An improved multi-objective animated oat optimization algorithm for resource-constrained construction project organization design

Global urbanization has promoted to an increasing scale of construction projects, thereby making the optimization of construction project organization design a critical task in engineering management. However, conventional methods relying on empirical decision-making suffer from issues like low resource allocation efficiency, many difficulties in coordinating multi-objective conflicts and insufficient dynamic adjustment capabilities. To address these issues, we propose the first multi-objective extension of the Animated Oat Optimization algorithm (MOAOO), which represents a pioneering contribution in transforming the single-objective AOO into a multi-objective optimizer for construction project organization design. The developed algorithm fundamentally extends the biological mechanism of Animated Oat Optimization introducing several key innovations: (a) a novel hybrid position update rule combining Elite Reference Points and stochastic perturbations to prevent premature convergence; (b) an innovative three-layer constraint processing mechanism ensuring the generation of feasible solutions; and (c) a dual-threshold convergence monitoring system for early termination. Notably, we establish MOAOO as the inaugural multi-objective variant of AOO, integrating dynamic elite retention strategies, non-dominated sorting, and dynamic archive mechanisms to enable effective collaborative optimization of three conflicting goals. Enough experiments on ZDT test functions demonstrate that the designed MOAOO method shows competitive performance compared to advanced algorithms such as Pre-DEMO, MOEA/D-OED, and Pi-MOEA in terms of hypervolume inverted generational distance and the Spacing metrics. The indicator is improved in certain configurations. In an engineering case study, MOAOO reduces resource fluctuation by 72.7% in the compromise solution while achieving a balanced duration (279 days) and cost ($1.34 M). Moreover, the proposed algorithm converges in 118 iterations on average, thereby verifying its practical value in construction scheduling.