Scheduling Of Construction Projects Research Articles

On estimating the amount of fuel and energy consumable in the process of mechanized work performance within the framework of low-rise construction

Introduction. Low-rise housing construction is an area that has extensive potential in Russia. One of the top-priority objectives, pursued by public politicians in the Russian Federation, is to improve the energy efficiency of versatile branches of the national economy. Given the fact that the building construction, representing a comparatively short stage in the building’s life cycle, is energy consuming, energy saving in the process of construction turns particularly relevant. Prevailing manual labour and low-capacity construction machinery substantially reduce power consumption at the stage of low-rise housing construction. Widely spread low-rise construction technologies and consequent discrepancies in structural and technological solutions determine the mode of operation, numbers and the engineering performance of construction machines. Hence, energy resources, to be consumed in the process of mechanized work performance on a construction site, is projected, and these projections may differ. As for the rational expenditure of resources, consumption of fuel and energy can be expediently planned at the stage of construction project scheduling.
 Materials and methods. The co-authors have analyzed scientific publications focused on the subject of research, applied organizational and construction process patterns developed in the form of work performance schedules needed to regulate fuel consumption in the process of mechanized work performance, whenever low-rise construction technologies are used.
 Results. The co-authors offer a set of instruments, designated for the calculation of fuel consumption in the process of mechanized work performance, whenever low-rise construction technologies are used.
 Conclusions. At the project planning stage, the fuel consumption rate analysis, applicable to construction machines and mechanisms, enables to (1) project the amount of fuel consumed in the course of specific construction works performed within the framework of the whole process of construction, (2) to identify technologies and mechanized units which are most rational in terms of power consumption.

SCIENTOMETRIC REVIEW OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT SCHEDULE STUDIES: TRENDS, GAPS AND POTENTIAL RESEARCH AREAS

Scheduling plays a fundamental role in construction projects’ success and thus has drawn attention from both academic researchers and industry practitioners. A large number of research articles tend to solve emerging challenges in construction project schedule (CPS). Therefore, there is a strong need of systematic review on existing studies. In this study, a total of 332 articles were retrieved from Scopus database using title, abstract and keywords with respect to CPS and filtered by document type, language type and abstract content. In particular, science mapping approach was adopted to analyse selected journal articles. These articles were examined using three sequential processes, including bibliometric search, scientometric analysis, and in-depth qualitative discussion. It could demonstrate the most influential journals, researchers, published articles, and active countries/regions in this area. In addition, major CPS knowledge areas were identified and summarized as CPS constructability, applications of variety of CPS methods, CPS optimization models and algorithms, identification and quantification of schedule risks and uncertainties, CPS performance management, and adopting new emerging CPS technologies and methods. Furthermore, knowledge gaps and future potential research directions were also discussed in detail. Finally, a comprehensive CPS framework was proposed as a sound reference in future research.

Application of Information Technology in Construction Machinery Management

Construction machinery is a key factor in the construction of construction projects, which is of great significance for ensuring the quality and schedule of construction projects. Many problems have arisen in the current management of construction equipment, which have a negative impact on the reliability and sustainability of construction equipment. Emphasizing the quality of construction equipment management work and optimizing the application of information technology in construction machinery management can effectively improve the continuity of machinery equipment operation. This article will systematically discuss the application research ideas of information technology in the management of construction machinery, and put forward related suggestions based on the actual situation.

Construction project scheduling under workspace interference

AbstractWorkspace interference in construction sites usually leads to work inefficiency, rework, and risk to the workforce. In this paper, we present a study on controlling and mitigating workspace interference in construction project scheduling. In particular, we consider two types of workspace interference: unacceptable workspace interference (USI) and acceptable workspace interference (ASI). During the scheduling process, if two activities cause USI, they must be scheduled for non‐overlapping execution periods. If the two activities that cause ASI are executed concurrently, it will lead to decrease in productivity. We first establish a mathematical model for construction project scheduling subject to these two types of workspace interference. This established model is a mixed‐integer, multiobjective optimization problem. Then, a two‐stage metaheuristic algorithm is developed to solve the problem. Two construction scenarios are selected to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. By comparing with traditional forward scheduling method, the two‐stage metaheuristic algorithm can achieve solutions with, on average, shorter project makespan, less total cost as well as milder resource usage variation in execution.

