PLANNING METHODS

Most common and widely used techniques

available for planning construction works are
as follows:
• Bar-charts
1. Normal bar-charts
2. Linked bar-charts

• Network Analysis
1. Activity on the arrow
2. Activity on the node networks (Precedence
diagrams)

• Line of balance schedules

 Bar-charts

• Bar Charts are the easiest and most

widely used form of scheduling in
construction management.

• Even with other scheduling techniques

the eventual schedule is presented in the
form of a bar chart.
• A typical Bar chart is a list of activities
with the start, duration and finish of each
activity shown as a bar plotted to a time
scale.

• The level of detail of the activities

depends on the intended use of the
schedule.
• The bar charts are also useful for
calculating the resources required for the
project.

• To add the resources to each activity and

total them vertically is called a resource
aggregation.
• Bar charts and resource aggregation
charts are useful for estimating the work
content in terms of man-hours and
machine hours.

• The linked bar chart shows the links

between an activity and its preceding
activities which have to be completed
before this activity can start.
Bar-chart

Linked bar-chart
Limitations of Bar-charts
• Do not show the inter-relationship
between various activities.
• Do not indicate the effect of a succeeding
activity when a preceding activity is
delayed or stopped.
• Do not show the activities where the time
schedule should be maintained and
where it may be delayed without
affecting the completion of the project.
 Network Analysis

It is a three-phase procedure consisting

of:

• planning,

• scheduling and

• time monitoring.
Planning-

it involves the determination of:

• what must be done,

• how it is to be performed,

• the sequential order in which it

will be carried out.
Scheduling-
it determines calendar dates for start and
completion of project components.
Time monitoring-
is the process of comparing actual job
progress with the programmed schedule
Importance of Network Analysis

• When using network techniques, the

inter-relationship of all operations is
clearly shown.

• The normal bar chart does not do this

and consequently requires the
dependence of one operation upon
another to be remembered by the planner.
• When a delay occurs and networks are
being used, critical operations will
stand out as requiring particular
attention.

• When bar charts are used on a large

project many operations tend to be
‘crashed’ unnecessarily as it is almost
impossible to remember which
operations are inter-dependent.
• It is far easier for anyone taking over
partially completed project to become
familiar with the progress when
networks are employed.

• When using networks it is essential to

study the sequence of operations very
carefully, leading to a closer
understanding of the project.
Planning, Analysing and Scheduling are
separated when using networks which
allows a greater concentration on the
planning aspect.
The steps in producing a network are:

• Listing of activities/scope definition.

• Producing a network showing the logical
relationship between activities.
• Assessing the required resources.
• Assessing the duration of each activity
• Producing a schedule, and determining the
start and finish times of each activity and
the available float.
Forms of network
• There are two popular forms of network
analysis :
1. Activity on the arrow (Arrow
diagram).
2. Activity on the node, (Precedence
diagram).
• Each of these approaches offers
virtually the same facilities and it seems
largely a matter of preference which is
used.
Arrow diagram method

• In ADM network, an arrow is used to represents

an activity.
• The beginning points and endpoints of activities
are called events.
• These events are typically referred to as nodes in
the network and are shown by circles.
• The events are points in time and do not consume
time.
Precedence diagram method
• In PDM network, a box is used to represents an
activity.
• The box is structured in a way to show
information with regards to start date, end date
and duration of an activity. It may also have
additional information to float times.
• Lines are used to define relationships between
activities and these lines do not consume time.
• The PDM offers a number of logical relationships
between the activities and this overcomes the
ADM need for dummies.
 Listing of activities/scope definition
• Is best appreciated by using an example;
“Minor Rehabilitation of Akpafu junction-
Akpafu Feeder road (km 0.0-9.3)”.

Inputs needed
Line diagrams/BOQ
Taking-off sheets
Drawings etc.
Producing a network showing the
logical relationship between activities

• Once work activities have been defined,

the relationships among the activities can
be specified.

• Precedence relations between activities

signify that the activities must take place
in a particular sequence
• Numerous natural sequences exist for
construction activities due to:

• requirements for structural integrity

• regulations,

• other technical requirements.

For example, design drawings cannot
be checked before they are drawn.
Diagrammatically, precedence relationships can
be illustrated by a network or graph in which the
activities are represented by arrows or boxes as
in Figure below:
• More complicated logical relationships can also be
specified.
• For example, one activity might not be able to start
for several days after the completion of another
activity.
• As a common example, concrete might have to cure
(or set) for several days before formwork is
removed.
• This restriction on the removal of forms activity is
called a lag between the completion of one activity
(i.e., pouring concrete in this case) and the start of
another activity (i.e., removing formwork in this
case).
 2

1
5

•Activity 1-2 is a preceding activity to activity 2-4

•Activity 2-4 is a succeeding activity to activity 1-2
•Activities 3-4 and 3-5 are concurrent activities
•Activity 1-3 is a burst activity since it’s succeeded by more than one activity
•Activity 4-5 is a merge activity since it’s preceded by more than one activity
•Activity 4-5 cannot start until activities 2-4 and 3-4 are completed
•Activity 2-4 cannot start until activity 1-2 is completed
•Activity 3-4 cannot start until activity 1-3 is completed
•Activity 3-5 cannot start until activity 1-3 is completed
 4 6 8

5 7 9

Activity 6-8 cannot start until activities 4-6 and 5-7 are completed
But activity 7-9 can start when activity 5-7 is completed and is not dependent on
activity 4-6
Dummy activities are sometimes necessary in arrow diagram. These do not take time
to perform and are used either to make the sequence clear or to give a unique
numbering system.
 Electrical works

2 3

Plumbing works

Electrical
2 Electrical works
works 4 2 4

Plumbing works
Plumbing works
3 3
Assessing the duration of each activity
Determine Determine
quantities number of crews

Determine
Initial duration
production rate

Technology, site
Estimate
characteristic, Modify time
downtime
learning, etc.

