UNIT I CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS – 10 PERIODS

•PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS

•PRECAST CONCRETE

•PREFABRICATION SYSTEM – MODULAR COORDINATION

UNIT II CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE - 10

Modern Construction Materials

Manufacture, storage, transportation and erection of pre-cast component forms.

Moulds and scaffoldings in construction.

Safety in erection and dismantling of constructions.

 •PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension.

Prestressing tendons (generally of high tensile steel cable or rods) are used which produces a
compressive stress that offsets the tensile stress that the concrete compression member would
otherwise experience due to self–weight and gravity loads.
Materials for pre-stress concrete member
1. Cement -
Ordinary portland cement - 33 grade means that the compressive strength of the cement
after 28 days is 33N/mm2general construction work under normal environmental condition.
43 grade of cement is used for plain concrete work and plastering works,53 grade mostly used
for the structural purposes as in reinforced cement concrete.
Portland slag cement Portland slag cement (PSC) can be used for all construction jobs in
place of ordinary portland cement, but its special properties render its adoption highly desirable
for marine structures, for structures involving large masses of concrete such as dams, and for
structures exposed to sulphate-bearing soils such as foundations.
Rapid hardening portland cement similar to Ordinary Portland cement but with higher tri-
calcium silicate (C3S) content and finer grindingThe one-day strength of this cement is equal to
the three-day strength of OPC with the same water-cement ratio. It is used in industries which
manufacture concrete products like slabs, because moulds can be released quickly. It is used for
cold weather concreting because rapid evolution of heat during hydration protects the concrete
against freezing.
2. Concrete - Pre-stress concrete requires high strength concrete, which has high compressive
strength comparatively higher tensile strength than ordinary concrete. The concrete is a material
should be compose of gravels or crushed stones, sand, cement. In pre-stress concrete minimum
grade of concrete M40.
3. Steel - High tensile steel, tendons, strands. In pre-stress concrete high tensile steel with
tensile strength around 2000MPa.

•In this designation the letter M refers to the mix and the number to the specified 28 day cube
strength of mix in N/mm2.The mixes of grades M10, M15, M20 and M25 correspond
 wire

strands

tendons bars
 •PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS
Prestressing can be accomplished in two ways:
Pre-tensioned concrete
and
Bonded or unbounded post-tensioned concrete
Pre-tensioned Concrete
Concrete is cast around already tensioned
tendons. This method produces a good bond
between the tendon and concrete, which both
protects the tendon from corrosion and allows
for direct transfer of tension. The cured
concrete adheres and bonds to the bars and
when the tension is released it is transferred to
the concrete as compression by static friction.

However, it requires stout anchoring points

between which the tendon is to be stretched
and the tendons are usually in a straight line.
Thus, most pretensioned concrete elements are
prefabricated in a factory and must be transported to the construction site, which limits their
size. Pre-tensioned elements may be balcony elements, lintels, floor slabs, beams or foundation
piles.
 •PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS

Bonded post-tensioned concrete

is the descriptive term for a method of applying compression after pouring concrete and the
curing process (in situ). The concrete is cast around a plastic, steel or aluminium curved duct, to
follow the area where otherwise tension would occur in the concrete element.
A set of tendons are fished through the duct and the concrete is poured. Once the concrete has
hardened, the tendons are tensioned by hydraulic jacks that react against the concrete member
itself. When the tendons have stretched sufficiently, according to the design specifications (see
Hooke's law), they are wedged in position and maintain tension after the jacks are removed,
transferring pressure to the concrete. The duct is then grouted to protect the tendons from
corrosion. This method is commonly used to create monolithic slabs for house construction in
locations where expansive soils (such as adobe clay) create problems for the typical perimeter
foundation.

