A New Algorithm for Resource Constraint Project Scheduling Problem Based on Multi-Agent Systems

The resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) and a decision-making model based on multi-agent systems (MAS) and general equilibrium marketing are proposed. An algorithm leading to the resource allocation decision involved in RCPSP has also been developed. And this algorithm can be used in the multi-project scheduling field as well.Finally, an illustration is given.

The construction management system and practice of Three Gorges Project

Three Gorges Project (TGP),the largest water resources and hydropower project in the world with huge scale and complex techniques,has great comprehensive benefits mainly in flood control,power generation and navigation improvement.Through 17-year construction and practice,the project has been successfully completed.Some valuable experience from the successful construction of TGP has been gained for the management system and mechanism of hydropower project construction in China.Its construction management mode produces important influences on the management system of domestic capital construction.With combination of the construction management practice of TGP,the characteristics of management system and mechanism are summarized,and the suggestions on current hydropower development system and construction management mode are put forward.

Fuzzy Approach to Determining Priority Preorders of Water Resources Projects

In this paper,the criteria set related to the priority preorders of water resources projects is introduced.A fuzzy multiple criteria group decision-making model is established,which incorporates quantitative analysis,judgments,experience and preferences of decision-makers.The model is used in practice to determine the priority preorders of five water resources projects,and the results show that the best choice can supply more new employment,domestic water and irrigation water,and has better quality.

Multi-Mode Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Models for Progress and Equal Time Interval Payments

This study utilizes a time-precedence network technique to construct two models of multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problem with discounted cash flows （MRCPSPDCF）, individually including the progress payment （PP） and the payment at an equal time interval （ETI）. The objective of each model is to maximize the net present value （NPV） for all cash flows in the project, subject to the related operational constraints. The models are characterized as NP-hard. A heuristic algorithm, coupled with two upper bound solutions, is proposed to efficiently solve the models and evaluate the heuristic algorithm performance which was not performed in past studies. The results show that the performance of proposed models and heuristic algorithm is good.

Research Project Draws Clear Picture of Higher Fungus Resources

A research project on China's tropical higher fungi was recently completed, providing a clear picture of the microbiological resource and a solid foundation for the protection, exploration and rational utilization of China's natural legacies of biodiversity in general and tropical fungal resources in particular.……

A user-oriented resource scheduling method for improving agile software pattern in cloud environment

The crowdsourcing, as a service pattern in cloud environment, usually aims at the cross-disciplinary cooperation and creating value together with customers and becomes increasingly prevalent. Software process, as a kind of software development and management strategy, is defined as a series of activities implemented by software life cycle and provides a set of rules for various phases of the software engineering to achieve the desired objectives. With the current software development cycle getting shorter, facing more frequent needs change and fierce competition, a new resource management pattern is proposed to respond to these issues agilely by introducing the crowdsourcing service to agile software development for pushing the agility of software process. Then, a user-oriented resource scheduling method is proposed for rational use of various resources in the process and maximizing the benefits of all parties. From the experimental results, the proposed pattern and resources scheduling method reduces greatly the resource of project resource manager and increases the team resource utilization rate, which greatly improves the agility of software process and delivers software products quickly in crowdsourcing pattern.

Monitoring of small and medium embankment dams on permafrost in a changing climate

Global climate warming which began in the second half of the twentieth century is continuing. It is associated with increased risks for ecological management, especially in permafrost areas comprising over 65% of Russia. Of special concern are dams constructed on permafrost. They are subject not only to climatic impacts, but also to additional hydrothermal loads from water reservoirs. This paper presents the concept of geocryological monitoring of dams and other water resource projects and substantiates its necessity in view of climatic change. It also presents methods, scope and implementation of geocryological monitoring at medium and small dams, considering the specific nature of Far Northern areas, as well as the complicated geotechnical, hydrogeological and permafrost conditions.

Developing a new model for simultaneous scheduling of two grand projects based on game theory and solving the model with Benders decomposition

Grand infrastructure projects,such as dam,power plant,petroleum,and gas industry projects,have several contractors working on them in several independent sub-projects.The concern of reducing the duration of these projects is one of the important issues among various aspects;thus,our aim is to fulfill the requirements by using the game theory approach.In this study,a mixed-integer programming model consisting of game theory and project scheduling is developed to reduce the duration of projects with a minimum increase in costs.In this model,two contractors in successive periods are entered into a step-by-step competition by the employer during dynamic games,considering an exchange in their limited resources.The optimum solution of the game in each stage are selected as the strategy,and the resources during the game are considered to be renewable and limited.The strategy of each contractor can be described as follows:1)share their resources with the other contractor and 2)not share the resources with the other contractor.This model can act dynamically in all circumstances during project implementation.If a player chooses a non-optimum strategy,then this strategy can immediately update itself at the succeeding time period.The proposed model is solved using the exact Benders decomposition method,which is coded in GAMS software.The results suggest the implementation of four step-by-step games between the contractors.Then,the results of our model are compared with those of the conventional models.The projects’duration in our model is reduced by 22.2%.The nominal revenue of both contractors has also reached a significant value of 46078 units compared with the relative value of zero units in the original model.Moreover,we observed in both projects the decreases of 19.5%,20.9%,and 19.7%in the total stagnation of resources of types 1,2,and 3,respectively.