Construction scheduling: Principles, practices, and six case studies

The paper presents a review of the need for the planning and monitoring of construction work, a description of the characteristics of site construction work, particularly the degree of task repetition required for project execution, a review of two planning models comprising the critical path model, which is based on the concept that a project consists of a series of discrete activities, and the linear scheduling-flow line model, which is based on the concept that a project consists of a series of repetitive activities. The practices of contractors when confronted with a construction scheduling problem and the use of the techniques derived from the models are examined. Six successful case studies are included, including two renovation projects and four commercial office buildings, two based on the critical path method, two based on the flow line method, and two that use both models in appropriate sections. The paper concludes with the general observations that: Few contractors use planning techniques to their full potential; critical path methods are best suited to nonrepetitive projects; flow line is best suited to repetitive projects; and as most contracts have dual characteristics, no single system can meet all a contractor’s requirements for planning and monitoring construction work.