SCHEDULE PLANNING FOR A SMALL CONSTRUCTION

PROJECTS

Držislav Vidaković, B.Sc., Tamara Marić, M.Sc.

University of Osijek, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Osijek
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Zagreb
dvidak@gfos.hr , tamara@grad.hr

Abstract

This paper elaborates possibilites of introducing a new cathegory in workforce time

planning – a universal construction works master (UKV). The problem is being
observed with regard to a decrease in labor productivity in relation with specialized
workforce, decrease of interior reservs in creating work groups and time schedule,
better optimalisation options and i regard to current construction practice.
On a project model with an average representation of different groups of construction
works the influence of different structure on predictable direct labor cost. That is being
calculated considering the overall workhours required and in regard to cost increase
due to introducing workers in the work process time and time again.
This researches are yet performed only to small construction projects.

Keywords: workforce schedule, universal construction works master (UKV),

labor productivity, building practice, histograms optimalisation

1. Introduction

Resources include everything that is needed for the completion of activities, the whole
project is divided into, but it is qualified human workforce that is primarily being dealt
with here. ¨The optimal determination of the needed human labor for the purpose of a
task, is a more complex problem than determining the optimal use of physical
resources and production tools resources¨[3, p.212] .
The number and distribution of resources are besides the time, costs and the risk the
main factors, which represent the basis for evaluation of the optimum building period.
Time planning which relies on unrealisticaly chosen resources or disregards the
planned resources during realization, will make only a dead letter out of a plan. So,
everything relies on intiutive management without any basis for a later analysis, which
is even worse on a long term because the whole concept of planning loses its
credibility.
Heterogeneous control of specified resources is an important part of preparing the basis
for the optimum period calculation [8].
When optimilizing the number and distribution of resources in a plan, whether using
mathematical or heuristic models, we always come to the so called ¨big combinatory
problem¨, which can be better solved if there are less different kinds of resources.
Furthermore, during realization it is easier to follow the resources divided into less
categories, and research has shown that a better management controll positively
correlates with employees’ performance [10].

722
Division of workforce, according to current building standards [11], to even seven
levels of qualifications (I-VII) and a whole range of specialized skills, only for main
bulding work of building construction (a concret worker, a bar-bender, a carpenter, a
bricklayer, a fitter, an insulator, a roofer, a machinist), provides a realistic option for
considerable cutting of different kinds of resources (for more than 50%). This, actualy,
follows something that has, more intuitively, become common in current practice. A
discrepancy between plans and realistic conditions of surroundings usually give results,
that are far from the expected.
For some work even building standards do not prescribe a certain skill, but only a level
of a worker’s qualification (e.g. in preliminary work-G.N.100-101-4401) [11].

2. Current state in building industry

Such a strict and very detailed division, described above, reraly survives in its
application. Division has been simplified to a large extent, so it is sometimes used only
for skilled workers-masters and assistants –manual workers (or general workers).
A questionnaire, carried out among active building companies of different size (total of
more than 1000 workers) within Osječko-baranjska and Brodsko-posavska county, has
shown that the great majority (more than 80%) usually use the same skilled workers
for peforming work which, according to building standards, require different skills.
This is mostly the case in companies with a small number of their employees (mostly
registered as Ltd. or craft product.).
This can be explained, to a certain extent, by the fact that smaller companies (up to 60
employees) still do not work on the most complicated building projects. Exceptions are
the contractors who are orientied only to certain types of work (e.g. floor glazing,
plastering with mortar, insulation, roofing work etc.), have specialized workforce and
take part in such big projects as cooperatives. In big companies there is very often a
division according to skills, that is qualifications such as unskilled workers (NKR),
semi-skilled or helping workers (PKR), skilled workers (KVR), highly skilled workers
(usually supervisors) (VKVR) [2], and skills such as a carpenter, a bricklayer and not
so often a bar-bender (but never a concrete worker as a skilled worker). These skills
are acquired in the system of regular or external education and, in our building industry
it is often the case of semiskilled master craftsman. It is belived that it takes 5-8 years
to create a skilled worker [3], which actualy means much more time acquering relevant
experiences at work than the time spent in school.
However, during the years of practice, due to organisation and characteristic job
requirements, it so happens that more qualified workers of one skill are forced to work
as helping workers on the jobs where there are master craftsmen trained for other skills
work. Such workers become more universal because they are now been trained for jobs
of much wider scope of performance than the one predicted with their basic skill.

