Lesson 14

Planning & Scheduling Method III:

- Critical Path Method (CPM)

Dr. Cho

Copyright 2015 Yong Cho @ Georgia Tech 1

Objectives
Perform CPM and PDM analyses for AOA and AON network
Calculate the early/late times that an activity can start
/finish
Determine the total project duration, activity floats, and the
path of critical activities
Represent the schedule using bar charts

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 Project Time Management
Using Computerized CPM

Must be done manually Very Advantageous Computer Essential

Define project activities X
Define logic X
Draw the project network X
Perform time analysis X
Perform resource analysis X
Perform cost analysis X
Obtain data for project updating X
Revised analysis X
Management decision after updating X
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Activity Components
Required:
• Identify the activity
• Duration
• Timeframe in the
schedule

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 Activity Relationships
Predecessor – an activity that is required to start or finish before the
next activity(s) can proceed
Successor – an activity that must start or finish after the previous
activity can finish
Types of relationships are defined from the predecessor to the successor

Critical Path Method (CPM)

• Developed 1957
• CPM diagram shows activities, durations, start/end
dates & sequence in which they must be completed
• Critical path for project is the series of activities
that determines the earliest time by which project
can be completed
• Critical path is longest path through network
diagram, has least (zero) slack or float
• Slack or float : amount of time activity can be
delayed without delaying early start of dependent
activities

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 Critical Path Method (CPM)
CPM is a systematic scheduling method
Steps
1) A forward pass to determine activities early start-times
2) A backward pass to determine activities late-finish times
3) Float calculations
4) Identifying critical activities

Activity Times
Early start (ES) = Early event time of preceding (I) event
Early finish (EF)= Early start + Activity duration
Late finish (LF) =Late event time of following (J) event
Late start (LS) = Late finish - Activity duration
Total float (TF) = Late finish -Early finish=LF - EF
or

Total float (TF)= Late start- Early start = LS - ES

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Activity Times

Float
The amount of time an activity can be delayed or
lengthened. Sometimes this is called slack.

1. Total float:
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without extending
the overall project completion time

2. Free float:
The amount of time that an activity can be delayed without
delaying the early start or occurrence of any other activity in the
schedule

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5
Total Float

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Free Float

12

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 Activity Times
Forward pass (for early start time):
◦ Rule: When multiple relationship arrows point to the start
of an activity, the calculation that results in the largest
number of project days is always selected.

Backward pass (for late finish time):

◦ Rule: When multiple relationship arrows point to the finish
of an activity, the calculation that results in the smallest
number of project days is always selected

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Activity Times: example (AOA)

ES jk

LF ij

0 3 7
A C
i j k
4
3
0 3 7

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 Activity Times: example (AOA)
• Perform the forward pass and backward pass calculations

d1
B
3
A C E
1 3 9 11
4 5
d=3 D
6 d2

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How to find a Critical Path?

Critical path passes through all events whose early
event times (ES, EF) are equal to their late event
times (LS, LF).

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8
Activity Times: example (AON)
• Perform the forward pass and backward pass calculations
ES EF
Act
D
LS LF

B
3

ST A C E FN
0 3 4 5 0

D
6

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Activity Times: example

Activity Duration ES LF LS EF TF
LF-d ES+d LF-ES-d
A 3 0 3 0 3 0
B 3 3 9 6 6 3
C 4 3 9 5 7 2
D 6 3 9 3 9 0
E 5 9 14 9 14 0

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9
 D ACT
Exercise 1 (AON)
ES EF
LS LF

4 C 2 F 5 H

2 A 3 B 3 D 4 J 3 L 1 M

5 E 5G 2 K

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D ACT Exercise 2 (AON)

ES EF
LS LF

4 C 5 F 3 H

2 A 6 B 5 D 7 J 2 L 1 M

6 E 8 G 5 K

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10
 Critical Path Method (CPM)
Exercise 3
• Construct an AOA network of the Project:
ACT Description Duration IPA
Drill well 4 -
Deliver material 2 -
Excavate 5 -
Power line 3 -
Pump house 3 Drill well
Assemble tank 4 Deliver material
Foundation 4 Excavation
Install pipe 6 Excavation
Install pump 2 Excavation, Power line, Pump house
Erect tower and tk 6 Assemble tank, Foundation

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Critical Path Method (CPM)

Exercise 3
0 0

0 0 0

0 0

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 Activity Times (Exercise 4)
Description Duration ES EF LS LF TF
Drill well 4
Deliver Material 2
Excavate 5
Power line 3
Pump house 3
Assemble tank 4
Foundation 4
Install pipe 6
Insatll pump 2
Erect tower & tank 6

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Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)

PD is an extension of the AON
PDM Node

ES TF EF
N
Description
LS D LF

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 Precedence Diagram
When a Finish to Start relationship is assumed for all activities in the project,
◦ a given activity cannot start until all those activities immediately preceding it have
been completed.

A
C
B
Each activity is given a unique numerical designation, with the numbering
proceeding generally from project start to finish.

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Precedence Diagram
Leave gaps in the activity numbers so that spare numbers are available
for subsequent refinements and revisions.
The diagram should start with a single opening or starting activity and
conclude with a single closing or finishing activity.
Dependency lines cannot go backward.

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 Network Diagram (more rules)
Each path through the network must be continuous, with no
gaps, discontinuities, or dangling activities.

All activities must have at least one activity following, except

the activity or activities that terminate the project.

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Precedence Diagram Method (PDM):

Exercise 5
Construct Precedence Diagram network of the
previous project (Exercise 3 &4).

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Logical relationship

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Exercise 6

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