Project Planning

Project Planning
Planning in General : SWOT analysis
S: Strengths
W: Weaknesses
O: Opportunities
T: Threats

Objectives should be: SMART

S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Achievable
R: Realistic
T: Timely
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Project Planning
Characteristics of a good plan

Based on clearly definite and practical objectives

Simple

Flexible

Easy to control

Provide proper standards

Exploit existing resources, etc.

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Project Planning
Planning Inputs and Outputs
INPUTS

OUTPUTS
Activities

Contract information

Relationships among activities

Drawings

Method statement

Specifications
Available resources
Bills of quantities

Responsibility
PLANNING

Project network diagram

Site reports

Activities duration

Organizational data

Activities cost

Construction methods

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Reporting levels

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Project Planning
Planning Major steps

Determination of Project Activities (WHAT)

Establishment of Logic; Relationships and overlap (How)

Presentation (Table, Network, Chart, )

Estimate Activities Duration and Cost (When)

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Project Planning
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The WBS is a hierarchical structure which is designed to
logically sub-divide all the work-elements of the project into
smaller elements.

House

Civil

Foundations

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Plumping

Walls/
Roof

Pipin
g

H/C
Water

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Electrical

Wiring

Finishing

Project Planning
Work Breakdown Structure (Why)

Prepare project plan

Identifying Activities

Scheduling

Identifying cost & schedule at various levels of

details

Time & cost control

Identifying individual or departmental responsibilities

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Emad Elbeltagi

Project Planning
WBS & Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
WBS (Work elements)

Project

Area 1

Beams

Subcontr
actor B

Electrical
superinte
ndent

Formwork

Area 2

Columns

Reinforcement

Area 3

Slabs

Concreting

Concrete
foreman

OBS
(Responsibility Project
& reporting) manager

General
contractor

Subcontr
actor A

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Civil
superinte
ndent

Formwork
foreman

Control account

Rebar
foreman
Mechanic
al
superinte
ndent

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Project Planning
WBS Coding

Each work package or activity in a WBS is given a

unique code that is used in project planning and
control Identifying Activities

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Project Planning
Project Activities

Project is divided into segments of work called activities

Activity: Time-consuming single work element

Guidelines for project breakdown: by: area of

responsibility, structural element, category of work, etc.

Level of details depends on: planning stage, size of the

project, complexity of the work, etc.

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Project Planning
Project Activities
Types of construction activities:

Production: taken directly from drawings and/or

specifications

Management (Approvals, site establishment, etc).

Procurement (equipment delivery, material

procurement)

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Project Planning
Project Activities
Example (Double Span Bridge):

Hand rail

Road base left

Road base right

Deck
slab

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Precast
beams

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Code

Description

10

Set-up site

14

Procure RFT

16

Procure P.C. Beams

20

Excavate left abutment

30

Excavate right abutment

40

Excavate central pier

50

Foundation left abutment

60

Foundation right abutment

70

Foundation central pier

80

Construct left abutment

90

Construct right abutment

100

Construct central pier

110

Erect left P.C. Beams

120

Erect right P.C. Beams

140

Fill left embankment

150

Fill right embankment

155

Construct deck slab

160

Left road base

170

Right road base

180

Road surface

190

Bridge railing

200

Clear site

Project Planning
Activities Relationships

The order in which project activities are to be performed

Which activity(ies) must be completed before an activity

can start

Which activity(ies) can not start until activity completion

Which activity(ies) have no logical relations

Logic constraints: Physical, and Resources

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Project Planning
Predecessors

Controls the start or finish of another activity

Successors

Depends on the start or finish of another activity

Predecessor
to Act. B
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Successor to
Act. B
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Code

Description

10

Set-up site

Predecessors
---

14

Procure RFT

---

16

Procure P.C. Beams

---

20

Excavate left abutment

10

30

Excavate right abutment

10

40

Excavate central pier

50

Foundation left abutment

14, 20

60

Foundation right abutment

14, 30

70

Foundation central pier

14, 40

80

Construct left abutment

50

90

Construct right abutment

60

100

Construct central pier

70

110

Erect left P.C. Beams

16, 80, 100

120

Erect right P.C. Beams

16, 90, 100

140

Fill left embankment

150

Fill right embankment

155

Construct deck slab

160

Left road base

170

Right road base

180

Road surface

190

Bridge railing

200

Clear site

10

80
90
110, 120
140
150
155, 160, 170
155
180, 190

Project Planning
Type of Activities Relationships
Four Types:
Finish to Start (FS)
Start to Start (SS)

Finish to Finish (FF)

Start to Finish (SF)

FS

FF

SS

SF

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Project Planning
Type of Activities Relationships
Finish-Start
When A finishes, then B can start
Default Relationship

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First Activity

Second Activity

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Project Planning
Type of Activities Relationships
Start-Start
When A starts, then B can start

A
First Activity

B
Second Activity

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Project Planning
Type of Activities Relationships
Finish-Finish
When A finishes, then B can finish

A
First Activity

B
Second Activity

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Project Planning
Type of Activities Relationships
Start-Finish
When A starts, then B can finish

A
First Activity

B
Second Activity

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Project Planning
Overlaps
how much a particular activity must be completed
before a succeeding activity may start

