Improving logistics in the asphalt paving process: What can we learn from the planner's logic?

Significant public procurement changes are forcing road construction companies to professionalise planning and control of asphalt paving projects. In an effort to outperform competitors, companies seek better control over the paving process, over the planning and scheduling of resources and work, and over performance. For the asphalt paving companies to be able to improve product and process performance, they now - more than ever - acknowledge they need to develop intricate understanding of the asphalt paving process and the interdependencies with the logistics. We focus on lessons learnt from an analysis of truck resources used in the asphalt paving process on three road construction projects in the east of The Netherlands. The aim is to explore the decision-making process and unravel the logic that planners use in determining truck resources for transporting asphalt from the asphalt plant to the construction site. Three methods are used to firstly, analyse and secondly, compare resource allocation. The methods are calculations based on fleet-demand principles, calculations based on the National Highway Institute Method and an analysis using the EZStrobe simulation software. The results show that all three methods provide the planner with more accurate means of determining the truck resources required for the transport of asphalt from the plant to the site. It appears that the planner has not considered the differing travel distances and cycle times in determining truck resource requirements. This work is ongoing and forms part of an overall action research study aimed at improving the logistics operations within the asphalt paving process through exploring the choices planners make in determining and allocating essential resources.