Multi-floor facility layout optimization using Slicing Tree Structure

This paper presents an algorithm for solving a multi-floor facility layout problem. The most apparent difference and also the potential difficulty in a multi-floor facility layout problem, compared to a single floor facility layout problem, are the problems regarding the placement of the vertical transportation equipments (elevators), which are to be used for vertical transportation occuring within the facility. Many solutions generated by algorithms presented for the multiple floor layout problems in the past had problems: irregular-shaped workshops and/or unnecessarily large unusable space (= dead space) within the facility. In this paper, we implement and improve Slicing Tree Structure for generating layout. Layout generated by using Slicing Tree Structure has a unique characteristic of making no dead spaces within the facility at all. We will present an algorithm, which generates near-optimal layout of workshops and elevators in a facility without dead space by improving the structure of Slicing Tree.