds number (Re) in the range of and 100 interval values of relative roughness () in the range of , corresponding friction factor (f) data were obtained by solving Colebrook-White equation using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. These data were then used to modify the parameters of the selected explicit models. Although both GA and SA led to either moderate or significant improvements in the accuracies of the existing friction factor models, SA outperforms the GA. Moreover, the SA requires far less computational time than the GA to complete the corresponding optimization process. It can therefore be concluded that SA is a better global optimizer than GA in the process of finding an improved explicit friction factor model as an alternative to the implicit Colebrook-White equation in the turbulent flow regime.

Control and Management Measures of Highway Project Cost under the PPP Model

In recent years,China’s society and economy has been developing very rapidly,and various industries are showing a trend of vigorous development.The importance of control and management of project cost in highway project management is becoming more and more prominent.PPP model has been widely used in the control and management of highway project cost with its own unique advantages.The author analyzes the important advantages of the PPP model and the existing problems in the cost control and management of highway projects,and puts forward effective measures for the cost control and management of highway projects using the PPP model,in hope of helping with the smooth implementation of the work.

A Mathematical Model Based on Supply Chain Optimization for International Petrochemical Engineering Projects

Based on the study of supply chain(SC) and SC optimization in engineering projects, a mixed integer nonlinear programming(MINLP) optimization model is developed to minimize the total SC cost for international petrochemical engineering projects. A steam cracking project is selected and analyzed, from which typical SC characteristics in international engineering projects in the area of petrochemical industry are summarized. The MINLP model is therefore developed and applied to projects with detailed data. The optimization results are analyzed and compared by the MINLP model, indicating that they are appropriate to SC management practice in engineering projects, and are consistent with the optimal priceeffective strategy in procurement. As a result, the model could provide useful guidance to SC optimization of international engineering projects in petrochemical industry, and improve SC management by selecting more reliable and qualified partner enterprises in SC for the project.

Exploring the Digital Talent Training Mode of Project Cost Specialty in Higher Vocational Colleges

Project construction,design,management,operation,and maintenance are all undergoing digital transformations,and project cost professionals’working mode and content will change as a result.This paper reviews the existing challenges in traditional talent training and adjusts training ideas as well as training modes to conform to the industry’s digital transformation trend as a training base for project cost talents.