Linear scheduling using optimal control theory

Construction planning and control literature reveal much effort in the recent past in the development of managerial control systems involving classical optimization techniques such as simulation, queuing theory, linear, dynamic programming, etc. Construction managers typically reach decisions in a perspective of time and in light of temporal criteria. The aforementioned techniques deal with the theoretical and computational aspects of time by static methods: Effects of one or more actions in a given interval are aggregated over time. Optimal Control Theory, a new branch of optimization, makes it possible to view the construction-production process as a dynamic system that evolves over time. This paper presents a Continuous Optimal Control formulation of a hypothetical cut-and-fill job on a section of a highway. It is shown that Discrete Optimal Control framework is adequate for construction. The problem of scheduling the construction of a bridge due to Selinger is solved using this approach.