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Complex construction projects consist of tasks entrusted to crews, independent contractors or
subcontractors specialized in certain types of works. To harmonize workflows in the building
site, these resources have to be selected, contracted and scheduled in a way that considers their own project portfolios. Conventional project scheduling is restricted to single-skilled resources: each contractor or crew is assumed to be able to do one job, neglecting the flexibility of multi-skilling in construction. This contradicts real-world practice where contractors may possess multiple skills and, on several occasions, be assigned to perform tasks in which they are not specialized. Multi-skilling in construction can increase productivity, flexibility, and work continuity. This study proposes a mixed integer programming model that introduces the concept of multi-skilling to improve work performance in terms of project cost and duration. A simple example is used to illustrate how multi-skilled contractor selection can be used to optimize construction project efficiency.
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