Planning, Scheduling and Control: A Construction Contractor's Perspective

by Len Holm

Like estimating, construction scheduling has been covered in other books dedicated solely to that topic. But scheduling by itself, without integrating preconstruction planning and controls during construction, is an incomplete construction management study. The schedule is a project management tool just as is the estimate; and time management is just as important to project success as is cost management. The key to effective time management is to carefully plan the work to be performed, develop a realistic construction schedule, and then control or manage the performance of the work. People often use the terms ‘planning and scheduling’ together. Planning is the up-front work which makes the schedule feasible. Planning is a process and the schedule is the result. The schedule is a logical arrangement of activities in order of occurrence, with prerequisites, and charted with a timeline. And the control element is the implementation of those plans during physical construction of a project. Planning, scheduling, and control are therefore the three major parts and focus of this book.A built environment professional learns to be a scheduler by scheduling, similar to estimating. You cannot completely get it from reading a book or attending a class. The book provides a good background and introductory topics, but the best way to teach it, and learn it, is through the use of examples and exercises. There are many of each of these in each chapter in the book. Almost 40 boxed-in examples of schedule situations are spread throughout the book. Some of these are good examples of construction scheduling and some of them are not-so good. Often we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. All of these are taken from projects which the author has participated on professionally. Some of these examples will also be expanded on as well with end-of-chapter applied exercises. The focus of this book is on the construction contractor, not the scheduling consultant or claims consultant. Much of the academic scheduling terminology is not used out on the jobsite, but these concepts have been included and defined where appropriate. This book is geared for construction management and construction engineering scheduling students and construction professionals wanting to enhance their scheduling capabilities. The book’s focus is on practical construction scheduling tools – those that help contractors build the project. Most of the scheduling related textbooks use examples with activities A, B, and C, whereas this book will use actual construction activities such Form, rebar, and place concrete, or wall framing; rough-in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing; test and inspect; and insulation and drywall so that the reader learns the schedule logic along with means and methods of construction, as well as the mechanics and calculations of scheduling. The narrative and examples also use real craft workers, such as carpenters and electricians, and real subcontractors, such as earthwork and drywall, etc. After finishing the book, the reader will have learned many important additional construction management topics, beyond planning, scheduling, and controls.The book is suitable as a text for a construction management or civil engineering planning or scheduling course, as well as an introduction to many construction management topics, particularly at the jobsite level. The book would also be suitable for in-house contractor or trade association training. Select case studies borrowed from 101 Case Studies in Construction Management, an inexpensive accompaniment book, are provided at the end of the book as an appendix that can be used for additional discussion.

567 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2021