Nature and Causes of claims in Iraqi turnkey projects

The construction projects are usually related to complexity, and great overlap between project activates. Many parties contribute to achieve the objectives, differences in objectives among stakeholders are the main cause for the emergence of claims that may lead to disputes. the issue of claims and disputes remains one of the most important factors that hinder the scheduling of construction projects. However, this paper presents an overview about the nature and causes of claims in addition to disputes resolution. four government institutions were investigated as a case study in construction projects and conflict resolution methods in Iraq. These institutions are Health, Education, Planning, and Local governments in the provinces. The statistical analysis was used as a tool in this study, the result showed that 88.57% of Iraqi construction projects suffer from time extension claims, and Public holidays and religious events was the common cause of emergence of claims.

Study of labor cost escalation in delay projects

Timeliness of implementation is one of the variables in the implementation of construction projects. Evaluation and acceleration of delays projects will generally affect the use of project resources. Project delays can be overcome by making efforts, among others, with the Crashing Method which will affect various alternative costs resulting from Crashing. This study aims to understand that the delay in the construction project schedule will have an impact on the new schedule and the impact of costs that occur due to the acceleration carried out so that the project life is in accordance with the plan. Furthermore, it was analyzed for the need for additional workforce groups or only to maintain the addition of overtime. This research was conducted with descriptive analytic method, which is a research that will explain the conditions in the field in detail about project schedule delays by analyzing the magnitude of escalation of labor costs due to the acceleration of the duration of each activity so that the project schedule returns to the plan age.

Network‐level scheduling of road construction projects considering user and business impacts

AbstractConstruction projects are often associated with partial or full road closures, which result in user costs and community disruptions in terms of reduced business productivity. A number of studies have addressed the problem of scheduling construction projects based on a variety of stakeholder objectives. Yet still, there seems to exist a few gaps regarding (1) possible tradeoffs between road user cost reduction and business cost reduction associated with optimal scheduling, (2) role of the project type (rehabilitation and capacity expansion) on the solution methodology, and (3) lack of solution algorithm to address the problem complexity by deriving the optimal solution. In addressing these gaps, this article adopts a novel approach for developing an optimal project schedule for multiple road projects within a construction horizon. The goal is to minimize the overall cost of the projects to road users and adjacent businesses over the construction horizon. The project scheduling problem is formulated as a mixed‐integer nonlinear program. We solve the problem using a local decomposition method. The methodology is demonstrated using the Sioux Falls city network with two project types: capacity expansion and rehabilitation. The results of the numerical experiment suggest that (1) the solution algorithm converges to optimal solution in finite iterations and (2) a network‐wide scheduling of urban road projects using explicit optimization can yield a significant reduction in business disruption costs while incurring a relatively smaller increase in system travel time, and overall, is superior to a schedule developed only considering the total system travel time.

Optimizing non-unit repetitive project resource and scheduling by evolutionary algorithms

Repetitive project scheduling is a frequently encountered and challenging task in project planning. Researchers have developed numerous methods for the scheduling and planning of repetitive construction projects. However, almost all current repetitive scheduling methods are based on identical production units or they neglect the priorities of activities. This work presents a new hybrid evolutionary approach, called the fuzzy clustering artificial bee colony approach (FABC), to optimize resource assignment and scheduling for non-unit repetitive projects (NRP). In FABC, the fuzzy c-means clustering technique applies several multi-parent crossover operators to utilize population information efficiently and to improve convergence efficiency. The scheduling subsystem considers the following: (1) the logical relationships among activities throughout the project; (2) the assignment of multiple resources; and (3) the priorities of activities in groups to calculate project duration. Two numerical case studies are analyzed to demonstrate the use of the FABC-NRP model and its ability to optimize the scheduling of non-unit repetitive construction projects. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method yields the shortest project duration on average and deviation of optimal solution among benchmark algorithms considered herein and those considered previously. The outcomes will help project managers to prepare better schedules of repetitive projects.

Collaborative supply chain planning and scheduling of construction projects

Abstract In this study, we propose an integrated model for collaborative Construction Supply Chain (CSC) planning that deals with the joint project scheduling and material ordering decisions. The main objective is to achieve more coordination and, therefore, to reduce the total CSC cost. More specifically, we consider a two-echelon Supply Chain (SC) composed of a manufacturer, a warehouse, and multiple construction sites where multiple independent construction projects are planned. The projects require different materials that are provided by the same manufacturer with a limited production capacity. The starting time of each activity is subject to materials availability in construction sites. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed to reduce the total costs while collaboration between contractors is possible. The model is implemented using the IBM ILOG® CPLEX® Optimization Studio and used to analyze the collaboration process through a numerical study to demonstrate the benefits of collaborative planning in construction project management. The decision model help also in finding practical construction projects’ sequences as well as suitable materials ordering, manufacturing, and inventories plans for SC participants.

