Graphical approach for manpower planning in infrastructure networks

Elhakeem, A and Hegazy, T (2005) Graphical approach for manpower planning in infrastructure networks. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 131(2), pp. 168-175. ISSN 0733-9364

Abstract

Infrastructure networks such as highways and pipelines have recently been at the center of attention for contractors and owner organizations. Due to their large size and their repetitive/distributed nature, construction and/or maintenance operations for such networks become complex tasks that require huge resources, particularly manpower. In order to provide a transparent tool for quick manpower planning and sensitivity analysis, a graphical approach (using nomographs) is introduced in this paper. The nomographs encode the mathematical formulation, and the results of many optimization experiments, of a distributed model for scheduling large projects with multiple sites. Accordingly, the nomographs can be readily utilized by practitioners to estimate the manpower needed to meet a predefined deadline, under anticipated network-level risks due to unfavorable site conditions. Details on the development of the nomographs are presented in the paper along with an example to demonstrate their usefulness for supporting manpower planning decisions and for what-if analysis. The nomographs also present researchers with a simple yet powerful approach to make research results readily usable by practitioners.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: construction management; graphic methods; infrastructure; personnel management; productivity; risk management: scheduling
Index terms: owner, sensitivity analysis, pipeline, productivity, practitioner, personnel, estimate, scheduling, workforce planning, experiment, risk management
Subjects: operations management, data collection methods, environmental hazards, financial and cost management, management, infrastructure and transport systems, risk assessment, practitioner, operations research, sociology
Topics: Cost Management, Project Management, Business Strategy, Time Control, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Human Resources, Risk Management, Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Roles and Professions
Descriptive scope: 3 PCE

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