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A Fixed Start Scheduling Approach for Repetitive Construction Projects

  • Construction Management
  • Published:
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Abstract

In the face of the high variability in the completion of construction projects, the following research is generated. In the literature we can find several proposals to program projects, however, the variability of the activities causes high variability in the completion date of the projects. We hope that the proposed method, by controlling the start of activities, will ensure the completion date of the projects, by fixing the start of every activity with a high level of probabilistic confidence for the planned project duration. The proposed fixed start method (FSM) was tested in two case studies by using discrete event simulation. Project completion duration results were compared with the critical path method (CPM) and the program evaluation and review technique (PERT). Project completion was evaluated in the case studies by the coefficient of variance (COV), mean, and variance. The new method decreased the scheduled duration variability while meeting project completion times.

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Abbreviations

ATAED e :

Accumulative total advance for estimated duration

ATED e :

Accumulated total estimated ending days

ATSD p :

Accumulated total planned start days

\({\rm{atsd}}_{t,i}^p\) :

Accumulated total planned start days per unit (i) in function of time (t)

\({\rm{atsd}}_{t,i}^e\) :

Accumulated total estimated start days per unit (i) in function of time (t)

bf i :

Time Buffer for each activity (j)

d :

Duration of activity

\(d_j^e\) :

Estimated duration for each activity (j)

\(d_j^p\) :

Planned duration for each activity

(j)edt,i :

Indicator of ends per unit (i) and activity (j) in function of time (t)

F e :

Estimated finish of units and activities

\(f_{i,j}^e\) :

Estimated finish of unit (i) and activity (j)

F p :

Planned finish of units and activities

\(f_{i,j}^p\) :

Planned finish of unit (i) and activity (j)

i :

Units

j :

Activities

L i :

Lapse of days between the beginning of units for the same activities

M :

Number of activities

N :

Number of repetitive units

np j :

Number of personal per activity (j), crew elements

P :

Production of a working crew

Q :

Amount of work in units per activity

R a :

Adjusted production rate

R p :

Production rate

S :

Start of units and activities

S i,j :

Start of unit (i) and activity (j)

SD p j :

Adjusted production rate planned per activity

sd t,i :

Adjusted production rate, of unit (i) in function of time (t)

t :

Time

T 1 :

Total time of the first repetitive unit

T p :

Desired total time of the project

TP e :

Estimate total time of the project

TAED e :

Total advance for estimated duration (days)

TPD t :

Total personnel or labor per day

TSD e :

Total estimated starting day

\(tsd_{i,j}^e\) :

Total estimated starting day, per unit (j) in function of time (t)

TSD p :

Total planned starting day

α & β:

Shape parameter (Beta Distribution)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Panamericana, Zapopan, 45010, Mexico

    Francisco Moreno & Francisco Orozco

  2. School of Economic and Business Sciences, Universidad Panamericana, Zapopan, 45010, México

    Omar Rojas

  3. Technology Department of Construction Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Bolivar Senior

  4. Built Environment Engineering Department, University of Auckland, Auckland, 92019, New Zealand

    Mani Poshdar

  5. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Concepción, 4051381, Chile

    Eric Forcael

Authors
  1. Francisco Moreno
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  2. Francisco Orozco
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  3. Omar Rojas
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  4. Bolivar Senior
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  5. Mani Poshdar
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  6. Eric Forcael
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Correspondence to Francisco Orozco.

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Moreno, F., Orozco, F., Rojas, O. et al. A Fixed Start Scheduling Approach for Repetitive Construction Projects. KSCE J Civ Eng 24, 1671–1682 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-020-1429-8

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