Causes of Delay in Construction of Motorable Bridges under “Design and Build Model” of Bridge Project, Department of Roads, Nepal

This paper aims at detecting the causes of delay in the “design and build model” of motorable bridge construction under the Bridge Project, Department of Roads, Nepal. The research is based on an intensive literature review, primary data, secondary data, and interviews. The survey which was carried out with the help of questionnaires was used to assess the perceptions of the respondents involved in the construction of the “design and build model” of the bridge project. The questionnaire was divided into three parts and the main part focused on the causes of delay in “design and build model” in the implementation of such projects. A total of 56 different causes for delay of bridge construction were identified through the literature review and a pilot survey of three groups of respondents who were involved in the construction of such bridges (see literature review of this paper). The eight most important causes, among 56, identified by the study are: 1) Lack of stakeholder analysis 2) Poor portfolio management 3) Lack of inadequate pre-execution planning and improper time management 4) Lack of site management 5) Inadequate budget allocation and delay in payment 6) Lack of provision of reward and penalty, 7) Lack of detail survey, improper soil exploration and preparing report without depth study and 8) contractor’s excessive workload. The cost, quality, and schedule of bridge construction projects can be maintained once the problem of unnecessary delay is resolved and the competency of the construction industry in Nepal will improve.

“The Planning, Scheduling and Delay Analysis of Construction Project – A Case Study”

“The Planning, Scheduling and Delay Analysis of Construction Project – A Case Study”

Crashing Construction Project Schedules by Relocating Resources

A variety of schedule compression techniques are used to get delayed construction projects “back on tracks”. This paper presents a new optimization approach to schedule crashing by relocating some of the workers from non-critical to critical processes (changing composition of crews using the initial pool of workers) and employing additional resources. The authors describe their idea in the form of a mixed-integer linear problem. A numerical example illustrates the merits of the proposed approach. The method may become a practical support in construction scheduling decisions.

Календарно-сетевое планирование строительства на основе 4D-моделей

Календарно-сетевое планирование строительства на основе 4D-моделей

Возможности применения метода оценки и анализа программ для контроля сроков строительного проекта

The program evaluation and review technique (PERT) was developed and first used more than sixty years ago and is now well known. This technique allows taking into account the probabilistic nature of the work duration, so it is used for scheduling projects, where the duration of all or some of the works can not be clearly determined due to the high degree of uncertainty of the external environment in which such projects are carried out. However, the problem of controlling the terms of project activities and key events of the project based on the program evaluation and review technique has not been studied well enough. This article investigates the possibilities of applying the program evaluation and review technique to track and control the construction project schedule. An algorithm for using this method to predict the probability of timely occurrence of control points and completion of the entire project is presented.

Generation, visualization, and evaluation schedule of repetitive construction projects using GIS

Surroundings is a major factor that affects scheduling of a repetitive construction project. But, both the past experience of planner and the commercially available tools are limited to take the effects of surroundings on the developed schedule into consideration. Therefore, geographic information systems (GIS) are used in the current study to consider the effects of surroundings on the schedule of a repetitive construction project. The interactive tool for project scheduling is developed in GIS environment by writing in-house scripts for both non-repetitive and repetitive units. 4D execution sequences along with its surroundings have been developed in GIS by linking schedule of a repetitive project with related 3D components. Hence, the effects of surroundings on the schedule of a repetitive construction project can be considered through using GIS in the current case study. Also, the 4D execution sequence along with its surroundings is used in checking the constructability of the developed schedule. Moreover, it helps in identifying logical errors, missing activities in the schedule, spatial feasibility, and constructability analysis. The developed interactive tool is used for the scheduling of Udaigiri boys hostel (UBH) building, as a case study, and helps the practitioners and planners in scheduling of their repetitive construction projects.

Work package-based information modeling for resource-constrained scheduling of construction projects

Abstract As an essential problem in construction management, the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) has been studied for decades; however, an integrated information model that fully supports the RCPSP solving process is still lacking. Though building information modeling (BIM) was proposed to meet the data requirements in the building life cycle, some scheduling and resource information are not considered in information transfers between the information model and the RCPSP mathematical model. This paper presents an integrated approach that enables fluent data flow from the information model to the RCPSP model for construction scheduling. Within this approach, a work package-based information model is proposed to capture all the required data of the RCPSP. Then, a semiautomatic method that integrates multisource data is introduced to form the proposed information model, and an adaptive data transmission method is used to support a designed multimode resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MRCPSP) model. The models and approaches are validated using the data of an actual project, demonstrating the feasibility and efficiency. This study contributes a novel integrated approach to formalizing a construction information model using a semiautomatic data integration approach, covering the information requirement and enables fluent data flow in the RCPSP solving process. Meanwhile, the work package-based information model is a successful attempt to introduce previously-gained knowledge into automatic schedule generation processes. Future work, such as extending the information model, creating new methods for RCPSP model generation, and data analytics, can bring new opportunities to apply more complex and intelligent methods in project scheduling and construction management.

