Critical Path Method

Can we improve on the Gantt Chart

and the PD?
Gantt Chart omits
relationships
What happens to
activity B and C if A is
delayed?

PD does not have the

time element
On what day should C
start? Is it ok if it starts
a day later than
planned?

Activity A
Activity B
Activity C

Activity B
Activity A
Activity C

Critical Path Method tries

to bridge these two gaps

Historical Origins
Developed by Dupont
and Remington Rand
in the 1950s to
manage plant
maintenance projects
Prof. John W. Fondahl,
Stanford University
adapted CPM for
Construction in 1961

Concept 1 : 4 Key Dates

Early Start Date (ESD or ES)
Early Finish Date (EFD or EF)
Late Start Date (LSD or LS)
Late Finish Date (LFD or LF)

ES

EF

Activity A

TA

LS

LF

Activity A

TA

Total Time Available for Activity A

Early Finish Date

ES

EF

Activity A

TA

EFA = ESA + TA

Early Start Date

ESA

EFA = 10

Activity A

i
j

Activity C

i
Activity B

ESB

ESc ? = 10

EFb = 8

ESJ = Max EFi

Vi

Late Finish Date

LSB =8
LFA? =6
Activity A

LFB

Activity B

i
Activity C

LSC =6

LFi = Min LSj

Vj

LFC

Late Start Date

LS

LF

Activity A

TA

LSA = LFA - TA

What is the relationship

between ES and LS?
How do you find these values?

Concept 2: 12 Relationships

4 categories of relationships

Finish-Start Relationships (F-S)

Start-Start Relationships (S-S)
Finish-Finish Relationships (F-F)
Start-Finish Relationships (S-F)

Three types for each category

No lag
Positive lag
Negative lag

4 x 3 = 12 relationships

Finish-Start Relationships
No lag

1 day

+ve lag

1 day

14
Place Forms

Pour Roof Slab

3 days

Remove Slab
Shoring

2 days
-1

Excavate

1 day

Pour
Foundations

-ve lag

Start-Start Relationships
1 day
Place
Forms

1 day
Prepare
Rebar

3 days
Excavate

2 days
1 day

6 months
Design
3 months

Pour
Foundations

No lag

+ve lag

1 Year
Construct

+ve lag

Finish-Finish Relationships
1 day
Grade
End-Sems

4 months

No lag

Prepare
Final
Grades
1 day
Grade
End-Sems

1 day
4 months
Prepare
Final
Grades

+ve lag

Start-Finish Relationships
1 day
Interior Wood
Paneling

2 days

No lag

Interior
Carpeting

1.It is probably easier to represent this as a

Finish-Start Relationship
2.S-F relationships are rarely used except
in showing combined relationships.

More on Relationships
Lags can be represented as percentages
Most Relationships are Can relationships
2 days
A
2 days
B

B CAN finish when A finishes

B CANNOT finish before A
B can be delayed and finish after A
Second activity can usually be delayed

Concurrent Activities
Test Mock-up Wall

Build Forms

Get Wall Shop

Drawings Approved

Assemble Rebar

Concurrent Activities
Erect Masonry Wall

1 day

1 day

Install In-Wall
Electrical Conduits

When will the construction of the wall finish?

Concurrent Activities
Dig holes for trees

1 day

1 day

Plant Trees

When will the last tree be planted?

Concurrent Activities
Erect Masonry Wall

-1 day

1 day

Install In-Wall
Electrical Conduits

When will the construction of the conduits finish?

Concurrent Activities
Erect Masonry Wall

-1 day

1 day

Install In-Wall
Electrical Conduits

When will the construction of the wall finish?

Concurrent Activities
Haul Fill Dirt

Spread Fill Dirt

This represents activities with concurrent starts

Concurrent Activities
Haul Fill Dirt

Spread Fill Dirt

This represents activities with concurrent finishes

Completely Parallel Activities

Haul Fill Dirt

Spread Fill Dirt

Representing Activities
Early Start

Activity
Number/Free
Float

Early Finish

Activity Name and Duration

Late Start

Total Float

Late Finish

An Example Network
1

A
Start

D
Finish

E
F

Representation for CPM

Calculation
A 3

B 6

D 2

Finish
E 3

Start

F 4

C 2

The Simple Forward Pass

1. Start with the first activity on the network
2. Traverse the network through the relationship
arrows until you reach the end
3. For each activity, the early start is the
maximum of the early finishes of the previous
activities
4. The early finish is the early start + activity
duration
5. Finish one level and then go to the next