Used for activities not using the same type of resources

With a value less than the duration of the preceding activity

-ve overlap (+ve lag)

+ve overlap (-ve lag)

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Project Planning
Overlaps
Example
Consider the construction of the following sequential activities of
a bridge consists of 19 bays

Pile manufacturing with duration 2.5 wks/pier

Pile driving with duration 1.5 wks/pier

Pile cap with duration 2.0 wks/pier

Pier shaft with duration 2.5 wks/pier

Determine the appropriate overlap between activities

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Project Planning
Relationships Considering Resource Constraints
Activity description

Predecessors
(unconstrained
resources)

Predecessors
(constrained
resources)

A1
B1
C1

Excavate unit 1
Concreting unit 1
Brickwork unit 1

A1
B1

A1
B1

A2
B2
C2

Excavate unit 2
Concreting unit 2
Brickwork unit 2

A2
B2

A1
B1, A2
C1, B2

A3
B3
C3

Excavate unit 3
Concreting unit 3
Brickwork unit 3

A3
B3

A2
B2, A3
C2, B3

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Project Planning
Project networks: AOA
Two Types:
Activity-On-Arrow; AOA (Arrow Networks).
Activity-On-Node; AON (Precedence Networks):
AOA
Activity represented as arrows with start and finish nodes called
Events

Activity A

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j>i

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Project Planning
Project networks: AOA
A

10

10

15

B depends on A
C depends on A and B

15

B
5
B
A

A
B

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10

15
15
15

C
10

B depends on A
C depends on A

C depends on A and B
D depends on A and B

15

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Project Planning
Project networks: AOA
Dummy activity
Activity with zero duration and no resources to adjust the network
C depends on A and B;
A

15

D depends on B only
20

D
25

10

5
10

15

30

15
B

Dummy
B

25

Dummy
D

15

20

10

Incorrect representation
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Correct representation
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Project Planning
Project networks: AON
AOA
Activity represented as nodes

10
A

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Activity number

Activity name

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Project Planning
Project networks: AON
10
A

20
B

10
A

30
C

B depends on A

40
D

20
B

C depends on A and B
D depends on C

30
C

10
A

20
B
40
D

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B depends on A
C depends on B
D depends on B

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Project Planning
Project networks: Example

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Activity

Predecessors

A
B
C
D
E
F
G

A, B
C
C
D
D, E

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Project Planning
Project networks: Example (AOA)

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Project Planning
Project networks: Example (AON)
Calculate the Sequence step
Activity

Predecessor

Start
A

Sequence step (SS)

SS(Start) = 1
SS(Start) +1 = 2

SS(Start) +1 = 2

A, B

Highest of [SS(B), SS(A)] = 3

E
F
G
Finish

C
D
D, E
F, G

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SS(C) +1 = 4
SS(C)+1 = 4
SS(D)+1 = 4
Highest of [SS(D), SS(E)] = 5
Highest of [SS(F), SS(G)] = 5
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Project Planning
Project networks: Example (AON)
Sequence step 1

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Project Planning
Activity Duration & Direct Cost

Planning time unit (hours, days, weeks, months)

Establish method statement (method of construction)

Specify number of resources, and hence output

Duration = Quantity of work / No. of Res. x Res. Output

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Project Planning
Activity Duration & Direct Cost
Productivity can be estimated:

From published data ()

Previous records of a company

Productivity data
Daily production
Units/day
How many units can be done
in one time unit

Applies to a given crew

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Man-hours/ unit
Mhrs/unit

How long it takes form one

labor to finish one unit
Applies to any crew formation

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Project Planning
Activity Duration & Direct Cost
Example
What is the duration to install 6000 square feet of walls shuttering if:

Crew of 2 carpenters is used, output of 200 square feet/day

Productivity is measured as 0.008 man-hour/square feet. Number

of carpenters =3, and number of working hours/day = 8 hours
a.

Duration = 6000 / 200 = 3 days

b. Total man-hours needed = 6000 x 0.008 = 48 man-hours (if one man

used)
Duration = 48 / 8 = 6 days (if one man used)
Duration using 3 men = 6 / 3 = 2 days

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Project Planning
Activity Duration & Direct Cost
Example (balanced mix of resources)
A wall involves 660 m3 concrete, 50 tone of steel, and 790 m2 of formwork.
- A 6 man concrete crew can place 16 m3 of concrete/day.
- A steel-fixer and assistant can fix 0.5 ton of reinforcement/day.
- A carpenter and assistant can fix and remove 16 m2 of shuttering/day
-

using one steel-fixer: duration = 50 / 0.5 = 100 days

using one carpenter: duration = 790 / 16 = 49.4 days

using one concreting crew: duration = 660 / 16 = 41.25 days.

2 steel-fixer crews, one carpenter crew, and cone concreting crew.

duration = 50 / 0.5 x 2 = 50 days

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Emad Elbeltagi

Project Planning
Activity Duration & Direct Cost
Activity direct cost:

Duration, resources, and cost are interrelated elements

Direct cost comprises: labor, material, equipment, and/or

subcontractors

Unit cost = total cost / quantity

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Emad Elbeltagi