Vital Contribution from Construction Team in Project Plan
In my previous article I had explained some terms in planning to the Construction Team Members in a simple way with examples. Planners, with some experience in field as construction engineer would agree that it is essential to have a lot of contribution from construction team for any schedule to be effective. When the experienced construction team is involved in planning; not only they would contribute but also ‘own’ the schedule and the commitment level would be high. It is but natural that the schedule would be much more effective, with higher chances of success.
I had earlier explained the following important terms:
Planning & Scheduling
Dependencies: Hard Logic / Causal, Soft Logic / Constrained, Preferential Logic
Links: FS – Finish to Start, SS – Start to Start, FF – Finish to Finish, SF – Start to Finish
Other: Lag, Lead, Float, Critical Path
In this article I would explain the whole process of planning with the contribution expected from the construction team. As explained earlier all kind of thinking or strategy for execution is termed as planning.
STEP 1: WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS)
Entire project is decomposed or broken down to smaller and more manageable components. This can happen in several levels. For Example, Level 1 is entire project & if the project consists of several buildings or structures, the Level 2 can be separating out these structures for planning further viz. Building 1, 2, etc. or Structures related to Amenities, and other Infrastructure etc. In case it’s a single structure, you may break it down to Sub-Structure, Super Structure, Infrastructure around Building, etc. as Level 2, which will happen in Level 3 of the WBS for a multi-structure project.
In the next level (Level 3, or 4 as the case may be) breaking down, you may consider the requirements for the execution, which is Drawings/Design, Procurement i.e. Materials/Contractors, Execution & Closeout. The next Level depends on the previous level, viz. for drawings it can be Structural, Architectural, Services, Infrastructure etc. and for Procurement, it can be various contractors and/or materials as required. For Execution it might have another level of breaking down based on works like for Civil works of structure might be taken in several parts viz. Lift/Central Core, Several Parts of the Building as Pour 1, Pour 2 etc., whereas Finishes works might be taken as Corridor, Lift Lobby, Staircase, Flats, etc. and further for services, it can be Shafts, Electrical Room, Lobby and Flats etc., For Façade it may be Faces of the building viz. North, South, East, West, or even by Flats, Corridors etc.. Thereafter if, it is a multistoried building, there can be Level 1, Level 2 etc. for all the works except it may not be there for works in Shaft and Façade of Faces. Further breakdown can be done till the level of activities. For example Civil Works can be Reinforcement of Level 1 Pour 1, Formwork for Level 1 Pour 1, Casting concrete Level 1, Pour 1 etc. for Electrical works it can be Conduits of Level 1 Lobby, Level 1 Flat 1 etc.
Please note that this is not the only or best way to prepare WBS, there can be several other equally good or better ways to prepare WBS. I am giving this way as an easily understandable way.
WBS & Decomposition is one vital element in which planner needs contribution from the Construction team to decide as to what level the breakdown should be and most importantly, what the manageable size of each of the level. For example in structure the Pour size must not be too small or too big to handle viz. 30 sqm plan area for a slab would be too small and 3000 sqm would be too big. With several other considerations like the manpower should get continuous work front, Slab cycle must not be beyond 15 days, too much formwork must not be blocked after casting, Casting huge pour would cause accessibility issue for placer boom etc.
Don’t you agree that all such valuable input can only come from the Construction Team and their combined experience, which is huge in comparison to a planner alone? I am just pointing a few, but there are several such important suggestions which are necessary.
STEP 2: METHODOLOGY TO EXECUTE:
In the step 1, our thinking was just in breaking down the whole project into manageable elements, but in this particular step the whole team decides, how each element of work, would be executed. It includes thinking in detail e.g. for Structure works, which type of formwork would be used and why? What would be the cycle time and hence what’s the quantity of formwork and left in place supporting system would be required. How many repetitions are possible? How the formwork would be lifted/shifted, erected? Would it need crane and if so what size, length and capacity? All such strategic thinking and contribution from construction team gives the plan an edge with practical approach. Similarly, think about Finishes e.g. what would be the method to install the Dry Stone cladding on external walls, how big the panel sizes could be and what kind of support would be required & how it would be arranged etc. & in MEP Services works, what kind of pipe supports are required, what’s the pipe joining method and special equipment for joining are required etc.
This information is necessary for all the elements of works and aids the planning exercise to make a good & executable plan. Imagine doing this for all the activities (barring typical) in the schedule. Can a planner, who is typically a ‘Civil Engineer’ can do it for all the works including complex works in MEP Services? Again, this invaluable information can be easily obtained through the ideas given by the construction people.
STEP 3: ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES – QUANTITY, RESOURCES, DURATION
Through the Step 2, planners will get to know about the requirements for type of Resources (Equipment, Machinery, Special Tools etc.) feasible and practical Techniques and if any special category of manpower resources (Formwork technicians, Rebar Couplers etc.) are required to execute. They can then plan accordingly.
Through interaction with the Construction team the planner can also get an idea about the productivity of all kind of resources and thereby can plan for the duration of each of the activity, provided he quantifies all the activities, with help of QS. Even if 100% accurate quantities are not available the approximate quantities with a parametric estimate on productivity helps in finalizing the duration.
This again is a vital information coming from the construction team. Note that a planner may have the standard productivity data but it need to be modified and tailored to suit the project in hand. This modification is where the Construction Team chips in.
STEP 4: SEQUENCE ACTIVITIES:
This is the last step in which planner needs valuable input from the construction team and their experience. Sequencing of activities must be done not only based on ‘Hard Logic’ or causal dependency but also based on ‘Soft Logic’ or constrained dependency. Hard Logic is easy to get for a planner, but it’s the ‘Soft Logic’ which needs experience and practical reasoning. Guess, who is best to give practical reasoning? Off-Course the Construction team, who has much more hands-on experience.
Apart from the Soft Logic sometimes the activities in a complex location of work viz. a toilet are difficult to fathom. This is one location wherein almost all trades (Civil, Waterproofing, Wet Finishes, Dry Finishes, Electrical, Plumbing, ELV, Façade etc. all) come together in a very small area. Further all of these have various stages viz. Waterproofing will have surface treatment, grouting, coving, priming, Chemical application and protection; Electrical will have conduits, wiring, final fixtures, Plumbing will have embedded conduits, Chairs with bolts for WC, Diverter body, CP and Sanitary fittings etc., Tiling will have surface leveling, Tiling, Grouting etc. and all of these activities are intertwined based on correct logic for the sequence, which depends sometimes on the type of fittings and one has to keep in mind that the other’s work should not get damaged or disturbed. In such complex work, the experience of construction team alone can resolve the sequencing issues.
There are 2 more steps of ‘FORWARD PASS AND BACKWARD PASS’ and ‘RESOURCE LEVELLING – DURATION ADJUSTMENTS’ which the planner has to do to complete the scheduling exercise; however these may need very little involvement from Construction Team; hence I am not deliberating the same here.
As a closing paragraph for this article, I hope that I have deliberated the importance of inputs from the construction team in planning. Technological developments are causing changes in products, changes in Tools and Techniques of Construction, changes in requirements of stakeholders and we all need to be on our toes to and keep learning from not only our own experience but experience of others. A planner will need and hopefully get immense help from construction team by involving them in planning. I repeat that involvement of construction team will make them committed to the schedule thus prepared and for sure it will have very high chances of success.
Abhay Gharpure
ADGP www.decodingcm.com/pm-blogs/ https://decodingcm.blogspot.com