Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering

CV4201 – CIVIL ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

RESOURCES PLANNING & MANAGEMENT

Dr Wong Wai Fan

Associate Professor

Introduction

During the initial Critical path method planning, the activity durations used in the time
analysis of network imply a commitment to work each activity with sufficient
resources. The duration of each activity is computed on the basis of a production
rate, which is achieved by engaging on that activity a specified number of different
types of resources. Providing these resource requirements for each activity is called
Resource allocation. Resources allocation would prove to be the most difficult task
for the planner. It must be done in consultation with the Estimator (to know what he
has anticipated when costing the tender bid) and the Project Manager (to know the
best possible way of doing it). The output of resources must be estimated on the
basis of information rising from completed projects, past experience and knowledge
of the parties involved.

Resource requirements

The resource requirement at a given time depends on the schedule of activities.

Once the resource allocation has been done, Time scheduling can be carried out.
Time scheduling assumes that there is an unlimited supply of resources (or no
shortage of resources in a real sense) of any type. Then the activities can proceed
according to the time analysis schedule. The resource requirement of anyone type at
a given time is the total of that type allocated to the activities that are being carried
out at that time. The variation of the total requirement of lone type of resource with
time may take the form illustrated by the histogram shown in Fig. 1.

Resources Planning problems

The histograms obtained for all the different types of resources must be studied
carefully. Two problems may arise:

1. It may not be possible to provide the maximum amount of resource required,

Rm. The availability Ra < Rm as shown in Fig. 1. This is the LIMITED
RESOURCES PROBLEM.

2. The availability Ra > Rm but the histogram indicates wide fluctuation from time
to time. (See Fig.2). Large fluctuations are undesirable. If resource
considered is labour, it results in continuous hiring and firing of men. It is
therefore useful to aim for a more uniform histogram. This is the UNLIMITED
RESOURCES PROBLEM.

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

The process of planning that deals with these two cases is referred to as resource
scheduling and resource leveling respectively.

Fig. 1 : Resources Histogram for type X Fig. 2 : Resources Histogram for type X

Limited Resources Problem

If at a given time T0, activities A, B, C have been planned to go on in parallel

according to the schedule obtained by time analysis.

Suppose these activities require

xA , xB , xc of a certain resource type X.

At time T0, the total requirement of resource type X is x0

x0 = xA + xB + xc

A minimum level of x0 of type X is needed to operate the project according to time

analysis schedule. If the minimum level is not available then all the activities A, B, C
cannot go on simultaneously. One or more activities must be postponed until
resources become available. Common sense would suggest that priority be given to
critical activities and non-critical activities be made to wait. As long as the ensuing
delay is within the float available for the activity concerned, the project completion
time will not be affected. But if the delay prolongs beyond the latest start time then
the project duration will be extended.

Planning becomes necessary in order to minimize the extension of the project

duration. The objective is to search for a time schedule of activities so that they can
proceed within the limit of available resources and cause minimum extension to
project duration. This process is called RESOURCES SCHEDULING.

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

Resources Scheduling Procedure

If a resource is limited in availability then a conflict may arise between parallel

activities for the use of this resource. Then, as all activities cannot be worked
simultaneously, it becomes necessary to postpone some activities to a later date
than what was originally indicated in the time analysis. The selection of the activities
that are to be postponed must be done such that the overall delay to the project
completion is minimal. A mathematical model such as a linear programming model
results in a unwieldy problem and is not used. A Heuristic model affords an effective
means for resources scheduling. A heuristic model will give a feasible solution but
not necessarily an optimal solution.

A heuristic model for resources scheduling works on the basis of a specified criterion
for resource allocation. The criterion may be defined by a set of rules for deciding on
priority. One or more of the various activity, characteristics can be the priority rules.
Some activity characteristics that can be used for allocation of resources are

(1) The least float.

(2) The least ES.
(3) The largest duration.
(4) The largest resource requirement.
(5) The largest resource-days requirement.

It is logical to expect that an allocation based on the Least Float priority rule is best
disposed towards obtaining a near optimal solution.

Total Float and CURRENT FLOAT Models

If the resource allocation is based on total float considerations, then it is necessary to

redraw the network and to make fresh network analysis every time the activities get
postponed due to a resource conflict. In order to overcome this tedious procedure, a
concept that is referred to as the CURRENT FLOAT (CF) has been introduced here.
Current Float is defined as the current finish float available to the activity with respect
to the latest finish time of that activity as computed in the original Time Analysis CPM
calculations. See Fig. 3.

postponement CF
d

CT CFT
ES LF
Current time

Figure 3: Definition of Current Float

Current Float (CF) = LF – Current Time – duration

In the current float model resources scheduling is carried out giving priority to the
activity that has the least current float. It has been shown that the current float model
will give identical results as the total float model while doing away with numerous
repetitive network computations. A resource scheduling using the current float model
is illustrated using the example given below.

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

EXAMPLE
Consider the network shown in Fig. 4.

8 8 17 17

2 (13)
5
9
(10) 8 (8)
0 0 25 25
8 4 11
1 (5) (4)
4 7
4 14
5 6
(8) (3) (7)
3
7
3 6
(6)
5 15 12 22

Figure 4 : Project Network

The activity durations in days and the number of men required (within brackets) are
given alongside the arrows. Determine a schedule if the number of men available at
any time is limited to 20.

SOLUTION

Assume Series Method of Allocation: An activity once started will retain the allocated
resources and continue until it is complete.

