Construction Project Scheduling and Control

Comprehensive guide examining analytical methods used to devise an efficient and successful schedule for construction projects of all sizes

The newly revised and updated Fifth Edition of Construction Project Scheduling and Control describes the tools and methods that make projects run smoothly, with invaluable information from a noted career construction professional, along with updated information on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and new technologies impacting project scheduling. The first chapter is now replaced by two chapters on planning and scheduling, separately. A new chapter on optimizing the schedule that applies all scheduling concepts has been added. The book also includes worked problems and exercises with scheduling software hints to enable students and practicing professionals to apply critical thinking to issues in construction scheduling.

This Fifth Edition includes a revised chapter on the definition of the critical path, which follows a discussion of resource management, schedule updating and project control, schedule acceleration, risk, and other topics. This edition also includes numerous notes on all aspects of the project that may impact the schedule. In addition, it features a chapter on project scheduling and control as viewed through the owner’s perspective, as well as an expanded glossary, a list of acronyms, and more. Instructors who adopt this book will be provided with valuable materials including PowerPoint lecture slides, an instructor’s manual with complete solutions to the book’s exercises, and additional questions for exams.

Sample topics covered in Construction Project Scheduling and Control include:

• Planning and scheduling as two different but related concepts
• Bar (Gantt) charts
• Basic networks, covering arrow networks, node networks, a comparison between the two, networks versus bar charts, and time-scaled logic diagrams
• Precedence networks, covering CPM calculations for precedence diagrams for contiguous and interruptible activities and types of lags
• Resource allocation and leveling, covering labor, equipment, and materials, and assigning budgets in computer scheduling programs
• Schedule updating and project control, covering steps for updating a schedule, measuring work progress, and earned value managament (EVM)
• Schedule acceleration concepts and techniques, and the impact of schedule acceleration on cost
• Reports and documentation, especially as related to the project schedule
• Schedule risk management
• Delay and other claims management
• Other scheduling methods, such as PERT and LSM
• Dynamic Minimum Lag (DML) relationship (a new concept)
• BIM and other technologies in modern construction scheduling
• Construction scheduling from the owner’s perspective

Written for undergraduate and graduate students in construction management, civil engineering, and architecture, as well as practicing construction management professionals, the Fifth Edition of Construction Project Scheduling and Control is an essential resource for gaining a foundational understanding of the field, along with the latest and most effective practices.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction to Project Planning

Chapter 2 Introduction to Project Scheduling

Chapter 3 Bar (Gantt) Charts

Chapter 4 Basic Logic Networks

Chapter 5 The Critical Path Method (CPM)

Chapter 6 Precedence Networks

Chapter 7 Resource Management

Chapter 8 Schedule Updating and Project Control

Chapter 9 Schedule Acceleration and Time-Cost Trade-Off

Chapter 10 Reports and Presentations

Chapter 11 Scheduling as Part of the Project Management Effort

Chapter 12 Other Scheduling Methods

Chapter 13 Dynamic Minimum Lag Relationship

Chapter 14 Schedule Risk Management

Chapter 15 Construction Delays and Other Claims

Chapter 16 Optimizing the CPM Schedule

Chapter 17 The Critical Path Definition: Revisited

Chapter 18 BIM and Other Technologies in Modern Construction Scheduling

Chapter 19 Project Scheduling for Owners

About the Author

Dr. Saleh Mubarak (Tampa, FL) is a professor and an independent consultant in construction project management, focused on training, writing, public speaking, and consulting. He is an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida (USF) and a former professor at several universities. He is also an active member of AACE International and a former member of PMI. He served on the PMI committee that created the professional scheduler certification exam. He has more than 35 years of diversified and international experience in academia and industry in private and public sectors.