3. A universal skilled building worker

In order to get closer to the exisiting organisation of contractors and to make the
managing of resources easier and applicable when planning more complicated cases of
execution, the introduction of a category: a universal skilled building worker, who can
perform different types of jobs, is being considered.
Types of jobs within main building work in building industry suggest the possibility of
defining the category of a universal worker for reinforced concrete-concrete work (a
skilled worker UKV-a.b.), who performs concrete, bar-bending and carpenter work, or

723
acquiring a universal skilled worker, who substitutes the performance of all the skills
needed for an execution of a building construction, that is rough building work (a
skilled worker UKV-g.k.).
Of course, it should be taken into consideration that by expending the field of a
worker’s performance the coordination effect is decreaseded as well as his
productivity. This drop can be compared to the average work of a narrowly skilled
worker, predicted and evaluated in building standards, and to the effeciency he
achieves on jobs that belong to the range of skills a worker has primarily been trained
for. If we assume that a worker performes one type of work, the type he is best trained
for, with a 100% efficiency (Ui), the accounted decreased efficiency for the work of a
worker who performs more jobs can be calculated by the following term:
100% efficiency for narrow field
U i' =
(100 − c )* (m − 1) + 100 [%] , (1)
m
i – newly defined skill of broader orientation and decreased efficiency (e.g. UKV-a.b.)
c – decreased efficiency on jobs that a worker is not specialized for (e.g. if he is a
semiskilled carpenter then for concrete and reinforced concrete works, which he
can perform, but with a predictable efficiency decrease of ¨c¨ %),
m - the number of separate building skills which a univers. skilled worker can assume
(e.g. for UKV-a.b. there are 3 – a concrete worker, a bar-bender, a carpenter).
Considering it all together, for all the workforce (of narrower and broader range of
performance) on a project it can be expressed as:
corected effeciency, that is 100% for
work. who perform
only the jobs they have been specially
trained for
n

∑ P *U i i
'

U '= i =1
[%] , (2)
P
i – a single worker’s skill,
n – the number of separate skills which take part on a project,
Pi- total of workers-shifts of a certain skill type needed for entire project,
P - total of workers-shifts of all skills needed for entire project.

When predicting a decreased effect, it is important to take into consideration that

beside the training, a number of features can be pointed out, which all together
determine a worker's capacity, and along with his moral characteristics influence the
productivity. Research in the UK has shown that when it comes influences to a
worker’s skill, a training is evaluated with 5, experience with 8, dexterity with 4 and
strength with 6 [5].
In the process of calculating the needed workforce for a certain duration of activities,
with universal skilled workers, such corrected work effects (U’i), that is, hour norm
(N.S.) predicted for workers of separate skills increased for corresponding percentage,
are iserted.
By consistent following of standards, which for every type of job prescribe a
corresponding skilled worker, within the calculation of every activity which needs
qualified workers of different skills, it has been noted that by their coordination there is
some unusedtime left, which can be observed as a time reserve, but also as

724
uncontrolled time [7]. By introducing skilled workers who perform different jobs, such
standstills are avoided, which gives us a more accaptable image of a needed workforce.
For example, the activity of oblique attic string course (and for a relatively small
amount of work) takes four types of workforce: a helping worker (PKR), a concrete
worker (KVB), a skilled bar-bender (KVA) and a skilled carpenter (KVT). When an
hour norm acc. to G.N. and the planned amount of concrete, fittings and formsare
inserted, calculation for a 9-hour workday is:
10,5m 2 * 1,00 h 0,16t * (6,00 + 22,50 ) h 1,30m 3 * 3,20 h
m 2 = 1,2d t = 0,5d m 3 = 0,5d
9h * 1KVT 9h * 1KVA 9h * 1KVB
dan dan dan

