Sarkar, D; Jha, K N and Patel, S (2021) Critical chain project management for a highway construction project with a focus on theory of constraints. International Journal of Construction Management, 21(2), pp. 194-207. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
This article aims at developing an enhanced critical chain project management (CCPM) framework for effective implementation of projects related to construction. CCPM is the method for construction scheduling for solving constraints such as project difficulty, resource scarcity, and duration uncertainty. Buffer sizing and multiple resources levelling play a key role in ensuring successful schedule management. The proposed framework improves buffer sizing by integrating the various uncertainties that affect construction scheduling. Case study of a highway project in India has been undertaken and the results showed that the proposed framework out performed existing buffer sizing methods by generating buffers with reasonable sizes and sufficient robustness. Considering the concept of theory of constraints (TOC), the present study also aims at developing a methodology for analysing bottlenecks to promote improvements in the highway projects in India through formulation of current reality tree, evaporating cloud or conflict diagram, future reality tree (FRT) and prerequisite tree (PrT).
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | buffer sizing; critical chain project management; highway projects; multiple resources levelling; scheduling; theory of constraints; uncertainty |
| Index terms: | critical chain project management, case study, construction scheduling, duration, implementation, India, highway construction, buffer, theory of constraints, scheduling, methodology |
| Subjects: | project controls, Geography, financial risk, project management theory and practice, civil engineering, research methods, contractual arrangements, operations research, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Cost Management, Procurement, Time Control |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here