Post-stressing is also used in the construction of various bridges, both after concrete is cured
after support by falsework and by the assembly of prefabricated sections, as in the segmental
bridge.
 •PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS
Unbonded Post-Tensioned Concrete

differs from bonded post-tensioning by providing each

individual cable permanent freedom of movement relative to
the concrete. To achieve this, each individual tendon is
coated with a grease (generally lithium based) and covered
by a plastic sheathing formed in an extrusion process. The
transfer of tension to the concrete is achieved by the steel
cable acting against steel anchors embedded in the
perimeter of the slab.
 •PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS

The advantages of unbonded system over

bonded post-tensioning are:
1.The ability to individually adjust cables based
The main disadvantage over bonded post-
on poor field conditions, e.g., shifting a group
tensioning is the fact that a cable can destress
of 4 cables around an opening by placing 2 to
itself and burst out of the slab if damaged
either side).
(such as during repair on the slab).
2.The procedure of post-stress grouting is
eliminated.
3.The ability to de-stress the tendons before
attempting repair work.
•PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS
•PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS
 •PREFABRICTION SYSTEM
There are two main types of prefabrication, namely

1. volumetric (often referred to as 'modular') and

2. panellised

Both of these types of construction can be achieved in timber, steel and concrete, and can also
be mixed within the same scheme.
 •MODULAR COORDINATION
• Modular coordination is a concept of coordination of dimension and space in
which buildings and components are dimensioned and positioned in terms of
basic unit or module.
• A module: a basic dimension
which could for example
Improves Productivity
form the basis of a planning
grid in terms of multiples
Through Standardization and submultiples of standard
module.
• Provide guide to building
Promote Industrialization (component manufactured in factory) component sizing: this can
reduce as much as possible
the needs to further trim
Less wet work site. and shape the materials to fit
together in construction;
Non dependence on unskilled labor Less modification on site
thus, reducing wastage of
labor and material.
 •MODULAR COORDINATION
BASICS OF MODULE
• The basic module is known as 1M which is equivalent to 100mm.
1M = 100mm
There are three type of MODULE :-
(I) Basic Module (II) Multi Module (III) Sub Module

Basic Module
• It is the fundamental unit of size in modular coordination and for general application to
building & components .The size of basic Module is taken as 100mm denoted by “M”
It is considered to be large enough to effect some variety reduction in range of
component size and is small enough to provide a flexible unit of measurement for the
purpose of design.

Multi Module
• Certain whole multiples of basic module usually expressed in as “M” with numeric
prefix as 2M , 3M, 4M etc are referred to as multi module.

Sub Module
Certain submultiples of basic module which are whole simple fractions shall be chosen
when absolutely necessary for an increment smaller than the basic module. For practical
considerations, this sub modular increment shall be expressed as “M” with fractional
prefix as 1/5M, 1/4M, 1/3M,etc
UNIT II CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE
 •PRECASTCONCRETE
The two factors which have the greatest impact on the operation of a precast yard are:
• Formwork: The importance of extremely well made and accurate formwork cannot be stressed
enough; and

• Concrete: A good mix design and careful placing to avoid air bubbles and good consolidation
are the keys to successful precast elements.

If the contractor deviates from these two principles he or she will not achieve the success that is
aimed for. These two principals cannot be stressed enough.
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Manufacture
•PRECASTCONCRETE - storage
•PRECASTCONCRETE - storage
•PRECASTCONCRETE - storage
•PRECASTCONCRETE - storage
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Transportation
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Transportation
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Transportation
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Erection
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Erection
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Erection
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Erection
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Erection
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Erection
 •PRECASTCONCRETE - Scaffoldings
What Is a Scaffold?
A scaffold is defined as an elevated, temporary work platform. There are three basic types of
scaffolds:
1. Supported scaffolds, which consist of one or more platforms supported by rigid, load- bearing
members, such as poles, legs, frames, outriggers, etc.
2. Suspended scaffolds, which are one or more platforms suspended by ropes or other non-rigid,
overhead support.
3. Other scaffolds, principally manlifts, personnel hoists, etc., which are sometimes thought of
as vehicles or machinery, but can be regarded as another type of supported scaffold.

