An improved genetic algorithm for facility layout problems having inner structure walls and passages

This study proposes an improved genetic algorithm (GA) to derive solutions for facility layouts that are to have inner walls and passages. The proposed algorithm models the layout of facilities on gene structures. These gene structures consist of a four-segmented chromosome. Improved solutions are produced by employing genetic operations known as selection, crossover, inversion, mutation, and refinement of these genes for successive generations. All relationships between the facilities and passages are represented as an adjacency graph. The shortest path and distance between two facilities is calculated using Dijkstra's algorithm of graph theory. Comparative testing shows that the proposed algorithm performs better than other existing algorithms for the optimal facility layout design. Finally, the proposed algorithm is applied to ship compartment layout problems with the computational results compared with an actual ship compartment layout.