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Critical Path Method Gate Notes 38

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13 views4 pages

Critical Path Method Gate Notes 38

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kritigc11
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Critical Path Method

The critical path method is a method used for project analysis. In this method, different
activities are considered for the project analysis rather than the consideration of the
events. In the CPM method, different tasks are identified for the project analysis. The
critical path in the CPM is high scoring section of the GATE syllabus and is the longest
path with duration wise.

For example, the construction of buildings, the construction of highways, etc. These
projects are handled with the help of the critical path method. This method is generally
used for repetitive types of projects. The CPM analysis method calculates float
associated with an activity for the project analysis.

What is the Critical Path in Project Management?


Project management is the technique for properly managing, scheduling and controlling
a project. There are commonly two methods used for project management: the critical
path method and the program evaluation review technique (PERT). The critical path
method is based on the critical path, which is explained below.

Critical Path

In CPM analysis, the path along which total floats are zero or minimum is called the
critical path. All activities on this path are critical. In a project network, more than one
critical path is also possible. In a project, network activities can be critical, subcritical or
supercritical. It will be explained below.

Subcritical Path: It is the path that joins all the subcritical activities in the network. A
total float is greater than zero for a subcritical activity, i.e., FT > 0.

Supercritical Path: It is the path that joins all super-critical activities of a project
network. For a supercritical activity total float is less than zero, i.e., FT < 0.

Different Terminologies Used in Critical Path Method


Different terms of the critical path method are the various terms that are used to define
the method properly. These different terms are explained below with their detailed
information.

Event Times in CPM

Earliest occurrence time (TE): It is the time when an event may occur at the earliest as
possible.
Latest allowable time (TL): It is the time for an event at which it can be completed for
the latest possible, but it will not affect the overall project completion time.

Activity times in CPM

Earliest start time(EST): This time refers to the earliest time to start an activity.

Earliest finish time (EFT): This time refers to the possible earliest time for which
activity in the project network may be completed.

For an activity i-j

EFT = EST +tij = TiE+ tij

tij = Activity duration

Latest start time(LST): The maximum possible time for an activity to start without any
delay in the overall project duration.

∴ LST = LFT - Activity duration

∴ LST= TiL – tij

LFT = latest finish time of activity i – j = TiL

Latest finish time (LFT): The latest possible time by which an activity must be
completed without affecting the project completion time.

For an activity i – j, the latest allowable time of the head event j, i.e., TjL is the LFT of
activity i–j.

Note: LST of the activity is to be calculated based on the latest occurrence time of its
head event and not on the brass of the latest occurrence time of its tail event.

Float

• Float is related to the activity times.


• The term float is similar to the slack in PERT analysis.
• Float is the maximum available time for an activity to be delayed without affecting overall
project duration.

Floats can be classified into the following 4 types:

Total Float
The total available time span by which the finishing or starting of an activity may be
delayed without affecting the total completion time of the project is called the total float
of the activity. Total float is the maximum available time above the activity completion
time.

FT = (TJL – TiE) – tij

FT = (TJL ) – (TjE – t j)

FT = (TJL ) – (TjE – t j)

FT = LFT – EFT

FT = (TJL – tij) – TiE

FT = LST – EST

FT gives the total float.

The total float of an activity affects the total float of succeeding and preceding activities.

Free float (FF)

It is the available time for an activity to be delayed by this much without affecting the
succeeding activities. Free float affects only the preceding activities. In calculating the
free float, It is assumed that all the project network activities start as early as possible.

Free float is given by

⇒ FF = FT – Sj

where Sj is head event slack.

In free float, the preceding activity is not allowed to occur at its latest time, and hence
total float of the preceding activity is affected. However, the succeeding activity can start
at its earliest start time, so its total float is not affected.

Independent float (FID)

It is the minimum freely available time for which completion of the preceding or
succeeding activities does not affect. It can be represented as below.

FID = FF – Si,

Where Si is the tail event slack.

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