Forward Pass Results

0

A 3

9
B 6

8
D 2
9

Finish

E 3

Start

4
F 4

8
C 2

The simple Backward Pass

1. Start with the last activity on the network
2. Traverse the network backwards through the
relationship arrows until you reach the start
3. For each activity, the late finish is the
minimum of the late starts of the previous
activities
4. The late start is the late finish - activity duration
5. Finish one level and then go to the next

Backward Pass Results

0

A 3
0

B 6
3

8
D 2

9
9

Finish

E 3

Start
0

0
0

4
F 4

9
7
6

8
C 2

Introduce Floats
0

A 3
0

B 6
3

8
D 2

9
9

0
0

Finish

E 3

Start
0

0
0

4
F 4

9
7
6

8
C 2

7 1 9

The critical path

0

A 3
0

B 6
3

8
D 2

9
9

0
0

Finish

E 3

Start
0

0
0

4
F 4

9
7
6

8
C 2

7 1 9

The final Algorithm

1. Draw a clear and logical PD or AoN
diagram
2. Enter Activity Durations
3. Perform a forward pass
4. Perform a backward pass
5. Determine floats
6. Check the path for which floats are zero
7. Mark this as the critical path.

Another Example Network

A

B
D

Start

Finish

Representation for CPM

Calculation
A 3

Start

C 2

D 2

B 4

H 6

E 4

F 6

G 3

K 2

Finish

Forward Pass Results

0

A 3
0

5
C 2

Start

B 4

8
E 4

10

4
F 6

10

13

G 3

14

16

K 2

H 6

D 2

14

16

16

Finish

Backward Pass Results

0

A 3
3
0

C 2
6

Start
0

B 4
0

10

14

10

13

G 3

F 6
7

13

13

16

K 2

E 4
4

14

H 6

D 2
0

14

16

14

16

16

Finish
16

16

16

Introduce Floats
0

A 3
3
0

C 2
6

Start
0

5
8
6

B 4
0

14

8
0

8
10

10

13

G 3

F 6
13

13

16

K 2

E 4
4

14

H 6

D 2
0

14

16

14

16

16

Finish
16

16

16

The critical path

0

A 3
3
0

C 2
6

Start
0

5
8
6

B 4
0

14

8
0

8
10

10

13

G 3

F 6
13

13

16

K 2

E 4
4

14

H 6

D 2
0

14

16

14

16

16

Finish
16

16

16

Floats

Free Float (FF)

Total Float (TF)
Interfering Float (INTF)
Independent Float (INDF)
Start Float (SF)
Finish Float (FNF)

Free Float?
Free Float is the amount of time an activity
can delay but not delay the termination of
the project nor delay the start of any
following activity
FFi = Min ESj EFi , j

What is As Free Float?

5

7
B 2

7
2

FFA = Min [(5-4), (6-4)]

FFA = 1

A 2
5

12

6
C 6
9

15

Total Float
Total Float is the amount of time an
activity can delay but not delay the
termination of the project
TFi = LSj ESi

What are A,B and Cs Total Float?

5

7
B 2

7
2

TFA = 5-2 = 3
TFB = 7-5 = 2
TFC = 9-6 = 3

A 2
5

12

6
C 6
9

15

Interfering Float
Interfering Float is the time span in which
the completion of an activity may occur
and not delay the termination of the
project, but within which completion will
delay the start of some following activity
The portion of total float which affects
other activities but not the project finish
date.
INTFi = TFi FFi

What is As interfering float?

5

7
B 2

7
2

TFA = 3
FFA = 1
INTFA = 3-1 = 2

A 2
5

12

6
C 6
9

15

Independent Float
Independent Float is the time an activity
might delay and not delay the termination
of the project, not delay the start of any
following activity and not be delayed by
any preceding activity
INDFj = Min ESk ( k) Max LFi ( i) - Tj

What is Cs independent float?

20

A 2

22
D 2

14

C 2

22

B 6

28

E 6
16

Cs Independent Float
A
INDC = 20162=2
B
C
D
E
14

16

18

20

22

Time

Start Float and Finish Float

SFi = LSi ESi
FNFi = LFi EFi
Is there any difference between SF, FNF
and Total Float?

