Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)

Network Techniques

ü CPM (Criticial Path Method)

Ø PDM (Precedence Diagram Method)

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Precedence Diagram Method (PDM) PDM – Types of Relationships

q PDM extends CPM to include § FS Finish – to – Start

§ Multiple relationships beyond
Finish – to – Start
§ SS Start – to – Start

ü Finish – to – Finish
ü Start – to – Start § FF Finish – to – Finish
ü Start – to – Finish
§ SF Start – to – Finish

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 Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)

Advanced Relationships

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Logical Relationships Logical Relationships

§ Finish-to-Start: This is the simplest and more basic relationship
of all. It means that the second activity will not start until the first one
is completed. §Finish-to-Start (FS)
§ Finish-to-Start with lag: It is similar to the previous one, but in Ex: The construction of the forms
this case there are some days of ‘lag’ between these consecutive for a suspended slab must be
activities. In other words, the second activity will start ‘x’ (lag) days completed before the installation
after the first activity is finished. of slab reinforcing bars can start.
§ Start-to-Start: This type of relationship means that the second
activity cannot be started until the precedent one is started.
§ Start-to-Start with lag: In this case, the second activity will start §Finish-to-Start with lag
‘x’ (lag) days after the first activity has been started.
(FS = ‘x’)
§ Finish-to-Finish: The second activity cannot be finished until the Ex: The concrete pour must be
first one is finished.
completed at least three days
§ Finish-to-Finish with lag: The second activity cannot be finished before form stripping can start .
until ‘x’ (lag) days after the first one is finished.

§ The ‘lag’ can be not only days but also ‘% of completion’.

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 Logical Relationships
§ Start-to-Start (SS)
Ex: Spreading fill earth can start
no earlier than the start of
transferring the earth to the
construction site .
§ Start-to-Start with lag
(SS = ‘x’)
Ex: The installation of electrical
conduit can start no earlier
than one day after wall erection
starts
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Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)
q PDM extends CPM to include
§ Lag (+) & Lead (-)
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Logical Relationships
§ Finish-to-Finish (FF)
Ex: The completion of spreading
fill earth can be no earlier than
the completion of transferring the
earth to the job site.
§ Finish-to-Finish with lag
(FF = ‘x’)
Ex: The electricians must
complete installation of the
conduit no later than one day
before the masons can finish
the construction of the wall.
Lead Time
Occurs when a task should theoretically wait for its
predecessor to finish, but can actually start a little
early. The time that the tasks overlap is lead time.
E.g. when replacing computers in a computer lab, you
could actually start bringing in the new computers
while the old ones were being packed up and moved
out.
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 Lag Time PDM Relationships w / Lag & Lead
• The minimum amount of time that must pass between
the finish of one activity and the start of its successor(s).
Finish-to-Start Lead
• For example, if task A is laying a house’s concrete slab,
and dependent task B is putting up the house walls,
there would need to be some lag time between the end
of task A and the start of task B to let the concrete set.

• Lag time is shown in a PDM chart as an arrow with a Finish-to-Start Lag

duration but no task assigned to it.

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PDM Relationships w / Lag & Lead Precedence Relationships w / Lag & Lead
Finish-to-Finish Lead

Start-to-Start Lead

Finish-to-Finish Lag
Start-to-Start Lag

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 Precedence Relationships w / Lag & Lead
Start-to-Finish Lead
Start-to-Finish Lag
Slack or Float in PDM
• Total Float (TF)
§ TF(k) = LF(k) – ES(k) – Dk
• Start Float (SF)
§ SF(k) = LS(k) – ES(k)
• Finish Float (FNF)
§ FNF(k) = LF(k) – EF(k)

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PDM Example Forward Pass

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 Forward Pass Backward Pass

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Total Slack or Float

Backward Pass

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 Critical Path

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