Activity
duration
Producing a schedule, and determining
the start and finish times of each
activity and the available float.
Demonstration
 F

B
A G J

C
E H

D
I
 6 10
F
4
6 12
B
J
3 G 6
0 3 6
A
C 8
3 12
5 E 20
H
0 3 8
9 3
D
12 20
7

10 I
9

11
Total float
• Total float is the total amount of spare time available in an activity. It is calculated
by subtracting its earliest finish time from the latest finish time.
• It should be noted that total float can be the amount of float in a chain of activities.
Free float
• Free float is a part of total float and represents the amount of spare time which can
be used without affecting subsequent activities, providing the activity starts at its
earliest time.
• It is calculated by subtracting its earliest finish time from the earliest start time of
the activities directly following.
Interfering float
• Interfering float is the amount of spare time available which, if used, will affect
subsequent activities, and may be calculated by: total float – free float.
Independent float
• Independent float is amount of spare time available which can be used without
affecting any succeeding activity and which cannot be affected by any preceding
activity.
• The calculation is: earliest succeeding event time – latest preceding event time –
activity duration.
Types of relationships- ADM

Finish-to-Start Finish-to-Finish

FS

FF
Start-to-Start
Start-to-Finish

SS
SF
Line of Balance

• The line of Balance is a planning technique for repetitive

work.
• The principles employed are taken from the planning and
control of manufacturing processes greatly modified by E.
G. Trimple.
• The basis of the technique is to find the required resources
for each stage or activity so that the following stages are not
interfered with and the target output can be achieved.
• The line of balance technique has been applied in
construction work mainly to house building and to a lesser
extent to jetty work and in conjunction with networks to
road works.
• To illustrate the line of balance technique a simple
pipe laying project will be developed.
• The project has two activities per km:
• dig the trench and
• lay the pipe.
• This has to be repeated 7 times to complete a 7km
pipeline.
• The network diagram of the project with durations
and float is set out as below, where 4 days are
required to complete one cycle and the target
completion of the whole project is 10 days.
• When this network diagram is incorporated with the
production schedule the start and finish dates for each
activity can be established, this is called the line of balance.
Line of balance

• The next step is to consider the resources required to meet

this production schedule.
• Let us consider the trench diggers, on their own and assume
that there is only one gang.
• The next figure shows their rate of production drawn on to
the line of balance.
• The line of balance shows that after 10 days only 5km
of trenches have been dug, this will obviously delay the
project.
• Consider now the progress when using two gangs.
• With two gangs the 7 km of trenches are dug in 8 days or
7 days if the two gangs can work together on the last
section.
Preparing a line of balance schedule

• Prepare a logic diagram as below

• Estimate the man-hours required to complete each

activity
• Choose buffer times which will guard against the risk of
interference between activities
• Calculate the required output target in order to meet a
given project completion date
• Complete the table as will be shown later
• Draw the schedule from the information calculated in
table
• Examine the schedule and assess possible alternatives to
bring about a more balanced schedule which might include:
• Changing the rate of output of one activity by reducing
( increasing) the gang size partway through the project
• Lay-off and recall one gang
• Overlap some activities, i.e. have a non-sequential logic
diagram, which means that the schedules shown as
sloping lines on the diagrams would be superimposed.
Such shedules become difficult to read and this severely
reduces the effectiveness as a means of communication
with operational staff such as foremen and gangers
• Schedule every activity to work at the same rate. This is
known as parallel scheduling and involves employing
enough resources to ensure that the rate of output
required can be achieved
The calculation for a line of balance schedule
1. Activity description and identification
2. The estimated man-hours for each activity
3. The optimum number of men for each activity, this is the number of men in one team
4. The theoretical gang size required to maintain the output rate R given by R × (man-
hours per activity)/ (Number of working hours per week). R would be the number
of sections to be completed each week
5. The actual gang size would be chosen as a number which would be a multiple of the
men required for one team near to the theoretical gang size. If the actual gang size is
greater than the theoretical gang size the rate of output will be more than the target
rate, and if the actual is less than the theoretical the actual rate of output will be less
than the target rate
6. The actual rate of output is given by Target rate × (Actual gang size)/ (Theoretical
gang size)
7. Time taken for one activity in days is given by Man-hours for activity) / (No. of
men in one team × no. of hours in a working day)
8. The time in days from start on first section to start on last section is given by ((No. of
sections-1) × no. of working days per week) /(Actual rate of build). This is useful
in plotting the schedule
9. Minimum buffer times is assessed from knowledge of the likely variability of the
preceding activity
Example
• Your company has been awarded a contract to erect
124 pylons for an electricity company. The table
below shows the sequential activities involved in the
construction of each pylon together with the
estimated labour hours and optimum number of
operatives for each activity. The handover rate
specified is six pylons per week and this can be taken
as the target rate of build.
• Prepare a line of balance schedule assuming that each
gang works at its natural rate. State clearly the
contract duration. Assume a five-day working week,
eight hours per day, and a minimum buffer time of
two days.
 Number of pylons

Number of days