Optimizing earthwork estimating for highway construction

The purpose of this research was to advance the state-of-the-art in earthwork estimating of highway projects. The thesis concentrated on the uncertainties associated with calculating the quantity of rock in cut areas, estimating the fleet production, and selecting the optimum distribution of material between cut and fill areas. Estimation of the quantity of rock was achieved by using change-constrained linear programming -- a technique that allows the user to transform stochastic quantity constraints into deterministic ones. The system was applied to a highway project in Pennsylvania, and the proposed system was compared with other more traditional estimating methods. The conclusions reflect the fact that, although probabilistic estimating is in its infancy, it has great potential for reducing the risk and increasing the profits of earthwork contractors.