Single scaffolding is generally used for brick

masonry and is also called as brick layer’s
scaffolding. Single scaffolding consists of
standards, ledgers, putlogs etc., which is
parallel to the wall at a distance of about 1.2
m. Distance between the standards is about 2
to 2.5 m. Ledgers connect the standards at
vertical interval of 1.2 to 1.5 m. Putlogs are
taken out from the hole left in the wall to one
end of the ledgers. Putlogs are placed at an
interval of 1.2 to 1.5 m
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Scaffoldings
Suspended Scaffolding

Cantilever Scaffolding

Trestle Scaffolding
•PRECASTCONCRETE - Scaffoldings

Steel Scaffolding:
Steel scaffolding is constructed by steel tubes
which are fixed together by steel couplers or
fittings. It is very easy to construct or
dismantle. It has greater strength, greater
durability and higher fire resistance. It is not
economical but will give more safety for
workers. So, it is used extensively nowadays
UNIT III CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND EQUIPMENT 10

Uses of the following:

Tractors, bulldozers, shovels draglines, cableways and belt conveyors, batching plants - Transit
mixers and agitator trucks used for ready mix concrete pumps, Guniting equipments - Air
compressors - welding equipment - cranes and other lifting devices

Choice of construction equipment for different types of works.

 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENTS
Depending on the application, construction
machines are classified into various categories

A. Earthmoving equipments (Tractors, bulldozers, shovels draglines)

B. Construction vehicles
C. Material handling equipments (cranes and other lifting devices, cableways
and belt conveyors )
D. Construction equipments (batching plants, Transit mixers and agitator trucks
used for ready mix concrete pumps, Guniting equipments - Air compressors
welding equipment)
 MULTI PURPOSE MACHINES MAINLY USED FOR
PULLING AND PUSHING OTHER MACHINES FOR
AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
1. WHEEL TYPE
2. CRAWLER TYPE
APPLICATIONS:
CLEARING & EXCAVATING MACHINERY
HAULING & CONVEYING MACHINERY
VERSATILE EQUIPMENT- ESSENTIALLY A HEAVY STEEL BLADE MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF
TRACTOR.
APPLICATION:
❖ SPREADING EARTH FILL
❖ CLEARING, OPENING UP PILOT ROADS
❖ BACK FILLING TRENCHES
❖ CLEARING CONSTRUCTION SITES
 • The drag line is so name because of its
prominent operation of dragging the bucket
against the material to be dug.
• Unlike the shovel, it has a long light crane
boom and the bucket is loosely attached to the
boom through cables.
• Because of this construction, a dragline can
dig and dump over larger distances than a
shovel can do.
• Drag lines are useful for digging below its
track level and handling softer materials.

APPLICATIONS:
o Dragging softer material and below its track
level
o It is very useful for excavating trenches when
the sides are permitted to establish their angle
of repose without shoring.
o It has long reaches.
o Excavation for canals and depositing on the
embankment without hauling units.
 CONVEYORS
•TRANSMITTING MATERIALS OVER A
STATIONARY STRUCTURE IN
CONTINOUS STREAM.

ADVANTAGES:
•INCREASES OUTPUT
•CONTINUITY IN OPERATION
•TIME SAVING (NO WAITING
PERIODS)
BELT CONVEYOR
TYPES:
•CONSISTS OF A BELT RUNNING OVER A PAIR
•BELT CONVEYOR
OF END DRUMS SUPPORTED BY A SERIES OF
•SCREW CONVEYOR
ROLLERS CALLED IDLERS
•BUCKET CONVEYOR
•MIDDLE SAG IS PROVIDED TO PREVENT THE
SPILLING OF MATERIALS
ADVANTAGES:
•CAN HANDLE LIGHT,HEAVY, DRY, WET, SOFT,
COARSE MATERIALS
•HIGH SPEED
•CARRIES HORIZONTALLY AND INCLINED
•LIGHTER IN WEIGHT
•CONTROLLED DISCHARGE
Transit mixer is a piece of equipment that is used for
transporting concrete/ mortar or ready mix material from a
concrete batching plant directly to the site where it is to be
utilized. Transit mixer is loaded with dry material and water.
The interior of the transit drum is fitted with a spiral blade.
Spiral blade is able to move in two directions. During
clockwise movement drum is charged with concrete and in
counterclockwise direction concrete discharge out from the
transit drum. Concrete mixing drum ensures the liquid state
of materials through rotation of the drum about its own axis.

