This paper presents a general mathematical programming formulation for the multi-floor process plant layout problem, which
considers a number of cost and management/engineering drivers within the same framework thus resolving various trade-offs at
an optimal manner. The proposed model determines simultaneously the number of floors, land area, floor allocation of each
equipment item and detailed layout for each floor. The overall problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming
(MILP) model based on a continuous domain representation. The applicability of the model is demonstrated by three illustrative
examples. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.