TENTATIVE TITLE

A Research Proposal
Presented

by

STUDENT NAME

Name of the Institute

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 TENTATIVE TITLE

A Research Proposal Presented

by

STUDENT NAME

Approved as to style and content by:

Name, Department Head

 ABSTRACT

TENTATIVE TITLE

Directed by: MENTOR NAME

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 CHAPTER 1

1.1 Introduction

Every construction project is unique and has its own operating environment and

sets of technical requirements. As a result, the execution of a construction project is

subject to numerous constraints that limit the commencement or progression of field

operations, which invariably have significant negative impact on overall project

performance. By definition, constraints refer to any condition, such as temporal/spatial

limitations and safety/quality concerns, which may prevent a project to achieve its goals.

Successful execution and control of a construction project relies on effective

identification and management of constraints through master planning and short-term

look-ahead scheduling. While the master schedule provides a global view of a project and

the overall execution strategy, a look-ahead schedule offers a detail account of

operational constraints and a detailed plan showing work to be done within a relatively

short time window. Ideally, these detailed schedules should reflect actual field conditions

and provide field personnel with operation instructions free of constraints and conflicts

(Hinze 2008). This look-ahead scheduling and constraint analysis procedure is also a

critical component of the last-planner methodology proposed by Ballard (2000). This

research project will provide an overview of state-of-art schedule constraint analysis

practice during look-ahead scheduling. In addition, it will propose a conceptual

framework for managing constraints.

COMMENT

Background or introduction section provides a description of the

basic facts and importance of the research area - What is your
research area, the motivation of research, and how important is it
for the industry practice/knowledge advancement?
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 CHAPTER 2

2.1 Problem Statement

The importance of developing a constraint-free and reliable work plan has long

been recognized by the industry. However, numerous construction projects are still

plagued by delays and cost overruns, which can frequently be traced to ineffective

identification and treatment of constraints. First, when a constraint is not properly

identified during scheduling, subsequent conflicts in the field are inevitable. Today’s

projects are becoming more and more technically complex and logistically challenging,

which exposes construction operations to even more complex constraints. Second, the

traditional scheduling methods, bar charts and Critical Path Method (CPM) which are

widely used as a basis for constraint analysis, greatly limit our capability in modeling and

resolving constraints

Problem statement provides a clear and concise description of the issues that need

to be addressed - What is the specific problem in that research area that you will address

(e.g. lack of understanding of a subject, low performance …)?

during look-ahead scheduling. These methods have long been blamed for their

limitations in modeling and communicating constraints, including inability to cope with

non-time-related precedence constraints and difficulty to evaluate and communicate

inter-dependencies at the field operation level (e.g. Sriprasert and Dawood 2002; Chua

and Shen 2001). In summary, there is a need for a better understanding of constraints in

construction and a structured approach in identifying and modeling constraints to ensure

a constraint-free work plan. More specifically, the following research questions need to

be addressed:

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 1. What are the typical constraints found in various construction projects?

2. How to classify these constrains for easier identification and modeling?

3. What are the current industry practice as well as research advancements in

modeling and resolving constraints?

How to unify the constraint classification knowledge and various constraint

modeling efforts into a framework for total constraint management?

COMMENT

Problem statement provides a clear and concise description of the

issues that need to be addressed - What is the specific problem in
that research area that you will address (e.g. lack of understanding
of a subject, low performance …)?

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 CHAPTER 3

3.1 Objectives

The long term goal of the research is to develop a formalized constraint

management system. Constraint management is defined herein as the process of

identifying, classifying, modeling, and resolving constraints. The objective of the current

study is to provide a comprehensive review of literatures and industry practices in

relation to constraint analysis and outline a conceptual framework for constraint

management. Particularly, the study has the following sub-objectives:

1. To provide a comprehensive review of sources and characteristics of

constraints typically found in construction projects;

2. To develop a constraint classification method for easier constraint identification

and modeling;

3. To review current industry practices and researches in regards to constraint

modeling;

4. To outline a conceptual framework for total constraint management.

The result of this study will be valuable to the industry practitioners as well as

related software providers in developing better practice and tools for constraint

management and look-ahead scheduling.

COMMENT

Objectives provide a list of goals that will be achieved through the

proposed research – What are the benefits/impact (e.g. better

understanding, improved productivity …) that will be generated if

the research problem is answered?

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 CHAPTER 4

4.1 Preliminary Literature Review Objectives

A preliminary literature review shows that past studies are primarily focused on

understanding and modeling a particular type of constraint, such as technological,

contractual, resource, spatial, and information constraints. Limited progress has been

made on classifying various constraints according to their characteristics in a

comprehensive manner. In terms of modeling and resolving constraints, various

approaches have been recommended. For example, many CPM-based methods are

applied to deal with time-related constraints; knowledge-based systems were used to

automate work plan generation; network-based optimization algorithms were developed

to resolve constraints; and databases and visualization techniques, such as 3D, 4D, and

Virtual Reality (VR), are used to communicate and visualize constraints. What is missing

from the past studies is a comprehensive and structured approach in managing constraints

What is missing from the past studies is a comprehensive and structured approach in

managing constraints

COMMENT

Preliminary literature review: provide a summary of previous

related research on the research problem and their strength and

weakness and a justification of your research - What is known/what

have been done by others? And, why your research is still

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 CHAPTER 5

5.1 Methodology

The primary research method for this study is literature review and conceptual modeling.
Constraint identification and classification through a structured approach is the very first
step toward a “zero-constraint” environment. This study will first review various types of
constraints in construction and their characteristics. Based on this understanding, a
classification method will be developed to categorize constraint factors for the purpose of
constraint identification and modeling. In the second stage of this study, existing
constraint modeling methods will be identified based on a comprehensive review of
current industry practices and academic researches. Finally, once the constraint
classification and modeling techniques are identified, a conceptual framework for total
constraint management will be outlined. This study will be conducted between September
2020 and May 2021.

COMMENT

Research methodology defines the research methods and logic steps

- What to do and how to solve the problem and achieve proposed
objectives? Which research methods (e.g. survey, modeling, case
study …) will be used? Attach a project schedule table, if necessary.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Branford, Victor. Interpretations and Forecasts: A Study of Survials and Tendencies in

Contemporary Society. London: Duckworth & Co., 1914.

Darwin, Charles Robert. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or

Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Facsimile Edition,
Cambridge: Harvard University Press. London: Murray, 1859.

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—. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Reprint Edition, Chicago:
University of Chicago Press 1965. London: D. Appleton, 1872.

—. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. 2 vols. New York: D.
Appleton, 1872.

Geddes, Patrick. Cities in Evolution: An Introduction to the Town Planning Movement

and to the Study of Civics. London: Williams & Norgate, 1915.

COMMENT

All factual material that is not original with you must be

accompanied by a reference to its source. Please use proper citation
style.

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