Construction Scheduling: Principles and Practices

384 Pages·2008·14.529 MB·English

by  Newitt, Jay S

S E C O N D E D I T I O N
C S
ONSTRUCTION CHEDULING
P P
RINCIPLES AND RACTICES
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S E C O N D E D I T I O N
Construction Scheduling
Principles and Practices
Jay S. Newitt
Brigham Young University
Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Columbus, Ohio
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Newitt, Jay S.
Construction scheduling:principles and practices/Jay S. Newitt.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes indexes.
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-513782-6 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-13-513782-9 (alk. paper)
1. Building industry—Management. 2. Building—Superintendence.
3. Production scheduling. I. Title.
TH438.4.N48 2009
690.068'5—dc22
2008024948
Vice President and Executive Publisher:Vernon R. Cover Designer: Karen Salzbach
Anthony Cover Image: Geoffry Wright
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This book was set inPalatino by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. It was printed and bound by Hamilton. The
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Primavera Project Planner®and SureTrak®are registered trademarks of Primavera Systems, Inc.
P6™is a trademark of Primavera Systems, Inc.
Microsoft Project®is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-13-513782-6
ISBN-10: 0-13-513782-9
PREFACE
Anyone involved in the management of projects will find this text useful; however, it is
written specifically for managers in the construction industry and for students preparing
for management positions. Therefore, the examples are construction related. However,
this text would be extremely helpful to anyone in a project management position in
manufacturing, engineering, computer and software design, technology, military, or
business management.
This is a comprehensive textbook that can be the sole reference for learning the basics
of project management scheduling. This is due to the fact that it contains not only the
necessary information to learn scheduling and project management principles but also
information to help learn the project management software that has become the standard
in the industry: Microsoft Project, Primavera Project Planner (P3), SureTrak, and P6 Project
Manager and Contractor. Students need help learning the software as well as learning the
basics of scheduling. It is not sufficient to teach the basics of scheduling and then expect
students to have success with the software by opening the door to the computer lab and
assuming they will learn it. It is also not sufficient to teach the software without first
knowing the basics of scheduling and project management. Project management software
is more difficult to learn than word processing, spreadsheet, or PowerPoint presentations;
people need help with practical, essential, and concise information to help them to become
proficient users. When students graduate, they may work for an owner who requires the
use of P6 or Contractor, while another owner may require the use of SureTrak, and
another, P3 or Microsoft Project. Project managers of the future need help in learning to
effectively use all four programs. This is a complete text including practice problems and
exercises to help learn and apply the principles of project management.
The construction industry is becoming more sophisticated and professional. There is
a critical need for professionals who can successfully plan, organize, direct, and control
construction operations for the successful completion of quality projects on time, within
budget, in a safe work environment, and without any claims. Projects are becoming more
complex, and owners want them done more quickly and at less cost. There is a lot of
pressure to learn how to become more proficient at doing this. There is a greater need
today than ever before to do a better job at preplanning projects to insure greater success
for all parties involved. This book helps managers learn techniques that will help them to
accomplish this.
The text contains comprehensive and practical information on the subject of
scheduling—everything from checklists, bar charts, graphic schedules, linear schedul-
ing techniques, to practical and advanced uses of the Critical Path Method (CPM). It
provides a complete, well-organized, and concise coverage of the fundamentals of
scheduling without unnecessary details and information that has little to no practical
application. As concepts are explained, there is practical information on how to use
those concepts to effectively manage the project. The text thoroughly explores CPM
concepts of how a project is broken down into activities, different methods of develop-
ing the network logic diagram, the use of lags, and how to review and analyze the
network so that it is an accurate portrayal of how the project team is really expecting
to complete the work. The text discusses how durations are determined and the
v
vi Preface
importance of teamwork throughout the management cycle. There is a complete and
concise coverage of calculation of the dates and determining the critical activities. This
book discusses the different types of float, including total, free, independent, and
shared float, in detail and how to use the different types of float to better manage the