PARTS OF TRANSIT MIXER

Concrete pumps
Two types of concrete pumps are used:
Direct-acting, horizontal piston type with semi-rotary valves set to permit always the passage of
the largest aggregate particles. This type of pump can cover a horizontal distance of 1000 m and
a vertical distance of 120 m. The concrete is fed in by gravity and is also partially sucked in
during the suction stroke. The valves open and close with definite pauses so that concrete
moves in a series of impulses, but the pipe always remains full. These pumps are capable of
pumping 130 m3 of concrete per hour with 8 inch pipes.

Squeeze pumps or peristaltic pumps are the ones that use vacuum pumping. These pumps can
cover a distance of 90 m horizontally and 30 m vertically, and are capable of pumping 20 m3 of
concrete per hour using 3 inch pipes.
 Guniting, Air compressors, welding equipments

What is Guniting ?
The guniting is the most effective process of
repairing concrete work which has been
damaged due to inferior work or other reasons.

It is also used for providing an impervious layer.

The gunite is a mixture of cement and sand, the

usual proportion being 1:3. A cement gun is
used to deposit this mixture on the concrete
surface under a pressure of about 20 to 30
N/cm2
Key points :-
Gunite is also known as shotcrete or pneumatically
applied mortar.
It can be used on vertical and overhead, as well as on
horizontal surfaces and is particularly useful for
restoring surfaces spalled due to corrosion of
reinforcement.
Gunite is a mixture of Portland cement, sand and
water, shot into the place by compressed air.
Guniting is basically used in swimming pool, dams,
tanks, etc
“Welding is the process of joining together two
pieces of metal so that bonding takes place at
their original boundary surfaces”. When two
parts to be joined are melted together, heat or
pressure or both is applied and with or without
added metal for formation of metallic bond.

The welding process is divided into two major

categories:
Plastic Welding or Pressure Welding and
Fusion Welding or Non-Pressure Welding
 ctep-unit-v-constructionequipments-160927044453.pdf
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/19829/9/09_chapter%201.pdf
UNIT IV CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGHRISE BUILDINGS - 6

Planning and scheduling for high rise building:

Scheduling- Simulation
Typical Floor Construction Cycle
Appropriate working schedule.

UNIT V - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT – 9

Overview of construction management topics

Estimating cost control, quality control, safety, productivity.
Value engineering, claims, and legal issues
Overview of construction management topics
What is a Project?

A Project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique

product, service or result.
Temporary – means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.
Projects are not ongoing efforts.
Unique Product, services or result –
A Product or artifact that is produced, is quantifiable, and can be either an end
item in itself Or a component item.

A capability to perform a service, such as business functions supporting

production or distribution.

A result, such as outcomes or documents. For example, a research project

develops knowledge that can be used to determine whether or not a trend is present or a
new process will benefit society.

Uniqueness is an important characteristic of project deliverables. For example, many

thousands of office buildings have been developed, but each individual facility is unique –
different owner, design,location,contractors and so on. The presence of repetitive elements
does not change the fundamental uniqueness of the project work.
Overview of construction management topics
What is Project Management?

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and

techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.

Managing a project includes:

•Identifying requirements
•Establishing clear and identifiable objectives
•Balancing the competing demands for quality, scope time and cost.
•Adapting the specifications, plans, approach to the different
concerns and expectations of the various stakeholders.

Project management is accomplished through the application and

integration of the project management processes of initiating,
planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.

The project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the

project objectives.
Overview of construction management topics
Overview of construction management topics
Overview of construction management topics
Estimate cost control
Estimate cost control
Estimate cost control
Estimate at completion =
Actual cost + Estimate to
complete
or
EAC = AC + ETC

Typical cost/time ‘S’ curve

Value Engineering
Value engineering (VE) is a systematic method to improve the "value" of goods or
products and services by using an examination of function.

Value, as defined, is the ratio of function to cost.

