LECTURE 9

Construction
Project Planning and Scheduling

Introduction
A project is a collection of tasks that must be

completed in minimum time or at minimal cost.

Objectives of Project Scheduling

Completing the project as early as possible by

determining the earliest start and finish of each
activity.
Calculating the likelihood a project will be
completed within a certain time period.
Finding the minimum cost schedule needed to
complete the project by a certain date.

Introduction
Objectives of Project Scheduling

Investigating the results of possible delays in

activitys completion time.
Progress control.
Smoothing out resource allocation over the
duration of the project.
3

Steps in the Planning Process

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Identify the tasks.

Clearly state the objective of each task.
Estimate the Personnel, Time and Resources to
meet objectives.
Develop a task sequence.
Estimate the work item development costs.

Steps in the Planning Process

1)

Identify the tasks.

2)

Tasks bring the project from a problem to a product.

Initially activities to be performed

Start with major development activities

Break down into smaller tasks

Clearly state the objective of each task.

Tasks refined to where results of the activities are stated

objectives.

Easily understood by entire design team

Specific as to what info is to be developed

Feasible
Given time, personnel, equipment

Steps in the Planning Process

3)

Estimate the Personnel, Time and Resources to meet

objectives.

Estimates are always difficult as design takes time.

A variety of schemes are used to estimate, all are based on

assumptions. Track record within companies is always the
best indicator.

Steps in the Planning Process

4)

Develop a task sequence.

Sequential Tasks
Parallel tasks

Coupled

Uncoupled

Develop a planning/scheduling chart

milestone or Gantt chart

PERT

Steps in the Planning Process

4)

Develop a task sequence.

Design Structure Matrix (Shows Dependency of tasks)

A

Mobilization

Layouting and Staking

Excavation of Column Footing

Fabricate Footing & Column Rebars

Fabricate Column Forms

Install Column & Footing Rebars

Concreting of Column Footing

5)

B
X

D
X

E
X

Estimate the product development costs.

F
X

Planning and Scheduling

Gantt Chart

The bar or Gantt Chart is a widely used simple project scheduling

technique.
Advantages include:

Direct correlation with time.

Straight forward relationship with projects involving a limited
number of tasks.
Straight forward integration of subtasks having separate scheduling
charts.
Time schedule is flexible and is expanded to show tasks of shorter
nature.
Progress against the plan is easily reflected.

Disadvantage includes:

That it does not convey the complex interrelationships that may

occur between tasks.

Gantt Chart

Planning and Scheduling

Milestone Chart

A Milestone chart is similar to a Gantt Chart with the

emphasis placed on task completion.

It embodies the same simplified techniques as does the

Gantt chart. It does not portray the interrelationships
between tasks and hence does not identify the critical
path.

Milestone Chart

Planning and Scheduling

PERT {Program Evaluation and Review Technique}

The PERT chart has distinct advantages for complex

projects with interrelated tasks.

PERT, due to its complexity of time estimations, has

given way to more popular CPM methods.

Planning and Scheduling

PERT Chart

Three Time Estimates:

OPTIMISTIC

- Shortest time;

to

MOST LIKELY

- Best Estimate;

tM

PESSIMISTIC

- Longest time;

tp

Planning and Scheduling

Critical Path Method

Has some common characteristics with PERT

Defined

by activities and events

An activity is a time-consuming effort that is required

to complete part of a project. Shown as an arrow on
the diagram
An event is denoted by a circle and defines the end
of one activity and beginning of the next. An event
may be a decision point.
Activity

Event

DEFINITION OF TERMS IN A NETWORK

Activity

Event

Network

any portions of project (tasks) which required

by project, uses up resource and consumes
time may involve labor, paper work,
contractual negotiations, machinery operations
Activity on Arrow (AOA) showed as arrow, AON
Activity on Node
beginning or ending points of one or more
activities, instantaneous point in time, also
called nodes
Combination of all project activities and the events
SUCCESSOR

PRECEEDING

A
ES

ACTIVITY

B
LS

EF

LF

EVENT

C
ES

LS

Planning and Scheduling

Critical Path Method

Terminology
Earliest

Start time
Latest Start time
Earliest Finish time
Duration

EF = ES + D

Latest

Finish (LF)
Total Float (TF)

(ES)
(LS)
(EF),
(D)
LF = LS + D
TF = LS - ES

(Slack between the earliest and latest start times)

On CP, the total float is zero.

