A simulated annealing hyperheuristic for construction resource levelling

Abstract

Resource levelling techniques aim to minimize the fluctuation from one time period to another in resource usage. Except for small‐sized problems, though, computational optimization procedures are inefficient when solving construction resource levelling problems. Consequently, heuristic and metaheuristic approaches are used to get an acceptable, but not necessarily optimal, solution. A simulated annealing hyperheuristic to generate better‐levelled resource profiles is proposed. Unlike traditional heuristic algorithms, a hyperheuristic operates in the ‘low level’ heuristics domain rather than in the solutions domain. A low level heuristic, on the other hand, works in the current solution neighbourhood. The algorithm has been programmed within a commercial project management software system to improve its performance. The low level heuristics operate on the priority levels that the software uses for resource levelling. An illustrative example and the computational analysis demonstrate the potential of the procedure in solving complex scheduling problems.