18 Project Scheduling

activity ID numbering, abbreviation usage, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS),

and even activity durations (based on known quantities and productivity rates).
In addition to the CPM Scheduling Provision, the Contractor should also
ensure that the as-planned schedule conforms to the requirements of the
Contract’s Time Extension Provisions, which often vary greatly from Contract
to Contract. For example, if the Time Extension Provision states that the Owner
will only grant additional Contract time for unusually severe weather, then the
Contractor needs to account for anticipated levels of inclement weather in the
as-planned schedule.
L Include all of the tasks necessary to complete the Scope of Work. The
schedule should include all of the work activities and tasks that are neces-
sary to construct the Project. In addition to activities for the preparation
and submission of key submittals, time for the procurement of key equip-
ment and material, and adequate time for certain Owner activities, includ-
ing submittal reviews and procurement of Owner-furnished materials or
equipment, the schedule should include the following types of tasks, if
applicable:
—Time for permitting or third-party/regulatory activities
—Concrete cure times
—Surcharge or embankment settlement durations
—Winter shutdown periods
—Permitting restrictions
—Work area restrictions
—Coordination with adjacent projects
If the as-planned schedule is deficient in meeting the Contract requirements,
Contract Scheduling, or Time Extension Provisions or in properly depicting all
the work activities necessary to construct the Project, then it may not provide an
accurate representation of a plan to complete the Project under these particular
Project circumstances. Deficiencies in these areas will typically provide suffi-
cient justification to require the Contractor to revise and resubmit the schedule.

4. IS THE SCHEDULE CONSTRUCTIBLE AND ARE THE DURATIONS

REASONABLE?
After verifying that the as-planned schedule meets the Contract requirements,
the next step involves an evaluation of both the schedule’s sequencing of the
work activities and the activity durations. Evaluating the sequencing of the work
activities consists of reviewing the overall schedule from a commonsense stand-
point. A schedule’s sequence of work must make sense based on the physical
and contractual restrictions of the Project. Every Project should follow a gen-
erally accepted construction sequence based on the physical characteristics of
work, which is sometimes referred to as “mandatory” logic. For example, a
building’s foundation has to be installed before structural steel can be erected,
and the structural steel must be erected before the metal decking can be placed.