Critical Path Method

CPM Example

Critical Path Method

ACTIVITY
NO.
Earliest

ACTIVITY

DURATION

PREDECESSOR

Start Times Established

Mobilization

1 day

Layout and Staking

1 day

Excavate Footing

4 days

Fabricate Footing rebar

2 days

Fabricate Column Rebar

3 days

Install Footing Rebars

1 day

3,4

Install Column Rebars

4 days

6,5

Concreting of Footing

1 day

Fabricate Column Forms

5 days

10

Install Column Forms

2 days

9,8

11

Concreting of Column

2 days

10

Critical Path Method

NETWORK DIAGRAM
INST
COL
FORM
FAB
FORM
COL

MOB

L&S

EXC
FTNG

FAB
FTNG
REB

3
FAB
COL.
REB

10
CONC
COL

INST
FTNG
REB

INST
COL
REB

CONC
FTNG

11

CPM Calculations
The calculations of the critical path and
the project duration is relatively simple,
requiring only addition and subtraction.
Forward Pass
The first step in the calculations is to perform a
forward pass. In this step, the early start and early
finish of each activity are calculated. The early start
(ES) is the earliest time as activity may start. The
early finish (EF) is the earliest point at which an
activity can be completed.

EF = ES + D

CPM Calculations
Backward Pass
The second stage is to move backward through the
network and determine the late finish and late start
times of each activity. The late finish (LF) for the
activity in the network is asimed to be equal to the
early finish calculated in the forward pass. If there
are multiple closing activities, the greatest early
finish is used. All other nodes are calculated using:
LF = Minimum LS of all following activities
Then the late start (LS) can be calculated as:

LS = LF - D

CPM Calculations
CPM Float
Critical activities cannot be delayed or else the
duration of the project will be longer. Activities with
equal ES and EF or zero float are considered critical
activities and belongs to the critical path.
Those activities that are not critical path will have
scheduling leeway, meaning that their start times can
be adjusted within limits that will not affect the
duration of the project. In construction industry, this
scheduling leeway is commonly called as total float.

CPM Calculations
TOTAL FLOAT

TF = LF EF
= LS ES

FREE FLOAT:
Free float is the minimum early start
of all the following activities less the early
finish
FF = ESMIN (ES + DURATION)

DATA SHEET:

ACTIVI
TY

PREDESES
SOR

DURA
TION

A,B

START
ES

LS

FINISH
EF

LF

FLOAT
TF

FF

CRITICA
L
ACTIVIT
Y

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY

( BY PERT/CPM DIAGRAM)
PROJECT: ONE(1) STOREY ONE (1) CLASSROOM SCHOOL BUILDING
DURATION: 30 CALENDAR DAYS
PROCUREMENT/DELIVERY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

C
26 28

26
H

ELECTRICAL/SANITARY ROUGH-IN

14
CARPENTRY WORKS

A
0

EARTH
WORKS

MOVEIN

CONCRETE
WORKS

E
4 4

WAIT

G
9 9

5
WAIT

MASONRY
WORKS

K
12 12

4 7

SOIL 1
POISONING

BACKFILL

WAIT

17 17
L
12 15

9 18

INST. OF PURLINS

ROOFING

J
12 21

P
23 25

1
PAINTING

FINISHES
O
S
21 21
25 25
4

29 30
T

Q
21 24

17 19 2
INST. GUTTER &
FLUSHING

MOVE
OUT

28 28

WAIT

WAIT

WAIT

D
2 3

ROOF FRAMING

INST. ELECT/
MECH/SANITARY
FIXTURES

23 25

30 30

R
25 28

INST. FAB. MATLS &

HARDWARE

DAMPROOFING/SLAB ON FILL
1

10

LEGEND:
NETWORK -

ES

LS

ACTIVITY EVENT -

DUMMY CRITICAL PATH -

ES

LS

EF

LF

11

12

13

14
15 16
17
CALENDAR DAYS

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Sample Problem

1. Determine the normal duration of the project. (19 days)

2. Determine the normal cost of the project. (12,750.00)
3. Determine the least cost of completing the job in the least
possible time.