SchedulingTechniquesforConstructionProjects

Thecriticalpathmethod(CPM)

Thecriticalpathmethod(CPM)isaplanningandcontroltechniquethatprovides
anaccurate,timely,andeasilyunderstoodpictureoftheproject.
Itpurposeistoallocateresourcesovertimeinanoptimalmannerandinaway
thatallowseffectivereallocationandschedulecontrol,aftertheprojectstarts.
ThemostimportantfeaturesoftheCPMisthelogicdiagramwhichgraphically
portraystherelationshipsbetweenprojectactivities.

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Planning

Thegoalofplanningistominimizeresourceexpenditureswhilesatisfactorily
completingagiventask.

Planningcreatesanorderlysequenceofevents,definestheprinciplestobe
followedincarryingforththeplan,anddescribestheultimatedispositionofthe
results.

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PlanningProcess
AssumptionBasedonFacts
WhenPlanningconstructionoperations,themanagermustcarefullyassessallfactorsthatimpactthe
work.

AlternativeCoursesofAction
Variouscoursesofactionarecomparedintermsofpersonnel,material,equipment,andtime.
(Thisisoftendifficultbecausetypicallyplanningconsidersmultiplesourcesofuncertainties)

SelecttheCourseofAction
Derivativeplansmustbedevelopedtosupportthebasicplan.
Importantprojectaspectsthatshouldbeaddressedare
Availabilityoflabor,equipment,andmaterials
Movingontothejobsite
Bringinginsuppliesandequipment
Obtainingandusingnaturalresources
Planningforinclementweather
Providingforadequateconstructionsitedrainage
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ACTIVITIES
EXAMPLESOFACTIVITIESNAME(ToBuildtheBridge)
Pilecap
Drivepiles Installdecking
Constructabutment
Placecap
Placestringers
Placestringers
Installdecking

Construct
abutment
Drivepiles
Anactivityisatimeconsuming,definabletask

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NetworkDiagrams

1. ActivityonNode (AON)

2. ActivityonArrow(AOA)

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 ActivityonNode(AON)

ActivityID
Early Early
Start Finish

Duration

Late Late
Start Resources Finish

Exampleofactivitynodeinformation,thespecificarrangement
willdependontheschedulingsoftwareused

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FinishtoStart

Place Strip
Cure7 Shoring
concrete1
days 2days
day

AONnetworkfinishtostart relationshipwithoutlag

Place Strip
concrete1 Shoring
day FS=7 2days

AONnetworkfinishtostart relationshipwithlag
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StarttoStart
Excavate Excavate
footings16 footings712
1day 1day
AONnetworkfinishtostart
relationshipwithoutlag
Form&place
concrete
footings16
2days

Excavate
footings
2 days
AONnetworkstarttostart
SS=1 Form&place relationshipwithlag
concrete
2days
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FinishtoFinish

Form
Formfootings footings
1924 1224
3days FF=2
Placeconcrete 6days
footings1924
2days Place
Place concrete
concrete footings1224
footings1218 4days
2days

AONnetworkfinishtostart AONnetworkfinishtofinish
relationshipwithoutlag relationshipwithlag

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StarttoFinish

Mostschedulingsoftwaredoesnotsupportuseofthe
starttofinishrelationship.

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 CRITICALPATH

3 L 4

4 1 5

0 I 3 3 K 5 5 O 8 8 P 9 10 R 12

0 3 3 3 2 5 5 3 8 9 1 10 10 2 12

3 J 4 5 M 3 8 Q 10

5 1 6 6 2 8 8 2 10

Schedulingnetworkactivities
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 Workdays
Activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I(J,K,L) 2 2 2
J(M) 1
K(O) 3 3
L(O) 2
Barchartforscheduling
M(Q) 1 1
networkactivities
O(P,Q) 4 4 4
P(R) 2
Q(R) 3 3
R 2 2
Sum 2 2 2 6 6 5 4 4 5 3 2 2

3 L 4
4 1 5

0 I 3 3 K 5 5 O 8 8 P 9 10 R 12
0 3 3 3 2 5 5 3 8 9 1 10 10 2 12

3
5
J
1
4
6
5
6
M
2
3
8
8
8
Q
2
10
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FLOAT

Thetimeflexibilityofactivityperformancethatstatesthemaximum
allowablefornotdelayingafollowingactivityortheproject.

FLOAT=LS ES=LF EF

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Resources
Ifcarpentercrewsareidentifiedasacontrollingresource,thenumberswithin
theactivitydataboxeswouldindicatehowmanycarpentercrewsare
requiredforeachoftheactivities.
Itisnecessarytoconsideronlymajorcontrollingresourceswhendeveloping
theschedule.
Eachprojecthasitsowncontrollingresourcesdependingonthenatureofthe
work.
Thenumberofavailableresourcesisoftenlessthantheneededresourcesfor
agivenday,andactivitiesmustbedelayed(intofloatwheneverpossible)to
spreadresourceuseacrossthetimeframeoftheproject.

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Resources
Option1

Workdays
Activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I(J,K,L) 2 2 2
J(M) 1
K(O) 3 3
L(O) 2
M(Q) 1 1
O(P,Q) 4 4 4
P(R) 2
Q(R) 3 3
R 2 2
Sum 2 2 2 3 5 5 5 5 5 3 2 2

Asmoothresourceconstrainedschedule,maximumfivecrews.

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Resources
Option2

Workdays
Activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I(J,K,L) 2 2 2
J(M) 1
K(O) 3 3
L(O) 2
M(Q) 1 1
O(P,Q) 4 4 4
P(R) 2
Q(R) 3 3
R 2 2
Sum 2 2 2 4 5 5 5 4 5 3 2 2

Asmoothresourceconstrainedschedule,maximumfivecrews.

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 Comparison of Option1 & Option2
Option1
That schedule results in a uniform increase in
the number of the required crews, a level
requirement for five crews from day 5 through
day 9, then a uniform decrease of crew
requirements at the end of the project. This is
a good situation because it is difficult to
manage the work when the required number
of resources is constantly changing. The
problem with this schedule is that, with only
the exception of activity P, we have now made
every activity critical. If anything should delay
a critical activity, the project will also be
delayed.
Option2
With this schedule some float has been
retained for activities J, M and P. The problem,
however, is that on day 8 it is necessary to lay
off one crew and then on day 9 you need one
more crew for only 1 day. If the resource was a
crane instead of a carpenter crew there would
be the added consideration of the cost to
mobilize and demobilize the machine. In that
case, the manager may decide to pay the extra
day of machine rent and retain schedule
flexibility. Leveling of crew resources is always
a challenge when trying to keep productive
crews together.
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Crashing

If the CPM indicates that the projects duration exceeds the desired
completion date, the manager should examine the logic diagrams
critical path to find activity durations which may be shortened. This is
known as expediting, compressing, or crashing the project.

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Activity A B C D E F G H S J K T M
Precede None None A A B B B C D,E F H H,S,J J
Duration
2 3 3 2 4 3 9 3 4 2 1 6 1
Days

3 C 6 6 H 9 9 K 10
5 3 8 8 3 11 16 1 17

0 A 2 3 D 5

3 2 5 5 2 7 7 S 11 11 T 17
7 4 11 11 6 17
3 E 7

0 B 3 3 4 7

0 3 3 3 F 6 6 J 8 8 M 9
6 3 9 9 2 11 16 1 17

3 G 12

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