CE 233

Construction Management
Lecture 8_2
Primavera P3
Setting Up a New Project
Dr. Jae-Ho Pyeon

Primavera Project Planner

A widely used interactive construction
scheduling and planning software
Graphical screens and output
Simplifies the interpretation of the
scheduling documents
Leads to more effective project
management
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What You Should Learn from This

Lesson
1. How to create a new project
2. How to add project activity data
3. How to add relationship input
4. How to schedule the project
5. How to back up the project file
6. How to restore the backup file
7. How to open an existing project
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Sample Project Data

Activity ID

Activity description

Original
duration

Predecessors

Start Project

15

Clearing

10

25

Foundations

14

15

35

Under Slab Utilities

25 SS=3

45

Ground Floor Slab

25, 35

55

Columns

45

65

Roof Slab and Beams

20

55 FS=7

75

Exterior Closure

28

65

85

Interior Partitions

18

75

95

Rough In Elect and Mech

21

85

105

Interior Finish

28

85, 95

115

Mech and Elect Finish

21

95, 105

125

Start Up and Test Elect and Mech Sys.

115

135

Finish Site Work

75

145

Final Inspection

125, 135
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Creating a Project
File New
To begin a new project:
Open Primavera Project Planner
Select File
Select New

Enter a 4
character project
name (required)

Project Title and Company name is optional

Enter the planned
project start date

Do not enter
A finish date
Set the planning
unit and work
week

Select Add to initiate project

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Activity Input
The project should open with
this screen of the classic
schedule
layout.
Select + to enter an activity

Activity Input: ID

Enter the first activity ID number.

Start with a number other than 1, in case
you have to add another activity.

Activity Input: Description

Select the field under the column heading

activity description. Enter a description for
the activity.

Activity Input: Duration

Select the field under the column heading

Orig. Dur. Enter the duration of the activity.

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Hit the enter key to complete the activity

entry. Note that the activity now appears
on the bar chart.

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Enter Additional Activities

Repeat the procedure to enter additional

activities. Note that Primavera automatically
numbers the new activities with ID numbers.
In this example the interval is 10.

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Activity Form

An activity form window can be displayed

At the bottom of the screen by selecting,
View, Activity Form.
The activity form is used to enter and display
Activity data.

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Activity Form Window

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Relationship Input

Open the Predecessors window

Pred Click + Select Activities

15

Start with your first activity.

After entering all activities,
predecessors can be assigned.
Select Pred on the Activity Form
Menu bar.
Select + to add a predecessor
to the highlighted activity.

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The first activity does not have a

predecessor. Move to the next
activity.

Select the scroll down arrow to

view a listing of all activities.

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Select the correct predecessor

from the list.

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Note that by default, the FS

relationship is used with a
lag of 0. However, both the
relationship and the lag may
be changed.

19

Continue through the

activity list, entering the
predecessors for each activity.
Some activities may have more
than one predecessor.

20

10

Note that we have selected a

SS with a 3 day lag for the
Under Slab Utilities. This is to
permit the foundation work to
advance for 3 days prior to
starting the Under Slab Utilities.

21

A FS with a 7 day lag

was used to allow sufficient
concrete strength gain.

22

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Calculating the Schedule

Tools Schedule

23

After listing all activities and

entering predecessors, the
schedule calculation is obtained
by selecting the schedule icon
on the upper menu bar.

24

12

You must select a schedule

date. This should be the
planned start date for a new
schedule.

25

Normally we want
to view the schedule
on screen first.

26

13

A schedule report is
generated.
You should have only one
activity with no predecessor
and only one activity with no
successor.
This report will help you
identify errors in your
network logic.
It also gives you the scheduled
completion date.
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Backing Up a Project
Tools Project Utilities Back Up

Before ending your work,

you should backup your
file to a diskette.
Select Tools,
Project Utilities,
Back Up.

28

14

You must
select your
project and click
on the box in
the back up
column.
Compress files
(One PRX file)

29

Restoring a Project
Tools Project Utilities Restore

To restore a project,
select the Tools command
followed by Project
Utilities/Restore options.

30

15

Again, you must select your project and click

on the box.

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Opening an Existing Project

File Open

To open a project on the hard drive,

select the File command
followed by the Open option.
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Then select
your project
from the list.
Note that
projects can not
be opened from
the back up
diskette.
They must first
be restored.

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