Construction Project

Management
Unit 2: Project Planning and
Scheduling
12hrs
 2.1. Definition of Planning
Project Planning
• A project involves lot of planning, designing and
implementing activities that need proper
utilization of men, money, materials and
machines (4 Ms).
In other words; effectiveness, efficiency and
economy (3 Es) have been the key points always
to be remembered by the professionals who are
engaged in planning the projects.
 2.2. Steps in Planning
Planning involves following steps:
(i) Setting Objectives (goal): It is an important task of planning objectives, helps
fixing a target to achieve. Unclear and ambiguous objective creates confusion.
(ii) Determining the Alternatives: After setting a goal, it is essential to determine the
alternatives available for achieving the goal.
(iii)Evaluation the alternatives: Determining alternatives only does not provide us clear
idea to make decisions. Hence, we have to evaluate them. E.g. use of equipment for
earthwork may be costly than doing it by labours, but output of equipment will be more
and saves project time.
(iv) Selecting the Best alternatives: Based on the information obtained from evaluation
of the alternatives, the practical and suitable alternative has to be selected.
(v) Formulating the Real Plan i.e. an action plan: After selecting the best alternative,
action plan for the execution of the task has to be prepared.
The plan should be able to exhibit all the activities to be performed as well as the
specific dates when the particular activity will be started and completed.
 2.3. Importance of Planning
Following art the importance of Planning
1. Planning Provides Direction
2. Planning Reduces Risks of Uncertainty
3. Planning Reduces Overlapping and Wastage
Activities
4. Planning Promotes Innovative Ideas
5. Planning Facilitates decision Making
6. Planning Established Standard for Controlling
 2.4. Construction Site Planning
Construction site layout involves identifying, sizing,
and placing temporary facilities (TFs) within the
boundaries of construction site. These temporary
facilities range from simple laydown areas to
warehouses, fabrication shops, maintenance shops,
batch plant, and residence facilities. Required
temporary facilities and their areas are depending
in many factors including project type, scale,
design, location, and organization of construction
work.
The following points should be considered in
good site layout.
1. Safety
2. Site Accessibility
3. Information Signs - Site map
4. Security - Entrance
5. Accommodation
6. Offices
7. Water Supply and Sanitation
8. Material Handling
9. Storage and site cleaning
10. Craft Change-Houses
11. Batch plant and Fabrication Shops
Site Planning for Building Construction
 2.5. Work Breakdown Structure
A work-breakdown structure (WBS) in project
management and systems engineering, is a deliverable-oriented
breakdown of a project into smaller components. A work breakdown
structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the team's work
into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK 5) defines the work-breakdown structure as a
"hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out
by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the
required deliverables."
A work-breakdown structure element may be a product, data, service,
or any combination thereof. A WBS also provides the necessary
framework for detailed cost estimating and control along with providing
guidance for schedule development and control.
Work Breakdown Structure
Work Breakdown Structure
 2.6. Bar Chart
Bar charts are the most effective way to
compare the values of a bunch of things. The
length of the bars makes it easy to compare and
the direct visual link between labels and
associated bars makes it easy to read.
 2.7. Linked Bar Chart and Milestone Chart

A linked bar chart uses arrow and lines to tie the

activities and subsequent items, specifying the
successors and predecessors of every activity.
The previous activities are linked one to another
to demonstrate that one activity must be
completed before the other activity can start.
Linked Bar Chart
 Milestone Chart
Milestones provide a way to more accurately estimate the time it
will take to complete your project, making them essential for
precise project scheduling. They are often used in scheduling
methodologies, such as the Critical Path Method, which can
determine major scheduling periods. With milestones, you can
better calculate the slack in your project by segmenting the
project into intervals, or smaller timeframes to control.
Milestones, like tasks, can be linked. That is when the phase of
one milestone cannot begin until the completion of the phase
before it. That way you’re not blocking team members by having
them wait or by not allowing them what they need to move
forward with their tasks.
Milestone Chart
2.8. Advantages of Construction Schedule

Project scheduling provides the following benefits:

• Assists with tracking, reporting, and
communicating progress
• Ensures everyone is on the same page with tasks,
dependencies, and deadlines
• Highlights issues and concerns, such as a lack of
resources
• Identifies task relationships
• Monitors progress and identify issues early
 Advantages of Construction Schedule
1. It assigns dates to project activities.
2. Construction companies would be able to see whether the duration stipulated by the
client is obtainable or not. In this case, penalizing due to late completion of project can
be avoided.
3. Based on construction project scheduling, the preliminary costs can be estimated.
4. The schedule is useful for formulating tender or bid estimates.
5. Project scheduling is intended to match the resources of equipment, materials and
labor with project work-tasks over time.
6. It provides a sequence of tasks. So, the project manager knows what activities they
need to be working on, and what are the next activities they need to be prepared for.
7. Improving safety performance by sequencing the activities to ensure maximum
protection for workers.
8. It enables construction team to see their goals and when they need to be achieved.
 Advantages of Construction Schedule
9. It is possible to change the sequencing of activities and extend or shorten the
durations in such a manner that the use of resources is smoothed and optimized.
10. It eliminates problems due to production bottlenecks.
11. It ensures the completion of a project as soon as possible.
12. It helps avoid delays in the completion of an entire project, hence avoid creation of
havoc for owners who are eager to start using the constructed facilities.
13. Detailed construction schedules can be used by the owner as a means of
monitoring the work progress.
14. It can help compare actual work performed with the schedule to determine if
construction is proceeding satisfactorily.
15. Planned schedule and the actual accomplishments can be compared to allocate the
liability for project delays due to changes requested by the owner, worker strikes or
other unforeseen circumstances.
2.9. Preparation of Construction Schedule

A construction project schedule is either a written or

graphical representation on how the project is to be
completed or constructed. When I say written, it could be a
written narrative. It could be a description. It could be
depicted as a bar chart schedule or a CPM schedule.

A construction schedule is analogous to a contractor’s bid.

Just as a contractor’s bid is an estimate of its cost that it
expects to spend to build the project, the schedule
represents an estimate of the time required to construct the
project.
 2.10. Material Schedule
In order to deliver materials at site timely,
without deterioration, damages etc. material
schedule is prepared.
Material Schedule  
 
Project No.:- Year:-
Name of Project:- Location:-
 
Materials’ Total Month

S.N.
Description Quantity I II III IV
1. Cement
2. Bricks
3. Reinforcement

 
 2.11. Labor Schedule
It shows the required types, number and dates
of the labour and is prepared on the basis of
construction schedule. It facilitates planning
labours well in time.
Labour Schedule  
 
Project No.:- Year:-
Name of Project:- Location:-
 
Labours’ Required Month

S.N.
Description No. I II III IV
1. Masons
2. Carpenter

 
 2.12. Equipment Schedule
• An equipment schedule gives a complete
list of equipment required for the execution
of different activities. It also shows the dates
and duration when and how long the
equipment is needed.
Equipment Schedule
 
Project No.:- Year:-
Name of Project:- Location:-
 
No. of Duration Month
S.N. Equipment
equipment required I II III
1. Excavator
 
2. Crane

 
 2.13. Financial Schedule
• A financial schedule gives a complete cost
of material,labour & equipment required for
the execution of different activities. It also

Financial Schedule  
 
Project No.:- Year:-
Name of Project:- Location:-
 
Month

S.N.
Description No. I II III IV
1. Labour
a.Skill
b.Unskill

 
Thank You!