10,5m 2 * 0,20 h
m 2 = 0,2d
9h *1PKR
dan
1,30m 3 * 3,20 h
m 3 = 0,5d
9h *1PKR
dan

For Ta = 2 days a working group of minimum one master craftsman of each skill is
needed (1KVB, 1KVA and 1KVT), so that a skilled worker performs jobs of a helping
worker (because hiring of another PKR would not shorten the duration of activity).
The calculation of the same activity with universal workers for concrete and steel
works with (UKV-a.b.) and with predicted effeciency a decrease of 10% (U’i=90% of
Ui), shows that the need for workforce is actualy smaller, and reserve is obvious:

10,50m2 * (0,20+1,00*1,11) h + 0,16t * (6,00+ 22,50*1,11) h +1,30m3 * (3,20+ 3,20*1,11)) h 3

m2 t m = 1,5 ≅ 2d
9 h * 2UKV− a.b.
dan
All that suggests a better effeciency of using universal skilled workers on activities
(that is, projects) where there are more types of work. Activities which require skilled
workers of just one skill (e.g. just carpenter work, or insulator works, or floor glazing
and plastering) the use of coordinated specialized skilled workers would surely be
more profitable.

4. Uniformity of planned needs for workforce

The effect is decreased and the labor costs increased with the increase of disuniformity
of labor and machines use. ¨An ideal case is when during the overall period of
resource use its number stays unchanged and smaller than the total of the existing,
providing that the work would not be discontinued¨ [9, p.84]. The uniformity of the
workforce use characterises the uniformity criterion [1] for a single skill:
p
Ki = 1 − i , (3)
Pi
as well as for the overall workforce:
n

∑K i * Pi
K= i =1
, (4)
P

725
where pi denotes the total sum of resources (workers-shifts) that are placed, on a
histogram above the line of the average value of the need for the same kind of
resources (of even use).
A more accurate plan evaluation of a particular resource use, should be based on
deviation from the ideal, which can be numerically shown through deviation ¨penalty¨.
For calculating the deviation, certain indications about factors, which have impact on
their values in the sense of criteria from the practice, should be used. Changes which
can be assumed not to bring any difficulties in realization, are not included in the
deviation calculation [9] (e.g.using over time).
In order to get as uniform workforce use plan as possible, without extending the time
of its execution, a workforce plan can be created safely. It is always possible to predict
more workers or higher qualifications (a skilled worker can stand in for a helping
worker, but not vice versa), than it is predicted in standards, but it should be considerd
to what extent is it economically justified. The cost increase that would be created in
that way should be less than the loss caused by disuniform resource plan ¨penals¨.
In the case when besides universal skilled workers we can use skilled workers
specialized for particular building work, it is desirable that they perform them then
whenever possible and work as least as possible on the activities of other kind. The
number of such workers who can be maximaly used is the number of workers of that
skill who are continuously needed during the execution of a project. They are placed at
the bottom of the histrogram for that type of workforce, and final needs for that type of
work are performed by universal skilled workers. Workers of a broader orientation thus
takeover the role of ¨floating workers¨ who are recomended for other activities with
heterogeneous resource needs as well [6]. In this way a certain reserve is created
according to a planned, decreased effeciency.

5. An example of a problem analysis

A simple model has been used to examine different workforce divisions according to
skills (by planning) on a given time planning of workforce, its uniformity and the total
of working hours, that is direct costs.
A project of a floor extention on an existing bungalow, in roch bau, which contains the
average number of different types of work has been used [2]. For creating a plan of the
main building works, the project has been divided into sixteen activities and the time
extention has been determined to 40, that is 39 working days with 9-hour working
shifts. The duration and needed working group for each activity has been calculated in
three ways considering the workforce division according to the skills.
-I- following a detailed, complete division to all the skills (skilled workers: KVB,
KVA, KVT, KVZ as well as PKR), as it is prescribed in general building standards;
-II-a division with skilled workers for concrete and reinforced concrete (UKV-a.b.),
who perform the works of a concrete worker, a bar bender and a carpenter, and with
helping workers (PKR);
-III-a division only to skilled workers for building construction (UKV-g.k.), who
besides all the works perform the work of UKV-a.b. and bricklayer’s work, and again,
to helping workers (PKR).
Next to this division four more efficiency decrease values have been taken (¨c¨) by the
work of universal workers on the jobs they have not been primarily trained for: 6,0%,
10,0%, 15,0% and 20,0%. Thus, with a term (1) for the work of UKV-a.b. worker (case
II) the average of efficiency decrease has been calculated 4,0%, 6,7%, 10,0% and

