Computerized Relationship Layout

Planning
This algorithm is based on Muther’s procedure given in
Systematic Layout Planning. A computer based algorithm was
developed by R.C.Lee. Interactive version was developed by
James Moore.
Input requirements
Number of departments
Closeness relationship as given by REL – chart
Weighted relationship ratings for REL – Chart entries
Optional input information
Scale of output
Building length to width ratio
Department pre-assignment
General approach is to select the most critical department first,
and place it at the centre of the layout.
After the first department is placed , then the departments
which are already placed is selected and placed in the best
location adjacent to the previously placed departments.
CORELAP builds the layout from centre. The final layout
by using the closeness values and rectilinear distances
between all ,pairs or departments
The major steps of CORELAP algorithm
Defining basic data
Determination of placement order
Placement of department in the layout
Finding the total score of the layout
Basic data is given below:

Department Area ( Sq.m) No of squares

1 12,000 2
2 8000 1
3 6000 1
4 12,000 2
5 8000 1
6 12,000 2
7 12,000 2
Total 70,0000 11
Number of squares is calculated using the scale information. If
input is for the scale is not given CORELAP assumes 1 square =
6000 sq.m.
For the first run , usually scale will be assumed by CORELAP .For
improvement , one can specify the scale suitably.No of squares for
each department is fixed by dividing the area by scale value and
the result is kept is kept as integer .Care should be taken to see the
total number of squares is multiplied by the scale value which is
approximately equal to the total area.
Determination of placement order of
departments.
For the purpose of finding the order of placing
the departments in the layout, the following values
for the entries in REL- chart.
1
2 E
3 O U
4 I E U
5 O I U I
6 U I O U A
7 U U U U I E
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Closeness Values
A=6, E= 5, I=4.O= 3, U=2 and X= 1
Using the REL – Chart information, total closeness rating is
computed for all the departments. Total closeness rating ( TCR)
of a department is the sum of of the numerical values assigned to
the to the closeness relationships between that department and all
other departments. TCR values are given below:

Department Closeness Relationship TCR

1 E O I I U U 5+3+4+3+2+2 19
2 E U E I I U 5+2+5+4+4+2 22
3 O U U U O U 3+2+2+2+3+2 17
4 I E U I A I 4+5+2+4+2+1 19
5 O I U I A I 3+4+2+4+6+4 23
6 U I O U A E 2+4+3+2+6+5 22
7 U U U U I E 2+2+2+2+4+5 17
The following steps are carried out to select the placement order
of departments.
Step : Department with the largest TCR is selected for the first
placement. In case of a ties the department that has the largest
area is selected. Department 5 has the largest TCFR value 23.
Second step: Review the closeness relationship of Department 5
with other department to find the department that has the highest
closeness relationship with department 5.
Closeness of Department 5 with
1 2 3 4 6 7
O I U I A I
Department 6 has the highest closeness relationship with the first
selected Department 5. Hence Department 6 is selected as the
second in the placement order.
Step 3:
Scan the REL chart for the closeness values for the unassigned
departments with department 5.
Closeness of Department 5 with
1 2 3 4 7
O I U I I
None of the unassigned departments has an “A”
closeness with department 5.
Check the closeness of unassigned department
with department 6 ( next in the placement order)
Closeness of department 6 with
1 2 3 4 7
U I O U E
None of the unassigned department has a A with department 6.
Check closeness of unassigned department has a E relationship
with department 6 in the placement order.
None of the unassigned department has an E with relationship
with department 5. Department 7 has an E relationship with
department 6 . So department & is included as the third
department in the placement order.
Step 4:
Repeat the procedure of step 3 with the unassigned departments.
 Department
1 2 3 4
Closeness of Department 5 with O I U I
Closeness of Department 6 with U I O U
Closeness of Department 7 with U U U U
Department 2 and 4 have I ( highest) closeness
with department 5 . In case of ties , select the
department based on the highest TCR . Incase of
further ties, select the department based on the
largest area.
In the example department 2 ( TCR – 22 ) is
selected and included as fourth in the placement
order.
Repeat the procedure of step 3
Department
1 3 4
Closeness of department 5 with O U I
Closeness of department 6 with U O U
Closeness of department 7 with U U U
Closeness of department 2 with E U E
Department 1 and 4 have I with department 2. Both have the
same TCR( 19) .Area of both departments ( 1 and 4) are equal (
12000 sq.ft).So select department 1 randomly . Department 1 is
included as fifth in the placement order.
Repeat the procedure of step 3.
Department
3 4
Closeness of department 5 with U I
Closeness of department 6 with O U
Closeness of department 7 with U U
Closeness of department 2 with U E
Closeness of department 1 with O I
Department 4 has the highest closeness value (E) with
department 2. Department 4 is included sixth in the
placement order.
Step 7. Since Department 3 is the only unselected
department, it is included as the last in the placement
order. Now the placement order is 5,6,7,2,1,4 and 3.
 Placement of departments in the layout.