Value can therefore be increased by either improving the function or reducing the cost.
It is a primary tenet of value engineering that basic functions be preserved and not be
reduced as a consequence of pursuing value improvements.
Value Engineering
Value Engineering
Safety

Hidden Cost
Workers Compensation Cost
Replacement and training cost for
new or substitute employee
Poor Quality
Penalties for non-compliance
Safety
Typical Programs
Recordkeeping Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
OSHA 300 log and supplementary forms Proper use
OSHA 301, accident investigations Employee training
Workers compensation cases Enforcement
Employee's medical history –Dusty Operations
Hazard communication program –Unknown hazards
Written program development and –Hazardous waste operations and
implementation Emergency response
Machine guarding
Chemical Inventory
Make sure that machine guarding is:
Communicate safe work methods for:
– In place and working properly
– Jobs-Specific activities
– Replaced and tested for proper function
– Non-routine tasks
when removed for maintenance
– Labeling requirements
– Review electrical and mechanical interlocks
– MSDS
to see if they work properly
– Employee training (contractors)
Equipment Repair
Lockout/Tagout Inspect and repair and/or replaced defective
Make sure that lockout/tagout procedures parts
are established Others
Employees trained Confined-space entry
Follow project owner’s program Excavation
Heavy equipments
Air Monitoring
Productivity

Productivity: Definition
Productivity is the relationship between the outputs generated from a system
and the inputs that are used to create those outputs. Mathematically
O
P =
I
Productivity
Why is Productivity Important?
Productivity improvement in construction industry may have a significant impact on improving
GDP
Productivity growth is the key determinant of international competitiveness in the long term
Improving relative productivity growth improves a country’s competitive position
The construction industry – most challenging and demanding still many opportunities for
productivity improvement Factors having adverse effect on productivity
Overtime and or Fatigue
Factors Affecting Construction Labour Errors and omissions in plans and
Productivity specifications
Project uniqueness Multitude of change orders
Technology Design complexity and Design completeness
Management Stacking of trades
Labour organization Dilution of supervision
Real wage trends High accident rate
Construction training Jurisdictional disputes
Work rules and restrictive work practices
Availability of skilled labour
Reassignment of manpower from task to task
Material location – above ground
level/above floor level
Adverse temperature or weather
Inadequate lighting
Productivity

Methods of Improving Productivity

The following factors can lead to the Time and motion studies to improve
improvement in productivity: efficiency, reduce
Training programs for labour fatigue and work smarter
Incentives in contract for good performance Safety programs
Enough tools in working place and proper Use of precast and prestressing concrete
planning elements
Optimizing site facilities Critical path method of planning, scheduling
Availability of resources and control
Competition between crews, areas or shifts Value engineering
Good supervision and optimum manpower Worker motivation programs
Short interval scheduling Constructability review of design
Innovative materials and equipment Standardization
Time lapse film analysis for critical activities Preplanning activities
Cost reporting and work sampling of critical Effective utilization of sub-contractors
activities
Productivity
Productivity Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a systematic process of searching for the best practices, innovative ideas and
highly effective operating procedures that lead to superior performance
Purpose of Benchmarking
a) Analyze the operations to
- Identify the critical cost components and areas for improvement
- Reduction in the cycle time of activities
b) To get knowledge of the competition & industry leaders
c) To incorporate the best of the best – learn & emulate the best
d) To gain superiority over competitors
Types of Benchmarking
Internal
- Comparison among similar operations within one’s own organization
Competitive
- This is comparison to the best of the direct competitors
Functional
- Comparison of the methods with the companies with similar processes in the same function
outside one’s country
Generic
- Comparison of work processes to others who have innovative, exemplar work processes
Cooperative
- Contacting the best in class firms and asking them for knowledge sharing
Collaborative
- A group of firms sharing knowledge about a particular activity
Productivity