726
 13,3%, and for the work of UKV-g.k. worker (case III) the average efficiency decrease
of 4,5%, 7,5%, 11,3% and 15,0% has been taken.
By the different activities, according to various types of work they contain, differences
in workforce division had different impact on results. The calculation has been done in
such a way that the duration of the activity was kept the same, but because of the
increase of the number of workers on activities, due to the efficiency decrease when
defining the activity level (duration expressed in working days), there has been some
minor changes in days Ta.
Time planning has been made by the method of previous activities (PDM) and
corresponding gantograms and histograms are taken out of it for every predicted
workforce division. The schedule of workforce use has been optimalized only by an
intervention on activities with the time reserve. For every case there is a histrogram
(Figure 1) for which the following has been calculated: the total of needed workers-
shift for the whole project, the average daily need for workforce, and according to the
terms (3) and (4) the uniformity criterion of workforce use for every predicted skill, as
well as all that for the entire workforce.
17
17
17
17
17

17

16
15
14
KVB A KVT KVZ All work.

12

12
11

11
11

10
10

10
10
9

9
5
8

8
8

8
8
4 4
4 4

7
7
7

7
7
7

7
7
7
7
33

33
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

5
5

5
5

5
5

5
5
5
5
5
5

5
5
5
5
4
3
3
3
3

3
2
1
4
4

4
4

4
4
3
3
3

3
3
3

3
3
3
2
1
2
2

2
2

1
5
5

4
3
2
1
11
11
11
11

10
9
9
9

9
9

8
8

7
6
6

5
PKR

4
4

4
4
4

3
3

2
2

2
2
2

2
2
2
2
2

2
2
2
2
1
Work d. 1 2 3 4 5 6 N 7 8 9 10 11 12 N 13 14 15 16 17 18 N 19 20 21 22 23 24 N 25 26 27 28 29 30 N 31 32 33 34 35 36 N 37 38 39 40
-7,5 and -11,3%eff.
10 2*sh.

-15,0%effic.
17
17
17

-4,5%effic.
16
16

16

15
14
All work.

13
14

13
13
8

10
10

10
10

10
8

7
7
7

7
7
7
7
33

6
6
6
6

6
6
6
6
6

6
2

5
8
UKVg.k

8
8
8

7
7
7

6
6
6
6
6
6

5
5

5
5

5
5
5

5
5
5
5

4
4
4
4
4

4
4
4
4
4

4
4

3
2
1
.

11
11
11
11

10
9
9
9

9
9

8
7
7

6
6

5
PKR

5
5

5
5
5

4
4

3
2
1
2

2
2
2
2

2
2
2
2
2

2
2
2
2

2
2
2

2
2
2
2

Work d. 1 2 3 4 5 6 N 7 8 9 10 11 12 N 13 14 15 16 17 18 N 19 20 21 22 23 24 N 25 26 27 28 29 30 N 31 32 33 34 35 36 N 37 38 39 40

Figure 1. –Histograms for case I and case III (summary)

The needed total of workers-shifts, single skills and qualifications has been multiplied
by the corresponding price of an hour work (the usual amount of gross hours), and the
direct value of labor costs has been obtained. Its variations (% of decrease in relation to
the costs amount by division to all skills, which is the bigest) has been put into relation
to a percentage (in calculation of predicted size ¨c¨) of decreased efficiency and
uniformity criterion of workforce use. It should be pointed out that these direct labor
costs do not include the influence of the decrease of uniformity of workforce use. A
graphic presentation of criterion value of uniform workforce use and decrease of direct

727
labor costs (without calculated influence of uniformity criterion), as well as the way of
calculating the workforce (I-III) has also been given (Figure 2).

