Transportation planning from asphalt manufacturing to paving : A case study in the asphalt sector

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis was to map and evaluate the current transportation flow for transportation of asphalt at a Swedish construction company in the asphalt pavement sector. The mapping and evaluation target the transportation methods together with the information and material flow. With the support of the theoretical framework, this thesis further proposes and investigates a more efficient asphalt transportation process whilst offering suggestions of how digital aids could assist in higher efficiency of the process from manufacturing to paving. Because the purpose and scope of this thesis are of predictive nature, the corresponding research purpose was chosen, which is answered by utilizing an abductive research approach and case study as research design. The empirical findings are of high importance to guide the problem formulation and to set the phenomenon in a practical example. The choice of a qualitative research strategy was made, which is further motivated by the observation and interview-based data collection. Furthermore, the Casual Loop Diagram together with the qualitative analysis has shown that information sharing is a vital part of transportation planning which concerning the current information flow at the case company makes it difficult to attain a successful transportation structure. This thesis has proposed a new information flow assigning an additional role undertaking the position as a central coordinator that is accountable for transportation planning during project day. With this change of flow, the company can utilize the benefits of transportation planning methods such as route planning and consolidated transportation. Consequently, with a central coordinator that has a complete overview of the transportation during the project day, it would increase the visibility and contribute to increased transportation efficiency.