Project Scheduling and Management for Construction (eBook)

David R. Pierce, Jr. has been involved in construction project management for more than forty years as a Professor of Construction Management, and as a scheduler, project engineer, and consultant on commercial and industrial projects. His teaching career includes service at the University of Florida, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, Georgia. His field experience includes working as a consultant specializing in CPM scheduling, and in forensic consulting, specializing in cost and delay claims.

Preface xi

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Project Management Fundamentals 3

What is Management in General? 3

What is Project Management? 4

Why Use Project Management? 7

The Benefits 8

Variables That Affect the Project 10

The Project Control Cycle 11

Introduction to CPM Scheduling 14

Introduction to the Sample Building Project 17

Summary 18

Review Questions 18

Chapter 2 Preplanning Investigation 23

Identifying Key Personnel 24

Providing Data to the Project Team 24

Contract Document Review 24

Estimate Review/Estimator Meeting 26

Initial Project Team Meeting 28

Preplanning with Other Parties 29

Summary 34

Review Questions 34

Chapter 3 Planning the Project 39

Breaking the Job Down into Activities 39

Establishing the Sequence of Work 51

Summary 59

Practice Logic Problems 60

Chapter 4 Scheduling the Project 67

Estimating Durations 67

Actual Calculation of Activity Durations 70

Calculating Overall Job Duration 75

Advanced Calculations 84

Calendars 87

Summary 88

Practice Problems 89

Chapter 5 Publishing the Schedule 93

Checking the Final Schedule 93

Key Questions to Ask 95

Tasks That Must Be Performed in Order to Provide the Right Information 96

Types of Coding Schemes 96

Sample Reports: Office Building 101

Summary 102

Review Questions 111

Chapter 6 Monitoring and Controlling the Project 115

The Monitoring Process 115

Monitoring Progress 117

Taking Corrective Action 126

Update Problem Example 128

Summary 130

Review Questions 132

Chapter 7 Resource Management 135

How to Manage Resources 135

The Resource Management Process 136

Development of the Resource Profile 137

Adjusting the Schedule to Improve the Resource Curve 140

Practical Aspects of Resource Management 144

Other Applications: Earned Value 144

Other Applications: Cost-Loaded Schedules 152

Summary 153

Review Questions 153

Chapter 8 Procurement Scheduling 157

The Source of the Problem 157

Basic Procurement Procedures 158

Key Elements in Successful Procurement 159

Record Keeping and Tracking 160

Issues with Scheduling Procurement Activities 166

Reporting 166

Follow Up on the Information 167

Summary 167

Review Questions 167

Chapter 9 Line of Balance Scheduling 171

When to Use Line of Balance Scheduling 171

General Technique 172

Example Problem 175

Updating a Line of Balance Schedule 187

Review Questions 190

Practice Problems 190

Chapter 10 Project Cost Control 195

Project Cost Coding Systems 196

Specific Tasks in Project Cost Control 200

Other Cost Control Issues 213

Appendix A Vehicle Maintenance Facility Drawings 217

Appendix B Vehicle Maintenance Facility: Activities, Logic, Codes, and Cost Data 239

Appendix C Notes on Schedule Sequencing 247

Index 253