Common failures within the construction industry are often manifest in:
• cost and time overruns;
• poor quality workmanship;
• repetitive work;
• wastage on site and at the head
office;
• idleness within the workforce;
• incorrect estimating;
• poor planning;
• lack of good quality product;
• safety management-site safety
and the level of accidents;
• Claims;
• Disputes;
• poor quality machinery on site.
Productivity
Claim Management
Construction Claim can be defined as a request by either party to the contract, usually the
Contractor, for compensation for damages caused by failure of the other party to fulfil his part
of obligations as specified in the contract. The compensation is usually in the form of the
additional payment or an extension of time (EOT).
CAUSES OF CLAIMS
Delay in Supply of Drawings,
Delay in Handing over the Site,
Delay in Supply of materials,
Delay in Payments, Delay in Starting work,
Delay in Completing the work,
Work actually done but not measured and paid,
Refund of maintenance deposit,
Loss due to extra overheads on account of extension of
time limit,
Loss due to idle machinery and idle labour,
Due to Design errors,
Due to inadequate or incomplete specifications,
Due to inadequate information related to design.
Due to Inadequate bid information,
Due to Inadequate time for bid preparation,
Due to Change in work scope,
Due to Changes in plans and specifications during
construction,
Due to Insufficient plans and specifications,
Due to Extra items and Variations, etc…..
Claim Management

MOST FREQUENT CAUSES:

Payment related Claims

Change Claims
Delay Claims
Extra work Claims
Contractual Claims
Difference in pricing and measuring
Claims
Different site condition Claims
Acceleration Claims
Damage Claims
Contract termination Claims
Legal Issues
https://www.slideshare.net/ctm2015vnit/high-rise-building-construction
http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/2511/title/concrete-vs-steel/viewall/true
http://www.gpmfirst.com/books/risk-and-financial-management-construction/estimating-
budgeting-and-cost-control
https://www.mpug.com/articles/pmp-exam-prep-calculating-eac-and-etc-for-forecasting/
Planning and scheduling for high
DESIGN
rise building
CONSIDERATIONS
Legal Issues
SIMULATION MODEL FOR TYPICAL FLOOR CYCLE
Simulation techniques have been used to predict activity duration and improve planning (Halpin
and Riggs 1992, Shi 1999 and Zhang, Shi and Tam 2002). However, the building up of simulation
models requires planners to have a good knowledge of simulation. A network based simulation
has been used in this study. This simplifies the skills and knowledge required for modelling a
simulation network as general simulation programme can be difficult for general users (Shi and
AbouRiz 1997). Planners who have the knowledge in constructing critical path network and bar
charts could be able to use the simulation model. The constructing of simulation network for
modelling is similar to the critical path network using the ‘activity on node’ format except that
loops are allowed to show the re-cycling of resources. During the simulation process, the
activities may either in an active if the constraints are met or otherwise in an idle mode.
Normally, a tower crane can only be installed for a building block owing to both economic
reasons and space availability. Therefore, the crane can only serve one activity at one time and it
is important to optimise the usage of a tower crane which is one of the critical resources in high-
rise construction (Leung and Tam 2001). A ‘Start’ and ‘Stop’ node is assigned in the network for
controlling the numbers of simulation. During the simulation process, activity boxes are
attached with a coloured spinning icons showing their status. Resources shared by activities can
be represented by graphics moving between the activities boxes
Legal Issues
SIMULATION FOR TYPICAL FLOOR CONSTRUCTION CYCLE
In order to optimize the duration of a floor cycle or to determine the daily schedule, modellers
can modify the duration of the activities to suit the site conditions. It has to point out that the
duration of the activities can be shortened or extended by increasing or decreasing the input
resources, mainly the human resources in concrete frame construction generally. Table 1 shows
the duration for the activities of a typical floor construction cycle.
SELECTION OF APPROPRIATE WORKING SCHEDULE The simulations described above provide
alternatives for planners to make decisions on initial scheduling and subsequent updating. The
simulation results enable planners to locate the upper limit of the floor cycle, ie approaching to
the crash time solution.
However, it is a general rule in planning that the normal time should be used in the planning
stage unless the project duration would have already been overrun. An aggressive project
manager may consider applying the second scenario in order to shorten the frame construction
by 62 days (ie. 40 x [ 6.0 – 4.45]) without spending overtime payments.

If the project is undergone delay, a more drastic decision will be to extend the working period by
two hours as if in the fourth scenario. Therefore, when deciding the appropriate floor cycle
duration, planners have to review the factors and the merits prior to determine the strategies.