Practice Problem on Crashing

Given Information
Activity

Normal
times

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

12
9
10
10
24
10
35
40
15
4
6
TOTALS

Normal
Costs ($)
000
12
50
4
16
120
10
500
1,200
40
10
30
1,992,000

Crash
times
11
7
5
8
14
6
25
35
10
1
5

Crash
costs ($)
000
13
64
7
20
200
16
530
1,260
52
13
34
2,209,000

Max. time
reduced
1
2
5
2
10
4
10
5
5
3
1

Cost
increases
(C.C-N.C)
1,000
14,000
3,000
4,000
8,000
6,000
30,000
60,000
12,000
3,000
4,000

Q: What is the total cost of completing the project within the shortest time under crashing
condition?
A: Normal Time
A(12)
A(12)
A(12)
B(9)
B(9)

I(15)
F(10)
C(10)
D(10)
E(24)

K(6)
K(6)
G(35)
H(40)
J(4)

J(4)
J(4)
K(6)

Stage.1:
Step.1: The longest, hence, critical path is B-D-H-J-K.
Step.2: The cheapest activity to crash is J at $1000.
Step.3: Activity J has been crashed by its limit of three weeks.

K(6)
K(6)

33
28
67
69
43

Crash
cost/Period
($)
1,000
7,000
600
2,000
8,000
1,500
3,000
12,000
2,500
1,000
4,000

A(12)

I(15)

K(6)

33

A(12)

F(10)

K(6)

28

A(12)

C(10)

G(35)

J(3)

K(6)

66

B(9)

D(10)

H(40)

J(3)

K(6)

68

B(9)

E(24)

J(3)

K(6)

Total cost: J11*1000

42

Project time
Cost ($)
68 weeks
1,992,000+1,000 = 1,993,000

A(12)

I(15)

K(6)

33

A(12)

F(10)

K(6)

28

A(12)

C(10)

G(35)

J(2)

K(6)

65

B(9)

D(10)

H(40)

J(2)

K(6)

67

B(9)

E(24)

J(2)

K(6)

Total cost: J11*1000

41

Project time
Cost ($)
67 weeks
1,992,000+1,000+1,000 = 1,994,000

A(12)

I(15)

K(6)

33

A(12)

F(10)

K(6)

28

A(12)

C(10)

G(35)

J(1)

K(6)

64

B(9)

D(10)

H(40)

J(1)

K(6)

66

B(9)

E(24)

J(1)

K(6)

1*1000

Total cost: J1

40

Project time
Cost ($)
66 weeks
1,994,000+1,000 = 1,995,000

Stage.2:
Step.1: the critical path is still B-D-H-J-k.
Step.2: The cheapest activity to crash is now D at $2000.
Step.3: D has been crashed by its limit of two weeks.
A(12)

I(15)

K(6)

33

A(12)

F(10)

K(6)

28

A(12)

C(10)

G(35)

J(1)

K(6)

64

B(9)

D(9)

H(40)

J(1)

K(6)

65

B(9)

E(24)

J(1)

K(6)

40

1*2000

Total cost: D1

Project time
Cost ($)
65 weeks
1,995,000+2,000 = 1,997,000

A(12)

I(15)

K(6)

33

A(12)

F(10)

K(6)

28

A(12)

C(10)

G(35)

J(1)

K(6)

64

B(9)

D(8)

H(40)

J(1)

K(6)

64

B(9)

E(24)

J(1)

K(6)

1*2000

Total cost: D1

40

Project time
Cost ($)
64 weeks
1,997,000+2,000 = 1,999,000

Stage.3:
Step.1: After crashing D we now have two critical paths. Both of them must now be
shortened.
Step.2: The alternatives are to crash one of the following combination of activities
(A,B); (A,H); (C,B); (C,H); (G,B); (G,H) or to crash activity K, because it lies on both
critical paths.
Step.3: Activity K has been crashed because it has the lowest cost of crashing.
A(12)

I(15)

K(5)

32

A(12)

F(10)

K(5)

27

A(12)

C(10)

G(35)

J(1)

K(5)

63

B(9)

D(8)

H(40)

J(1)

K(5)

63

B(9)

E(24)

J(1)

K(5)

1*4000

Total cost: K1

39

Project time
Cost ($)
63 weeks
1,999,000+4,000 = 2,003,000

Stage.4:
Step.1: The critical paths are B-D-H-J-K and A-C-G-J-K.
Step.2: The only viable alternative at this stage is to crash activities B and C
simultaneously.
Step.3: Activities B and C has been crashed by two weeks with respect for the limit of
activity B.

A(12)

I(15)

K(5)

32

A(12)

F(10)

K(5)

27

A(12)

C(9)

G(35)

J(1)

K(5)

62

B(8)

D(8)

H(40)

J(1)

K(5)

62

B(8)

E(24)

J(1)

K(5)

Total cost: B11*7000+C11*600

38

Project time
Cost ($)
62 weeks
2,003,000+7,600 = 2,010,600

A(12)

I(15)

K(5)

32

A(12)

F(10)

K(5)

27

A(12)

C(8)

G(35)

J(1)

K(5)

61

B(7)

D(8)

H(40)

J(1)

K(5)

61

B(7)

E(24)

J(1)

K(5)

Total cost: B11*7000+C11*600

Project time
Cost ($)
61 weeks
2,010,600+7,600 = 2,018,200

Answer:
Shortest time required to complete the project under crashing condition is 61 weeks.
The total cost will be $2,018,200.

37