CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING

Notes By

PROF. Dr. LIAQAT ALI QURESHI UET TAXILA

Planning & Scheduling

Planning: Process of choosing the method and order of work Scheduling: Process of determining the interrelationship of associated timings of operations.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Network Techniques

Planning & Scheduling with the help of network diagrams is called Network Techniques. Network Techniques (Network Programming) encompass the methods of PERT (Program Evaluation & Review Techniques) and CPM (Critical Path Method). Initially developed in late 1950s. Prior to this, there was generally accepted method of Planning & Scheduling or controlling construction works.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Network Techniques

Present day network techniques offer a more formal approach to Project Management. --- They have been adopted by some larger construction
companies and Government agencies.

------

Many packages are commercially available on a wide variety of computer systems.

Many contracts include a network plan as part of their conditions.

However, the full utilization of techniques has yet to be reached. The development of the techniques is on-going with both user and theoretician contributing to this development.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Why Construction Industry is adopting Network Techniques too slowly?

The construction Industry has generally been slow in taking up these techniques and their universal acceptance across the industry is still not present. The techniques have both advantages as well as disadvantages but three reasons are generally advanced for reluctance to universally acceptance of the techniques: 1- Some contractors have had bad first experiences with using these techniques. 2- There was lack of suitable user-friendly computer programs to do the tedious and elementary arithmetic involved, in the past. 3- Certain sections of the construction industry refused to acknowledge that sound analytical techniques are better than established classical and traditional methods.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Steps in Construction Scheduling

Splitting of the project into work activities Determining logic relationships/interrelationships between activities. Construction of Network Diagrams. Assigning durations to work activities. (PERT and CPM use different techniques for this) CPM Calculations resulting in start times, finish times and float calculations of activities. Marking of Critical Path Construction of Bar Charts / Time phased diagrams.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Activity

An element of work performed during the course of a project. Or An amount of work that can be identified so that we know what it involves and can recognize, when it starts and finishes. An activity normally has an expected duration, an expected cost, and expected resource requirements. Activities may be ---- On-site Activities like Excavation, Pouring, Plastering, Brickwork etc. ---- Off-site activities like ordering materials, deliveries, fabrication of steel, and anything which affect the construction work. Activities may be Detailed or Coarse in their description.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Network Diagrams

Any schematic display of the logical relationship of project activities. Always drawn from left to right to reflect project chronology. Usually a combination of arrows and nodes. A Network for a project is not unique. Mainly of two types: 1. Arrow Diagram 2. Node Diagram / Precedence Diagram

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Arrow Diagrams

Activities shown by Arrows. Relationship between activities shown by nodes / events. Length of arrows does not obey any scale.

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Predecessor-Successor Relationship

There is Start-to-finish relationship between activities, also called Predecessor-Successor Relationship.

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

EVENT NUMBERING

Events are numbered in an Arrow Diagram. For any given Activity, the head event number should be greater than the tail event number Each Activity should have a unique I & j pair. Situation in Figure 2.14 is not allowed.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

MILESTONES

Events of some special significance are called Milestones.

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

CONCURRENT RELATIONSHIPS

Works done parallel to each other constitute Concurrent Activities. For Example, shop steel fabrication for a building may be carried out concurrently with site activities such as earthmoving and foundation works.

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

AGGREGATED ACTIVITIES & CIRCUITS

If a group of activities is replaced by one single activity, it is called Aggregated Activity. Activities B to F in In Fig 2.7 (a) are replaced by activity H in Figure 2.7 (b). A Circuit or Loop of activities is given in Fig 2.8. Such Circuits or Loops violate the logic of precedence of activities, thus, not allowed.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

DUMMY ACTIVITIES

An activity having zero duration and zero cost (and uses zero resources) is called Dummy Activity. Dummy Activity is represented by Dashed Lined Arrow. A Dummy Activity may be ---- Logic Dummy - To fulfill logic relationship ---- Numbering Dummy To avoid same i, j pair for two activities ---- Start / Finish Dummy To give single start or finish activity in the network.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

ARTIFICIAL ACTIVITY

When a time delay is needed in a construction sequence, an Artificial Activity is introduced. An Artificial Activity is associated with time duration but has zero cost.

