Time cost–quality trade-off optimization for subcontractor selection using a golden ratio-inspired oppositional Rao-1 algorithm
Öz
Context—Construction projects are typically divided into work packages executed by subcontractors, while general contractors remain responsible for overall quality and timely completion. Selecting appropriate subcontractors at the early project stage is a critical decision, as it directly influences project duration, cost performance, and delivered quality. This decision is inherently complex due to the conflicting nature of time, cost, and quality objectives, which must be considered simultaneously. Although multi-objective optimization techniques have been increasingly applied in construction management, many existing approaches suffer from high computational effort, slow convergence, or limited solution diversity, particularly when realistic project features such as penalties, bonuses, and deadline constraints are incorporated.
Objective—The objective of this study is to develop an efficient multi-objective optimization framework for subcontractor selection that explicitly addresses the time–cost–quality trade-off. The study aims to improve convergence behavior and solution quality while reducing computational effort, and to provide practical decision support for identifying balanced project plans at the early planning stage.
Method—This study proposes a novel algorithm, termed the golden ratio-based oppositional Rao-1 (GROL-Rao-1), which integrates golden ratio–based opposition learning into the standard parameter-less Rao-1 algorithm to enhance search efficiency. The subcontractor selection problem is formulated as a discrete multi-objective optimization model considering project duration, total cost, and overall quality, along with realistic constraints such as deadlines, penalties, and bonuses. The proposed method is validated through a real-world case study involving 20 project activities and is compared with discrete particle swarm optimization, dynamic oppositional Rao-1, NSGA-II, and NDSII-Rao-1. Performance is evaluated using objective function evaluations, hypervolume, and spread indicators, supported by statistical significance testing. The crowded distance ranking method is also applied to prioritize Pareto-optimal solutions.
Results—The results show that GROL-Rao-1 outperforms the benchmark algorithms by producing higher-quality and better-distributed Pareto fronts while reducing computational effort by approximately 50%. Statistical analyses confirm the significance of these improvements, and the crowded distance ranking effectively identifies compromise solutions that balance time, cost, and quality objectives.
Conclusion—The proposed framework provides effective support for early-stage subcontractor selection and enhances resource allocation and planning robustness in construction projects. It contributes a computationally efficient and decision-oriented approach to multi-objective optimization in construction management and offers a foundation for future research on more complex and large-scale project applications.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
İnşaat Yapım Mühendisliği
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Bayram Ateş
0000-0002-1251-7053
Türkiye
Erken Görünüm Tarihi
4 Mayıs 2026
Yayımlanma Tarihi
-
Gönderilme Tarihi
24 Ocak 2026
Kabul Tarihi
15 Nisan 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Sayı: Advanced Online Publication