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Construction Schedule
Fig. 2
Construction planning is a fundamental and challenging activity in the management and execution of construction projects. It involves the choice of technology, the definition of work tasks, the estimation of the required resources and durations for individual tasks, and the identification of any interactions among the different work tasks. A good construction plan is the basis for developing the budget and the schedule for work. Developing the construction plan is a critical task in the management of construction, even if the plan is not written or otherwise formally recorded. In addition to these technical aspects of construction planning, it may also be necessary to make organizational decisions about the relationships between project participants and even which organizations to include in a project.
Figure 2 simplifies the breakdown of the dependent variables that play a role in the development of a construction schedule. These variables are broken down into two main categories that deal with the two critical elements involved in the smooth running of a project: Cost Oriented and Schedule Oriented variables.
Cost Oriented Variables: In simple words, this is just a matter of buying and selling. When a project is constructed, excluding property costs, resources and raw material constitute for almost a hundred percent of the costs. Without sufficient capital these resources such as labor, steel, concrete, HVAC, etc (direct costs as per specifications) cannot be acquired. To determine precise details of an estimate the direct costs and indirect costs must be calculated.
Schedule Oriented Variables: Once work activities have been defined, the relationships among the activities can be specified. Precedence relations between activities signify that the activities must take place in a particular sequence. Numerous natural sequences exist for construction activities due to requirements for structural integrity, regulations, and other technical requirements. Figure 3 illustrates a simple example of a precedence relation:
Fig. 3
Similarly, a more complex precedence relationship involving a more complex network of activities can be established. Primavera and Gantt Charts are effective tools used to plan, organize, direct, control and budget a project effectively.
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