9,00%
8,00% 7,74%
7,00% 6,30% ¨c¨=6%
6,00%
5,00% 4,68% ¨c¨=10%
4,26%
4,00% ¨c¨=15%
3,00%
1,86% ¨c¨=20%
2,00%
1,00% 0,96%
0,00%
All skills : 100%effic. UKV-a.b. : 99,1- UKV-g.k. : 97,5-
96,6%sum.eff. 91,5%sum.eff.

Figure 2. –Direct labor costs decrease in relation to skills division and amount
uniformity criterion
The obtained data show the growth of the uniformity of workforce use including
expanded scope of skilled workers’ work, as well as the fact that more economical
calculations of activities, gained by using universal skilled workers and by predicted
decrease of their average efficiency of 15% (that is 20% for skills they have not been
primarily trained for), give better financial results than the ones obtained by the
calculation of workforce distribution to all skils. More economical results gained by
the uniform use of workforce, that is avoiding higher costs by introducing new workers
on the job, is only an additional argument for the division of workforce to a smaller
number of different skills.
It is possible to determine the maximum efficiency decrease of universal master
craftsmen in relation to the level of cost-efficiency of such a workforce use with an
equasion, considering the connection between direct labor costs fluctuations, and the
percentage of decreased efficiecy and increase of workforce uniformity criterion.

6. Conclusion

It is believed that a low pruductivity in civil engineering can be especially increased

through further research and by applying new knowledge [4], therefore, every idea is
worth examining.
The universal orientation of a skilled worker does not mean a step backwards, as it
might be concluded in the context of a narrow specialization trend in an industrialized
society. It is about simplyfing the execution process, as a result of introducing new
materials, technologies and various equipment, which, along with some other benefits
of modern age, enables a successful mastering of skills needed for performing
different construction work. A good illustration for the above are the knowledge and
work that a carpenter had to master in order to create complicated wooden structures,
which have now been substituted by other materials. And for those wooden structures
that are still performed there are tools and binding materials that make the work much
easier. So, it is completely realistic to expect from a skilled worker to master several
such simplified skills, which often overlap in practice. All that has a support in the
existing situation of building industry, especialy in smaller companies.
Dicrease of different workforce, undoubtly cuts and simplifies the process of
calculation itself.
If we determine time according to existing resources, the planning with a narrow
choice of workers regularly gives plans with shorter duration, because there are less
limiting values.

728
Introducing a universal type of workers has double influence on work control. On the
one hand, it is easier to control, considering the workforce decrease, and on the other
hand, it can be assumed that workers with a large scope of their performance need a
harder control of the quality of their work.
The examples that have been done, show the justifiability of the recommendation to
apply resources that can perform more different kinds of jobs for their optimal use [9].
Plans that rely on the category of a universal worker, even with a drop of the average
efficiency of 15% and disregarding uniform use of workforce which is more
economical, give better results. A good real workforce division in a histogram to single
activities on a building site, with regard to the range of skills which they are still better
trained for and more efficient, additionaly speak for the reserve and cost-efficiency.
Above mentioned can be applied to small construction projects. For larger projects
(having big quantities of work) no adequate research has been performed yet.
What kind of final influence will chosen division, of broader or narrower orientation,
have on direct costs, still depends on each particular case. The right estimation should
be made within the preparation of a planning basis, and we should also bare in mind
the following (Figure 3):

+ POSITIVE + * POSSIBLE *
CASES:
- Better realization & control
of plan operations due to
The existing division
their conformity with the on a building site is
situation in practice. only for skilled work.
- Minor losses of time and helping workers.
by coordinating Prevailing need for
workfor. on the
level of activ.
for different kinds of
- More uniform skills in the overall
need for work structure.
wokfor. -Increased need
for workforce
for an efficiency
COST DECREASE drop.

COSTS INCREASE

- NEGATIVE -

Figure 3. –Illustration of possible cases in practice and their influence on expenses

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Petersburg, 1990.
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