Method
At T = 0 the activities that can be started are:

1-2 10 men CF = 8 – 0 – 8 = 0
1–3 8 CF = 15 – 0 – 5 = 10
1–4 5 CF = 11 – 0 – 4 = 7

As only 20 men are available, all three activities cannot be started at the same time.

1 -2 10 men CF = 0 priority 1 Start FT = 8

1 -3 8 CF = 10 3 Postpone
1 -4 5 CF = 7 2 Start FT = 4*

Using the priorities shown, Act. 1-2 and 1-4 should be started and Act 1-3 should be
postponed.

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

At T = 4 when 1-4 is complete, more resources will become available to resource

pool and allocations can be considered again. Activities which will be considered now
are
priority
1 - 2 10 men Continuous FT = 8*
1-3 8 CF = 15 – 4 – 5 = 6 1 Start FT = 9
4-6 3 CF = 22 – 4 – 6 = 12 3 Postpone
4-7 4 CF = 25 – 4 – 14 = 7 2 Postpone

T = 8 will be next considered, this can be continued until all activities are allocated
resources. This may be best done using a tabular form as follows:

CT Act Dur. Res. Reqd LF CF Decision FT

0 1-2 8 10 8 0 Start 8
1-3 5 8 15 10 postpone
1-4 4 5 11 7 Start 4*
4 1-2 10 Continue 8*
1-3 5 8 15 6 Start 9
4-6 6 3 22 12 postpone
4-7 14 4 25 7 postpone
8 1-3 - 8 - - continue 9*
4-6 6 3 22 8 Start 14
4-7 14 4 25 3 start 22
2-5 9 13 17 0 Can't start
9 4-6 3 continue 14*
4-7 4 continue 22
2-5 9 13 17 -1 start 18
3-6 7 6 22 6 postpone
14 4-7 4 continue 22
2-5 13 continue 18*
3-6 7 6 22 1 postpone
18 4-7 4 Continue 22*
3–6 7 6 22 -3 Start 25
5–7 8 8 25 -1 Start 26
22 3–6 6 Continue 25*
5–7 8 Continue 26
25 5–7 8 Continue 26*
6–7 3 7 Start 28
26 6–7 7 Continue 28
The project duration is 28 days.

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

Resource Utilization:

The availability of the resource = 28 x 20 = 560 man days

By summing up (No. of men used for each activity x duration)

Amount of resource used = 458 man-days

Resource not utilized = 560 – 458 = 102 man-days.

The best schedule is the one that would maximize the use of resource as much as
possible.

Exercise: Create a last column as manpower used in above tabulation. Plot the
resource histogram and calculate amount of manpower used in term of man-day.
(Ans: 458 man-days)

Time Limited - Resource Leveling

It is useful to plan for an unlimited resource situation without causing any extension
of the project duration for:.
(a) a constant work force
(b) an efficient usage of plant.

This process of averaging out the resources is called Time Limited Resource
Leveling or Resource Smoothing. This may be defined as a search for a schedule of
activities so as to remove the peaks and the troughs in resource requirement without
extending the project duration.

Objective of Resources Leveling

The ideal expectation is illustrated by the horizontal line labeled Objective in Fig. 5. It
may be difficult to achieve this in practice. But, by carefully scrutinizing the network
model it is possible to obtain a distribution similar to the Actual in Fig. 5.

Figure 5 : Resource Leveled Histogram

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

RESOURCE LEVELLING (OR RESOURCE SMOOTHING) PROCEDURE

A resource leveling schedule is obtained through a process of Activity Shifting. The

non-critical activities have float times and can be shift4ad to start any time between
their Earliest Start Times (ES) and their Latest Start Times (LS) without causing any
extension to the project duration. A number of such schedules can be formulated and
the one that best fulfills the objective can be adopted.

Example

Draw the resource aggregation charts for the project represented by the network
shown in Fig. 6 for the ES Schedule and attempt to obtain a resources leveling
schedule. The durations in days and the men required for the various activities are
given alongside the activities in the figure.

Any solution may be regarded as acceptable if there is only one significant peak in
the Histogram diagram and the rise to this peak and the subsequent decline are
gradual.

First, Resource Aggregation is carried out by loading the activities according to the
ES schedule. The relevant Resource Aggregation Chart are shown in Fig. 7.

10 19

3
(5) (8)
0 0 4 4 3 (4) 8
6 27 27
(6) (6) (5)
1 2 4 7
4 2 2
13 25
(7) 9 (5)
4

5 10 6
(5)
13 13 23 23

( ) – No. of men
Figure 6: Project Network

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28
1-2

2-5

2-3

2-4

3-7

3-4

5-6

4-7

6-7

ES Bar Chart

20

3-4
4-7
15 2-4
No. of men

10
2-3 3-7

1-2 2-5 5-6 6-7

0
4 8 12 16 20 24 28
Time (days)

Figure 7: Bar Chart and Resource Aggregation Chart (ES schedule)

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Dr Wong Wai Fan, Associate Professor, NTU

Search for a Level Schedule

Critically examine Fig. 7, the Resource Aggregation Chart for schedule. It is easily
seen that one way of achieving uniform loading is to push the protruding activities 2-
4, 3-4 and 4-7 and roll them over 3-7 provided that they would not go beyond their LF
times and the sequence (eg. 3-4 then 4-7). This is shown in Fig. 8, which reveals the
features necessary for a Resource Leveling Schedule.

20

15
No. of men

10
2-3 3-7
2-4 4-7
3-4
5

1-2 2-5 5-6 6-7

0
4 8 12 16 20 24 28
Time (days)

Figure 8 : Resource Aggregation Chart (Leveled Schedule)

Updated: 2006