project. The text then shows examples of the types of reports that could be used to
communicate the construction process to all shareholders in the project in a concise and
deliberate manner. Resource-loading techniques to help plan and schedule critical
resources are explained. How to update the schedule and evaluate the future activities
to determine what to change and how to do it so that the project can be finished on time
are explored. The software instructions are tied to the concepts learned earlier in the
book and help the reader to learn how to get over the typical obstacles in using the
software so they can become a more effective manager.
The techniques discussed have been learned from project managers in a variety of
projects from throughout the nation and from students the author has taught for over
25 years in a four-year construction management curriculum at a major university. The
author has consulted with and provided in-house training to over 200 construction
companies and trained literally thousands of managers on these principles and techniques.
The last four chapters in the book contain practical instructions on how to use
Microsoft Project, Primavera Project Planner (P3), SureTrak, and P6 Project Manager and
Contractor. The software instructions are project driven, rather than software driven. The
instructions are based on how managers use the software, rather than explaining every
detail on every screen, in the order the screens appear. These chapters contain examples
and assignments that teach how to use the software to effectively communicate the
schedule to the total management team. They are basically self-instructional tutorials that
take students over the rough spots in the software and become a valuable aid to learn how
to better manage with the assistance of the software.
It is the author’s sincere hope that the ideas and information contained in this book
will help project managers gain better control of their projects and thus their life. It is the
author’s desire that through the application of these ideas and techniques the manager
will have more time to spend with family and loved ones rather than living at the project
site. As managers of major projects we must learn and apply methods to improve the
management of our projects without spending excessive hours each week doing so. It is
time we learn to manage and control the project rather than allowing it to manage and
control us. This book contains ideas to help us to work smarterso that we can play harder.
The second edition contains clearer explanations of some of the many concepts
covered. As students have used the first edition, they have provided feedback on
areas that were difficult to understand and those have been clarified or expanded. The
chapter on Microsoft Project has been updated to explain how to use the features of
version 2007, which is the latest version. The chapter on P3e/c has been significantly
revised to help the reader successfully use the Project Manager component of P6 as well as
to provide help on using Contractor (the junior or stand-alone version of Primavera’s
project management solutions).
Appreciation is expressed especially to my wife Sylvia for her continuing love,
support, and patience, along with our six children: Jayson and Chris (both current project
managers, for their valuable advice and reviews), Jennifer (who edited the entire original
manuscript), Alisa, Jalyn, and Jarica, also for their support and patience.
Preface vii
Particular thanks are due to Dr. Neil Eldin, Texas A & M University, Charles R.
Glagola, University of Florida, and James Stein, Eastern Michigan University , for their
assistance with the original text review.
As you read this text book and have any comments or suggestions, the author would
be pleased to hear from you. For professors using the text, the sharing of a course syllabus
or teaching ideas would also be appreciated. E-mail [email protected]
To access supplementary materials online, instructors need to request an instructor
access code. Go to www.pearsonhighered.com/irc, where you can register for an instruc-
tor access code. Within 48 hours after registering, you will receive a confirming e-mail,
including an instructor access code. Once you have received your code, go to the site and
log on for full instructions on downloading the materials you wish to use.
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CONTENTS
Preface v
Chapter 1 Overview of Project Management Basics 1
Introduction 1
Four Primary Objectives of Project Management 1
Quality 2
Time 2
Budget or Costs 2
Safety 2
Challenge of Balancing the Major Objectives 3
How to Achieve the Primary Objectives 3
Being a Manager—Assuming the Responsibility 4
Conclusion 5
Application 5
Chapter 2 Why Schedule 6
Introduction 6
Time Management Matrix 7
Using the Schedule to Control Your Projects and Your Life 8
Reduce Total Construction Time 9
Reduce the Costs of Labor, Overhead, Interest on Loans,
and Capital 9
Provide a More Continuous Work Flow 11
Increase Productivity 11
Give Employees and Subcontractors a Goal to Work Toward 11
Improve Your Company Image—Makes You
Look Professional 12
Meet Owners’ Requirements 13
Force Detailed Thinking and Planning 13
Improve Communication 14
Conclusion 15
Application 16
Chapter 3 Checklists, Daily To-Do Lists, and Magnetic
Scheduling Boards 17
Introduction 17
Selecting a Scheduling System 17
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