1.The first department in the placement order is

department 5. This is placed at the centre of the ( 7 x
15) layout.
The area of department 5 is one square.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2.The second department from the list is placed
adjacent to the first department i.e place
department 6 which has 2 squares adjacent to
department 1.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 1 2 3 4 5
3.Department 7 is placed next in the layout. It can be
seen that there are many arrangements in which
department 7 can be placed as an adjacent department to
the layout given in step 2.
To aid evaluation of different placing alternatives. Placing
ratings between the entering department and its new
neighbours. CORELAP uses the following weighted
closeness rating values.
Closeness Weighted
relationship rating
Pre assigned 729
A 243
E 81
O 9
U 1
X - 729
Department 7 has 2 squares. The following
placements are possible.
07 07 06 06 07 06 06
06 06 05 07 07 07 05
05
(a) (b) (c)
(a) Weighted rating of Department 7 with
department 6 = E = 81
Therefore, placement 7 with Department 6 = E
= 81.
(b) Weighted rating of department 7 with
Department 6 = E =81
Weighted rating of department 7 with department
5 = I = 27
Placement rating = 108
( c) Weighted rating of department 7 with
department 6 = E =81
Weighted rating of department 7 with
department 5 = I = 27.
Placement rating =108
Select third arrangements ( random between (b)
and ( c)
 So the placement of 7 is as follows.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Next department 2 is placed
Department 2 has 1 square
The best location is to place Department 2
adjacent to Department and 7 so that the placing
rating can be maximized.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 2 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The placing rating for the above case is as follows:
Department 2 with department 6 = I = 27
Department 2 with department 7 = U= 1
Placement rating = 28
Any other arrangement will have placement rating
less than 28.
Department 1 is placed next. It has 2 squares.
Weighted rating of department 1 with department 6 +weighted
rating of department 1 with department 5 = U + O= 1+ 9= 10
Weighted rating of department 1 with department 6 + weighted
rating of department 1 with department 2 = U + E = 1+81 = 82
Weighted rating of department 1 with department 2 +weighted
rating of department 1 with department 7 = E + U= 81 + 1 = 82

Weighted rating of department 1 with department 7 +weighted

rating of department 1 with department 5 = U + O= 1+ 9= 10
Department 1 is adjacent to Department 2 and 6 . The
corresponding is given below.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 2 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Department 4 has to be placed next. Department 4 has 2 squares.
Placement rating is given below.
Weighted rating of department 4 with department 1 +weighted
rating of department 4 with department 2 = I + E = 27+ 81 = 108
Weighted rating of department 4 with department 2 +weighted
rating of department 4 with department 7= E + U = 81+1= 82
Weighted rating of department 4 with department 7 +weighted
rating of department 4 with department 5 = U + I= 1+ 27 = 28
Weighted rating of department 4 with department 6 +weighted
rating of department 4 with department 5 = U+ I= 1+ 27= 28
Weighted rating of department 4 with department 1 + weighted
rating of department 4 with department 6 = I + U= 27+1= 28
It can be seen that Department 1 and 2 will be the suitable adjacent
departments to Department 4 to give a maximum placement rating
of 108. The corresponding arrangement is given below.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 4 2 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Department 3 is placed next. It ahs 1 square. It can be seen that by
placing Department 3 adjacent to department 1 and 6, the placement
rating can be the highest i.e 18 (9 +9). The corresponding arrangement
is given below.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 4 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 4 2 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 7 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total score of the layout. Total score of the layout is the sum of
the products found by multiplying the length of the shortest path
between all pairs of departments and the numerical closeness
value for the pairs.
Total score = Ʃ ( closeness rating x length of shortest path)
The path is calculated by the distance are adjacent, they will
have common border. The path length will be zero. Total score
calculation is shown below. Total score is 46.
Department Department Distance Closeness Score
1 2 0 - -
1 3 0 - -
1 4 0 -
1 5 2 3 6
1 6 0 - -
1 7 1 2 2
2 3 2 4 8
2 4 0 - -
2 5 2 4 8
2 6 0 - -
2 7 0 - -
Department Department Distance Closeness Score
3 4 2 2 4
3 5 1 2 2
3 6 0 - -
3 7 2 2 4
4 5 3 3 12
4 6 1 2 2
4 7 1 2 2
5 6 0 - -
5 7 0 - -
6 7 0 - -
Total 46