Production to Final Casting: Optimizing Environmental-Cost-Time Decisions for Ready-Mix Concrete in Construction Projects

International Journal of Civil Engineering

© 2025 by SSRG - IJCE Journal

Volume 12 Issue 11

Year of Publication : 2025

Authors : Hassanean S. H. Jassim, Musaab F. Hasan

10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I11P102

How to Cite?

Hassanean S. H. Jassim, Musaab F. Hasan, "Production to Final Casting: Optimizing Environmental-Cost-Time Decisions for Ready-Mix Concrete in Construction Projects," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 12,  no. 11, pp. 9-23, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I11P102

Abstract:

Concrete is an essential material for most construction projects. It represents a significant portion of the construction cost and time for a wide range of projects, affecting a variety of parameters, including the environmental impact of the construction project. At present, the environmental impact of CO2 emissions can be considered one of the main reasons for the adoption of sustainable practices by the construction sector. Therefore, as almost every construction project requires large quantities of concrete, CO2 emissions, measured in cubic meters, become significant when making cost-time decisions for a project. This study presents a conceptual framework to estimate environmental, cost, and time impacts of ready-mix concrete works from production to final casting in construction projects, using an optimization formula that can be used to support optimum decision-making for a range of different suppliers. The Active-Set Optimization Algorithm approach is designed using multi-objective formulations to boost the performance of optimum solutions across three objectives. The study presented an effective computational model with a robust decision support algorithm to enhance the sustainability, cost, and time performance of construction projects, which can help construction participants and stakeholders to efficiently adopt mitigation strategies and formulate appropriate decisions under different construction circumstances. Also, the outcomes showed that the main environmental impact associated with concrete supply is the transportation distance, and this requires specific attention to be effectively mitigated.

Keywords:

Ready-mix concrete, Conceptual framework, Environmental-cost-time impact, Impact estimation, Trade-off optimization.

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