Stochastic Analysis on Project Duration Under the Requirement of Continuous Resource Utilization

I-Tung Yang¹

Abstract

In repetitive construction projects (e.g., multistory buildings, pipelines, and highways), resources (labor and equipment) perform work and move from one repetitive unit to the next. The Repetitive Scheduling Method (RSM) has been proposed to ensure the continuous utilization of resources from unit to unit, which meets the goal of eliminating waste (i.e., unproductive idleness between units) in Lean Construction. This paper demonstrates possible cost-saving benefits associated with continuous resource utilization. Having resources work continuously, however, may require postponements on the start time of resources in certain units. The resulting RSM schedule possesses fewer floats than the early schedule in the Critical Path Method (CPM). The impact of continuous resource utilization on floats is illustrated through an example six-unit project. Since floats can be used to accommodate uncertainty of production rates during planning and variability during execution, fewer floats (buffers) in the planning phase may more likely lead to a longer project duration in the execution phase. A probabilistic model is simulated to compare the impact of the RSM and CPM schedules on the project duration.

Keywords

Repetitive scheduling, continuous resource utilization, float management, simulation

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Reference

Yang, I. 2002. Stochastic Analysis on Project Duration Under the Requirement of Continuous Resource Utilization, 10th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , -. doi.org/

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