Find As SF and FNF

0

A 2

Lag = 4

Lag = 3

B 6
3

11

As SF and FNF
SFA=0-0=0
FNFA=7-2=5
TFA=?
Lag = 3

A 2
0

B 6
3

11

Lag = 4

Find TF, FF, INDF and INTF for all

activities
B 8

0
A 4

Start
0

E 7

G 1

C 3

D 2

F 5

Finish

Critical Path Calculations

12

12

B 8
4
0

Start
0

A 4
0

19

E 7
12

12

19
19

G 1

C 3
4

12

19

D 2
10

20

12

F 5
12

14

19

20

20

Finish
20

20

20

Floats
Activity ES EF LS

LF

TF FF INTF INDF

12

12

12

10

12

12

19

12

19

12

14

19

19

20

19

20

So Whats the big deal about

Float?
The CPM can give the project duration
The Critical Path has the longest duration

The planner gets some insights on the

schedule
Can understand how much buffer each
activity has
Can allocate scarce resources better
Also allows rescheduling activities while
retaining dependencies

Float Analysis
Float of a path = CPM duration path duration
Average Float = Average of total floats
Is too much float a good thing?
Too much float indicates construction sequence is not
efficient

What if there is too little float?

Too little or no float is a risk. Can indicate a schedule
drawn with claims in mind

Floats are very useful when analyzing claims

Independent floats belong solely to each activity

Total float belongs to the entire path
Free float belongs to an activity and its precedents
Interfering float belongs to downstream activities

4 days late Whos fault?

15

15

22

B 8

E 7

0
13

23

24

24

Start

A 4

C 3

G 1

Finish

10

13

23

D 2

F 5

PDM with more complex

1 day
relationships
A 3

Start

C 2

D 2

B 4

3 days

H 6

E 4

2 days

F 6

G 3

K 2

Finish

Modified Forward Pass Algorithm

To find ES

Start with all the arrows that enter the activity from the left
For FS arrows use the EF of the preceding activity
For SS arrows, use the ES
Add or subtract lags from these arrows (add negative lag,
subtract positive lags)
The maximum of these is the ES

To find EF

Start with all the arrows that enter the activity from the right
For FF arrows use the EF of the preceding activity
For SF arrows, use the ES
Add or subtract lags from these arrows
The maximum of these and the (ES + Duration) value is the
EF

Modified Backward Pass Algorithm

To find LF

Start with all the arrows that exit the activity from the right
For FS arrows use the LS of the succeding activity
For FF arrows, use the LF
Add or subtract lags from these arrows
The minimum of these is the LF

To find LS

Start with all the arrows that exit the activity from the left
For SS arrows use the LS of the succeding activity
For SF arrows, use the LF
Add or subtract lags from these arrows
The minimum of these and the (LS - Duration) value is the
LS

1 day

Forward Pass

A 3
0

6
C 2

Start

3 days

B 4

2 days

8
E 4

12

6
F 6

12

15

G 3

15

17

K 2

H 6

D 2

15

17

17

Finish

Backward Pass

1 day

A 3
0
0

C 2
3

Start
0

6
3 days

B 4
1

2 days

12

15

12

15

G 3

F 6
14

14

17

K 2

E 4

15

H 6

D 2
0

15

17

15

17

17

Finish
17

17

17

Introduce Floats

1 day

A 3
0
0

C 2
3

0
0

Start
0

6
6
9

3 days

B 4
1

15

2 days

9
12

12

15

G 3

F 6
14

14

17

K 2

E 4
5

15

H 6

D 2
0

15

17

15

17

17

Finish
17

17

17

Critical Path

1 day

A 3
0
0

C 2
3

0
0

Start
0

6
6
9

3 days

B 4
1

15

2 days

9
12

12

15

G 3

F 6
14

14

17

K 2

E 4
5

15

H 6

D 2
0

15

17

15

17

17

Finish
17

17

17

A short summary on CPM

Complex Network based procedure
Can tell us a great deal about the project
Total duration
When to start each activity
Permissible delays
Effect of delays on the entire network
Reorganization and rescheduling strategies
Helpful in claims analysis

Relationships are complicated so

represent them carefully when drawing

Thank You