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Activity Durations

Activity duration is forecasted by any of the several means, including: (1) Check Past Records. (2) Check Standards and / or cost guides, if available. (3) Ask the workers, who will do it (4) make an educated guess Any time units may be allotted to activity durations like days, hours, weeks, months, shifts, etc.

In CPM, a single duration is forecasted for an activity.

In PERT (Program Evaluation & Review Techniques), 3 durations are forecasted for an activity and mean taken by weighted average method. Then, Projects Duration or any Event Completion Time is calculated by probability distribution.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

CPM Calculations

Calculates the following for each activity EST = Earliest Starting Time EFT = Earliest Finishing Time LST = Latest Starting Time LFT = Latest Finishing Time TF = Total Float FF = Free Float Total Float is Maximum time for which an activity can be delayed without delaying the project. Free Float is maximum time for which an activity can be delayed without delaying the start of proceeding activity. Total Float = Free Float + Interfering Float
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

EXAMPLE: SINGLE SPAN BRIDGE PROJECT

(ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION)
Activity Code ENA ESA CONN CONS COMN CIMS RNB RSB PB TD EB Operation Earthworks, north abutment Earthworks, south abutment Construction, north abutment Construction, south abutment Compaction, north abutment Compaction, south abutment Road, north of bridge Road, south of bridge Prefabricate bridge deck Transport deck to site Erect bridge deck Dependence ENA ENA ESA, CONN CONN CONS, COMN COMN RNB,COMS PB TD, CONN, CONS, COMN EB, RNB, RSB EB RNB, RSB Est. Dur. (Days) 5 4 14 12 2 2 2 2 18 2 3

LBS ICB L

Lay bridge surface Install crash barriers etc. Landscape

2 1 1

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

CPM Calculations
FORWARD PASS

In Forward Pass through the network, the top two cells, of the six-celled box at each activity are calculated. The top two cells give the values of EST & EFT. Forward Pass is carried out from left to right in the network The EST of first activity/activities is set to zero or some other number. The EFT of the first activity/activities will be 0 + duration of first activity/activities. The EST & EFT of subsequent activities are calculated as EST = Maximum EFT of preceding activities. EFT = EST + duration
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

CPM Calculations
BACKWARD PASS

In Backward Pass through the network, the middle two cells, of the six-celled box at each activity are calculated. The middle two cells give the values of LST & LFT. Backward Pass is carried out from right to left in the network The LFT of last activity/activities is set to maximum EFT of the last activity/activities or some other number i.e. date of handing over. The LST of the last activity/activities will be LFT - duration of last activity/activities. The LST & LFT of activities progressing backwards in times are then calculated as LFT = Minimum LST of following activities. LST = LFT - duration
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

CPM Calculations
FLOAT CALCULATION

In FLOAT CALCULATION through the network, the bottom two cells, of the six-celled box at each activity are calculated. The bottom two cells give the values of Total Float (TF) & Free Float (FF). TF = LST - EST OR LFT - EFT FF = Minimum EST of following activities - EFT of activity in question

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Critical Path

The path (or paths) in the network diagram, from start to finish, on which all the activities have zero total and free floats, is called Critical Path. It is the longest path (or paths) from start to finish in a net work diagram. It gives minimum normal time to complete a project. It is usually marked by double lined / Thick lined arrows in a network diagram.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

EVENT TIME CALCULATIONS

These give finish-time information about Events. A two-celled box is put adjacent to each event. Event EFT and the Event LFT are written as box entries. Underlined notations is used for event calculations. Event Float is the difference between LFT and EFT.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Node Diagrams

Activities shown by Nodes, relationship between Activities shown by arrows or links. These are easier to construct. Generally no need of dummies. Instead dummies used only to give single start or finish. CPM Calculations are similar to Arrow diagrams.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Bar Chart

Gives pictorial representation of Activities. Activities begin at EST and show their EFT, FF, TF, Durations, etc. Arrows at the relative ends to show dependency. Status Line drawn on the Bar Chart to check status of the project Unable to show complete interdependency between Activities.

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

TIME-SCALED NETWORK DIAGRAMS

Alternative way of pictorial representation of Activities. Show complete interdependency between Activities. Horizontal components of solid lines represent the durations of the activities while horizontal components of broken lines represent the activity Free Float. Vertical components of dashed/thick lines have no significance as they use no time.
Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi

Prof. Dr. L. A. Qureshi