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By identifying the damage index of a structure, in addition to a correct understanding from real behavior of the structure, the required criterion for strengthening would be given. Researchers have given many relations for determination of damage index but such relations have been based upon laboratory methods which challenge their usage in a broad term. In this paper two new methods are given for calculation of damage index. Surveying the first crack limit and total structure failure is based upon the formation of plastic joints in the first column and basic floor columns. To give a qualitative simple and functional damage index, the functional method was given in the form of a qualitative method with statistical analysis and collection of different views. Using this method is very simple and meantime offers suitable accuracy. With a numerical study on three models it was made clear that the difference of new method with amended method of Papadopolos in approximate 3%. This shows that given qualitative method is suitable to be used in a broad terms.

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Project participants are becoming more aware of the high costs and risks associated with delay claims and their litigation. Among delays, weather delay has an important role in projects performed in severe environmental conditions. This research is the extension of delay analysis techniques by approving analysis of weather delays using fuzzy logic. At the presented technique, first using a fuzzy logic model calculated the delay that occurred during the activity execution after weather event then by the selected delay analysis method (Time impact analysis) and using the risk of the contractor during the contract approval together with the effect of previous delay in changing the duration of activities, analyzed weather delays in construction project. A local general contractor and governmental firms involved in a highway construction project practiced by offering their experienced and knowledge in delay analysis procedures to provide data for development and testing of the model specified for rain events. The results indicated that the presented model is in accordance with practical experiences in weather delay duration except in some circumstances that can be divided into the separated parts. It also advances the use of fuzzy logic in delay analysis procedures and becomes it more systematic special for weather delays.

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Geographic information systems (GIS) are one of the fastest growing computer-based technologies of past two decades, yet, full potential of this technology in construction has not been realized. Based upon GIS capabilities, construction site layout is one of the areas that GIS could be applied. The layout of temporary facilities (TFs) such as warehouses, fabrication shops, maintenance shops, concrete batch plants, construction equipments, and residence facilities has an important impact on the cost savings and efficiency of construction operations, especially for large projects. The primary objectives of this paper are to describe GIS technology and to present application of GIS technology to construction site layout. The study also delineated the methods of location TFs in construction site. An example application of GIS to location optimization of tower crane and concrete batch plant is provided to demonstrate GIS capabilities as compared with previous models. The spatial and nonspatial data which used in construction site layout process are analyzed and arranged on GIS environment and results showed the GIS can solve site layout problem. Finally, areas of additional research are noted.

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Risks mean cases of uncertainty of project, the impact of which is realized as a threat (negative aspect) and/or opportunity (positive aspect). The traditional viewpoint on risk is a negative viewpoint that implies damages, loss and harmful consequences. Judgments such as this on risk merely emphasize on risks management and pay less attention to opportunities management. It is clear that some uncertainties might be profitable for the project as in many cases, it could be the source of loss. In a developed attitude, focus is made on a common process that could address the integrated management of both opportunities and risks to aim at maximizing the positive effectsopportunities-, and minimizing negative effects- risks-. Therefore, existence of causal-effect relations between risks, relationship, effects of risks and opportunities on each other and variety of strategies in facing risks gives no alternative for risk management team than taking integrated management of risks and opportunities. In another word, reaction to risks, with respect to risks and/or relevant opportunities, separately, will be never effective. In this paper, for the purpose of integrated management of risks and opportunities, the stages of quality analysis and reactions to risk are combined. The method which is used for reaction towards risk is a procedure based on dynamic system. Dynamic system is highly important among uncertainties due to considering the type and intensity of effects. By using dynamic system and attention to the relationship between uncertainties (risks/ opportunities), reaction to risk and decision making on employing suitable strategies to face risks will be more precise and accurate.

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In this paper, the optimal location and characteristics of TADAS dampers in moment resisting steel structures, considering the application of minimum number of TADAS dampers in a building as an objective function and the restriction for destruction of main members is studied. Genetic algorithm in first generation randomly produces different chromosomes representing unique TADAS dampers distributions in structure and the structure corresponding to each chromosome is time history analyzed. Then the damage index for each member and the average weighted damage index for all members are determined. Genetic algorithm evaluates the fitness of each chromosome then selection and crossover as logical operators and mutation as random operator effect the current generation's chromosomes according to their fitness and new chromosomes are generated. Accordingly, successive generations are reproduced in the same way until the convergence condition is fulfilled in final generation and four distributions are suggested as better options. Since these proposed distributions are selected under the one earthquake, therefore, it is better that the four new structures are cost-benefit analyzed in different earthquakes. Finally, the optimal placement for dampers is compared and selected based on a benefit to cost ratio, drift stories and the number of different TADAS types of such structures. The increase in amount of energy dissipated via dampers located in different floors as well as the status of plastic hinges in main members of the structure strengthened with optimum option are the proof of the optimal placement and suitable characteristics for dampers.

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Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) is one of the most popular problems in the scheduling phase of any project. This paper tackles the RCPSP in which activity durations can vary within their certain ranges such as RCPSP with variable activity durations. In this paper, we have attempted to find the most suitable hybridization of GA variants to solve the mentioned problem. For this reason, three GA variants (Standard GA, Stud GA and Jumping Gene) were utilized for first GA, and two GA variants (Standard GA, Stud GA) for the second one, and their hybridizations were compared. For this purpose, several comparisons of the following hybridizations of GAs are performed: Standard-Standard GA, Standard-Stud GA, Stud-Standard GA, Stud-Stud GA, Jumping Gene-Standard GA, and Jumping Gene-Stud GA. Simulation results show that implementing Stud-Stud GA hybridization to solve this problem will cause convergence on the minimum project makespan, faster and more accurate than other hybrids. The robustness of the Stud GA in solving the well-known benchmarking RCPSP problems with deterministic activity durations is also analyzed.

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In different projects the speed of different machinery can be estimated using manufacturer's handbooks and a number of modification factors to consider the environmental effects, type of the project and status of site management. Since the statuses of different factors of the domestic projects are totally different from those of the international projects, there is a wide discrepancy between the determined speed by handbooks and the actual values in the domestic projects. This paper is aimed to develop a fuzzy system to estimate soil excavation rates at earthmoving jobsites. The proposed fuzzy system is based on IF-THEN rules a genetic algorithm improves the overall accuracy. The obtained results clearly revealed the capability and applicability of the proposed system to properly estimate soil excavation speed. The average error of fuzzy system, handbook method and nearest neighbor interpolation are 10 , 92 and 32 percent, respectively.

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Project Management knowledge has been used in many project oriented organizations in last two decades across the world. Despite, rate of project success did not change during these years. We believe there is a basic challenge in projects environment for managing them based on its inherent characteristics. In fact, project management knowledge use theories and concepts that are belong to process management world, as a different world. There is no enough attention to project characteristics as a fundamental differentiation for coping projects. Identification of construction projects nature in order to discern variables that create the project behaviors is main concern of the paper.Considering project characteristics in this research revealed construction project nature creates from combination two aspects. First, detecting environmental changes to develop a need and second prepare resources structure to respond the need. Important management challenge in this model is environmental continuous changes that alter the need and exchange resources structure. So, the paper considers how these aspects can be operationalized for developing a dynamic project management model. It gives some ideas about why project complexity might be considered to be increasing, and how construction projects move towards shorter timescales. The effectiveness of the model is verified by applying it for predicting some construction projects behavior. The results of the paper may capable future project managers to test any decision before its applying and lead to a new project management tool for construction projects management.