A mixed integer programming model for modifying a block layout to facilitate smooth material flows

Abstract

The conceptual block layouts generated by layout software packages very often yield detailed layouts with non-smooth material flow paths that have an excessive number of turns. Such non-smooth flow paths are not acceptable or feasible for actual construction. This paper presents a mixed integer programming model to modify a given block layout into a layout that allows the construction of smooth flow paths, while preserving the relative positions of the departments in the original block layout. Results of the computational experiments show that much smoother flow paths are generated in the modified block layouts than those in the original block layouts without significantly increasing the travel-based quality of final layouts. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.