An integrated simulation and optimization approach for reducing CO2 emissions from on-site construction process in cold regions.

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction has obtained worldwide attention due to the global warming effects and the mitigating means such as carbon tax. Among the CO 2 emission sources, construction and building related activities consume a considerable amount of energy and produce a significant volume of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This paper proposes an integrated simulation and optimization approach to reducing CO 2 emissions from the on-site construction process, which consists of three main steps: (i) construction process simulation, (ii) CO 2 emission quantification, and (iii) labour allocation optimization. The construction process is simulated utilizing a discrete-event simulation (DES) platform, Simphony.NET, in order to quantify and analyze the amount of CO 2 emissions produced by the construction process. Based on the simulation model, the crew sizes for labour-intensive activities are analyzed and optimized with respect to CO 2 emissions, with a genetic algorithm (GA) employed as the method of optimization. The integrated simulation and optimization approach is capable of reducing CO 2 emission through (i) the choice of the start-date of the construction, and (ii) labour allocation optimization. A case study in Edmonton, Canada, is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the developed approach. Results indicate that the total measured CO 2 emissions from on-site construction can be reduced by 21.7% in winter by optimizing labour allocation. This research thus proposes a generic methodology by which to measure and reduce CO 2 emissions produced from construction process through labour allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]