Modeling Construction labour productivity using Evolutionary Polynomial Regression

Construction projects are labour-intensive and labour costs are a substantial percentage of total budget. Impaired labour productivity causes an increase in construction project schedule. Labour productivity is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the construction industry, and modelling labour productivity by utilising different techniques has been getting more attention. It is a challenging task as it requires identifying the influencing factors as well as considering the associated interdependencies. This paper investigates the application of evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR) for modelling labour productivity in formwork installation. EPR is a data-driven hybrid modelling technique based on evolutionary computing and has been successfully applied to solving civil engineering problems. Results obtained from the EPR model were compared with the outcomes of three other methods: best subset, stepwise, and general regression neural network (GRNN). Results demonstrate the predictive superiority of the developed EPR model for nonlinear problems based on statistical performance indicators.

Construction Project Scheduling Taking into Account the Risk of Temperatures Below –10°C in Poland

The article attempts to determine the value of the duration of the building process depending on the risk of the occurrence of temperatures below –10°C in Poland. It summarizes the results of measurements of the temperature study over 62 years (from 1950 to 2011) in Poland. The number of days with temperatures below –10°C in future years was forecasted. The method of ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Process Average) STATISTICA STAT SOFT was used. Stationarity series was tested using an IDW Durbin Watson integrative statistics and homoscedasticity was tested by the Levene test. The forecast error was verified using autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation residues functions. On the basis of calculations, the risk values for outdoor works in each month in Poland was established. It is a part of BIM 6-D calculation. The calculated risk value can be used for the calculation in Risky Project Professional and in other programs. The proposed risk values and the method of calculation are the upcoming modification product, which has not been reported yet.

Stochastic analyses for managing risk of delay in Duri oil construction projects, Indonesia

This article objective was to identify, assess, simulate, and mitigate risks of delay for the construction of new pressure maintenance (NPM) project located in Duri, Indonesia, based on the combination of stochastic and sensitivity analyses. These both analyses methods are not new but relatively unique to be applied in the area of oil industry especially in Indonesia in generating specific result findings. There were identified 16 major activities are sensitive causing the construction delay. Five significant risks such as; delay in procuring labors, material, and equipment, as well as changes in design and specifications, contributed to the project delay. Based on the stochastic risk analyses, it was identified that an 80% probability of the project would delay for 48 working days. These risks were classified as a high-risk project (delay > 20% from the initial construction project schedule). After conducting risk simulation and risk mitigation measures there were 80% probabilities for reducing the construction delay up to 52.08%. The application of these methods and 6 stages in managing risks would be as an important reference for the oil industry stakeholders in the identification, assessing, and mitigating any possible delays and risks during the construction phase systematically.

Using meta-networks to analyse the impact of adverse random events on the time and cost of completing

According to the concept of a system-based approach, a construction project can be treated as a complex system composed of various elements, such as human, equipment and material resources, as well as knowledge and tasks that are mutually interlinked. In the classical approach to construction project risk assessment, the impact of the “system” in the analysis of relationships between risk sources and their consequences has so far been neglected. The concept of construction project vulnerability and its adaptability has appeared in literature in recent years. It is analysed on the basis of a project’s vulnerability to the impact of risk factors and its adaptive capacity is seen an answer to project perturbations caused by adverse random events. As a part of developing the system-based approach to analysing construction project schedule, the author further developed the concept of modelling planned construction projects with relationship meta-networks composed of four types of nodes: agents (human resources), knowledge, equipment and material resources and tasks. The author included possible deviations from the planned project’s budget in the schedule vulnerability and adaptability analysis, instead of only focusing on deviations from its completion deadline. An analysis of the occurrence of additional and replacement work was introduced by the author, which further developed the concept of the simulated evolution of such networks to include the capacity to introduce new nodes and links into their structure. Furthermore, the author used the potential of weighted meta-networks to model certain dependencies within the planned project. A simulation-based approach as a part of DNA (dynamic network analysis) was used to analyse the vulnerability and adaptability of such networks. The proposed approach was presented on the example of a renovation project performed on a historical structure. The conclusions drawn from the author’s analyses can be used to formulate construction project schedules that are less vulnerable to perturbations and are characterised by greater adaptability. In the future, the author plans to expand the analysis presented above to include dependencies in single-mode networks (e.g. in agent, resource or knowledge networks) on the meta-network of a project.