摘要: |
The objective of this project is to develop an optimization-based decision support system to address depot and fleet management issues associated with typical department of transportation (DOT) maintenance system operations. In particular, this research proposes a systematic, heuristic-based optimization approach to integrate winter road maintenance planning decisions, which are typically the most intensive operation in the DOT maintenance system. Winter road maintenance operations require many complex strategic and operational planning decisions. The main problems include locating depots, designing sectors and routes, and configuring and scheduling vehicles. The complexity involved in each of these decisions has resulted mainly in research that approaches each of the problems separately, which can lead to isolated and suboptimal solutions. In addition to being integrated, a successful approach to these problems must consider the necessary practical aspects of each problem and include a straightforward, easily-executable solution methodology; otherwise the approach is unlikely to be implemented. |