Decision Model for Selecting Supply Sources of Road Construction Aggregates

Abstract

The authors’ recent survey on Polish road contractors’ aggregate procurement methods indicates that optimization techniques are rarely used in practice – despite the fact that the material is to be transported from large distances and its sources are inconveniently distributed throughout the country. In search for economy in this respect, the authors propose mixed binary linear programming models to facilitate the contractor’s logistic decisions. The purpose of these models is to find delivery quantities from a number of supply locations (of limited capacity and with a limited transportation potential) to predefined destinations along the road in a way that minimizes logistic costs. The problem considered is an extension to the classic transshipment problem, and allows for change of delivery destination along the route with the progress of works, and for constraints resulting from the schedule of the works.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.25.1.3595