Construction scheduling techniques

By
Dr. Mahdi Damghani
 Projects scheduling

Split project into tasks.

Estimate time and resources required to complete each

task.
Organize tasks concurrently to make optimal use of
workforce.
Minimize task dependencies to avoid delays
caused by one task waiting for another to complete.
Dependent on project managers intuition and
experience.
 Scheduling

Primary Secondary
objectives objectives
* Best time * Evaluation of schedule
* Least cost alternatives
* Least risk * Effective use of resources
* Communications
 Construction projects
scheduling techniques

Mathematical Bar charts

Analysis
* Network Diagrams * Milestone
a) PERT (Program Evaluation Chart
and Review Technique) * Gannt Chart
b) CPM (Critical Path Method)
1- Developed in the 1950’s
c) GERT (Graphical Evaluation
2- A graphical representation of
and Review Technique) the tasks necessary to complete a
project
3- Visualizes the flow of tasks &
relationships
 Network analysis &
Critical Path Method

Is a project graph.

 Depicts various operations which have to be performed to complete a project.
Clearly illustrates inter-relationships and inter-dependence between activities.
Can be established and quickly revised/edited on computer.
Has produced greater efficiency and speedier completion of projects.

Event or Milestone Activity on the node

Activity on the arrow
System (PERT) (Precedence Diagrams)
 Activity on the arrow
(AOA)

Principle component is the arrow which is employed to represent project

activity

Excavation
3 4
Duration
Start event Start event

 Event number at tail of arrow must always be less than that at the
head of arrow.
 Length of the arrow has nothing to do with the duration of the
activity.
 The arrow does not necessarily need to be straight, it can be bent
or curved to suit the construction of the network
 Some useful guides

Two simultaneous tasks Task C cannot start until A second task can be
start and end at the both tasks A and B are started before part of a
same events. complete; a fourth task, D, first task is done
cannot start until A is
complete, but need not
wait for B.
 Planning logic

1. Draw the following network:

Activities B and C both follow A

Activity D Follows B

Activity E Follows C

Activities D and E precede F

 Planning logic

2. Draw the following network:

Activity H follows G
Activities J and K both follow H
Activity O follows K only
Activities L and P both follow J
Activity M follows L
Activity Q follows P and O
Activity N follows M
Activity R follows Q
Activity S follows both R and N
 Planning logic

3. Draw the following network:  

Activities G and H both follow F  
Activity D follows both B and C  
Activity C precedes both F and D  
Activity J follows E only and precedes L  
Activity K follows D and precedes L  
Activity L follows both J and K and merges with M and N at the
finish event.
Activity M follows G
Activity A commences the network
Activity N follows H
Activities B and C follow A
Activity E follows B and precedes J
Activity F follows C and precedes G and H
 Scheduling
Once planning logic is satisfactory, the scheduling process commences.
 Duration (days or weeks) taken from method statement are used to determine
the duration of all project .
 from the duration, the earliest possible time for each activity is calculated and
entered in the left hand box or square at each event.

Earliest start Latest start Earliest Latest finish

time time finish time time

Excavation
1 2
Duration
Where 2 or more activity arrows merge at an event, the longest time is entered.
Calculation of earliest start times is called “ forward pas”.
 Network is now analyzed in reverse order, calculating the latest times for each
activity to finish and entering in right hand box.
 Where 2 or more arrows leave an event, the shortest time is entered.
 Calculation of latest finish times is called the “backward pass”.
 Critical path and Float

Float=spare time
Critical activities = no float, i.e.
Earliest Start Time = Latest Start Time (EST=LST) & EFT=LFT
Duration = Start-Finish times

 Total float (amount of time by which an activity can be delayed without

affecting the overall duration of the project) TF=LFT-EST-Duration
 Free float (amount of time by which an activity can be delayed without
affecting the succeeding activity) FFij=ESTjk-EFTij
 Independent float (occurs when the minimum time for an activity is greater
than the activity duration) IF=EFT-LST-Duration
 Shared float (float that is common to more than one activity and, if used by
one activity, is no longer available to another) SF=TF-FF (shared with
succeeding activity)
Example 1: show the critical path and obtain TF & FF for all
non-critical activities.

4 5
2
4

4 6

4
1
1 2 3 0
11
4 3 2

2
2 9

2
7 8
1
 Step 1: draw the network (this has been done in this
example)
List all the necessary tasks in the project or process. One convenient method is to
write each task on the top half of a card or sticky note. Across the middle of the
card, draw a horizontal arrow pointing right.
Determine the correct sequence of the tasks. Do this by asking three questions for each task:
Which tasks must happen before this one can begin?
Which tasks can be done at the same time as this one?
Which tasks should happen immediately after this one?
It can be useful to create a table with four columns —prior tasks, this task, simultaneous
tasks, following tasks.

Diagram the network of tasks. If you are using notes or cards, arrange them in sequence on a
large piece of paper. Time should flow from left to right and concurrent tasks should be
vertically aligned. Leave space between the cards.

Between each two tasks, draw circles for “events.” An event marks the beginning or end of
a task. Thus, events are nodes that separate tasks.
Look for three common problem situations and redraw them using “dummies” or extra
events. A dummy (slide 7) is an arrow drawn with dotted lines used to separate tasks that
would otherwise start and stop with the same events or to show logical sequence. Dummies
are not real tasks.
 Step 2: find the critical path. the longest path from the beginning to the end of the
project. Mark the critical path with a heavy line or color. Calculate the length of the
critical path: the sum of all the task times on the path (20).

4 5
2
4

4 6

4
1
1 2 3 0
11
4 3 2
2
2 9

2
7 8
1
 Step 3: Calculate the earliest times each task can start and finish, based on how long
preceding tasks take. These are called earliest start (EST) and earliest finish (EFT).
Start with the first task, where ES = 0, and work forward.

1
8 0

4 5 14
2 7
1
4 4

4 6 18
11
0 0 4 7 4 1 2
8 0
1
1 2 3 0
11
4 3 9 2
7 9 2
2 9

6 7
2
7 8
1
 Step 4: Calculate the latest times each task can start and finish without upsetting the
project schedule, based on how long later tasks will take. These are called latest start
(LST) and latest finish (LFT). Start from the last task, where the latest finish is the
project deadline, and work backwards.
Latest finish (LFT) = the smallest LST of all tasks immediately following this one
Latest start (LST) = LFT – task time for this task
1 1
8 8 0 0

4 5 14
2 7
1 1
4 4 4
4
11 4 14 6 18
11 16 11
0 0 4 4 7
1 4 1 1 2 2
4 8 8 0 0
1
1 2 3 0
11
4 3 9 2
7 9
1
6 2
2 9
1 1
6 3 7 4
2
7 8
1
 Step 5: total float and free float from slide 15

1 1
8 8 0 0

4 5 14
2 7
1 1
4 4 4
4
11 4 14 6 18
11 16 11
0 0 4 4 7
1 4 1 1 2 2
4 8 8 0 0
1
1 2 3 0
11
4 3 9 2
7 9
1
6 2
2 9
1 1
6 3 7 4
2
7 8
1
Example 2 : show the critical path and obtain TF & FF for
activities D, L, S and AB
Note: In complicated diagrams it is not always easy to find the
critical path in the first place. Therefore , you need to obtain
EST, EFT, LST and LFT for all activities and then those nodes
having EST=EFT and LST=LFT are node in the critical path.
1
Example 3 : find the critical path in the diagram below