Project Management & Time Recovery

This assignment delves into a construction project scenario. It outlines the critical path, calculates the total project duration (41 weeks), and explores the possibility of completing it faster (30 weeks). The focus shifts to addressing a 4-week delay caused by footing beam testing. The document proposes recovering this time by conducting some steelwork on site concurrently with other activities.

Question 1
The site establishment plan must be designed according to the dimensions of the site
The length of the site=18500+87025+1275+150+11400+4000+5000= 127350mm
The width of the site=73200mm
Therefore, the area to be enclosed during the works=73200*127350= 9322.02 square meters
As descried, a construction establishment plan should have an indication of the earthworks,
building and plants, accommodation etc. For our site establishment plan, the accommodation
should have a capacity of at least 30 people.Accomodation is the responsibility of the contractor.
The area to be covered by the earthworks (as described by the final building plans) =the area
occupied by the office and factory buildings.
The space occupied by the offices and factory: width=73200-(12800+2000+2000) =56400.mm
56400 is the width of both the buildings and hence, the width of one building =28200mm
On the other hand, the length of the buildings=87025-(18500+11400+4000+5000) = 48125mm
The area of the earthwork for the establishment of one of the buildings=48125*28200=1357.125
square meters. Therefore, the total area under construction =2714.25 square meters.
Furthermore, the area remaining for the equipment and accommodation of the workers=9322.02-
2714.25= 6607.77square meters.
The area required for accommodation (assumption) =1000 square meters. The length and width
of the structure can be taken as 33.33meters and 30meters respectively.

However, when designing this site establishment plan, other factors that need to be considered
include, the environment, supply services, the public among others. All these will be illustrated
in our site establishment plan.
Other factors to be described in the site establishment plan, besides the building sites and
accommodation facilities, include the footpaths, office buildings, boundary wall, emergency
exits, building access etcHowever,all these structures need to align themselves with the layout of
the land and as such, the contour levels will be significant in the design. On some extreme
measures, some sites require levelling before the actual establishment plan is designed. All these
factors may be illustrated in our site establishment plan.
Question 2
As stated in the description, an organizational chart displays the interrelationship between all
members of staff as well as the hierarchical order at the company/organization. As with, our
organization, these are the different members:
• Construction manager
• Construction supervisors (2)
• Site managers (6)
• Estimator (1)
• Cadet estimator (1)
• Contracts/material supply officer
• Office manager
However, the company has been described to have 6 project at an instance within a budget of $2
million to $5 million.

Working on the least amount of money that can be disbursed to the company for 6 projects=$2
million.
This money may be distributed evenly over the 6 projects and as such=$2/6=333333 distributed
to each project.However,this is not the case and as such, some projects may get as little as
200000 while others may get as high as $500000
Working on the highest amount of money that can be paid to the company for the construction
works=$5 million. This amount can be distributed evenly over the 6 projects such as
5/6=$833333for each project. However, this is not the case and as such some projects may get
very little amounts while others may be allocated humongous ones.
The construction manager is basically the head of all the construction works ongoing at all the 6
projects.
At a lower rank than is the construction supervisor. As in our case there are only 2 construction
supervisors and as such, each is required to manage 3 projects. Each construction supervisor
should be allocated 3 site managers. The three supervisors are to report to the construction
supervisor who is to report to the construction manager.
Finally, the other members of the organization who include estimator, office manager, cadet
estimator, and contracts/material supply officer are all directly under the construction manager.
These members of staff are required to work under the main office and to provide services to all
the 6 projects. The estimator and the cadet estimator ensure that they estimate the amount of
allocation to each project while the contracts/material officer ensures that each project
successfully receives the quantity of materials required for the completion of the project.
However, this is after a successful review of the contracts that he/she receives.Basicaly,he/she

will describe the materials and the amount of money to be allocated to each project and therefore
creates a disparity n the amounts allocated The organizational chart of the organization can be
described as below:
Question 3
Determining the total time take to complete a project may be a challenging issue. However, this
can be based on the critical path management tool. In this, activities that depend on others may
be neglected because they can be rescheduled for other dates without having an effect on the
overall time period required for the project completion.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
CONSTRUCTION
SUPERVISOR
CONSTRUCTION
SUPERVISOR
SITE
MANAGER SITE
MANAGER
OFFICE
MANAGER
CONTRACTS/
MATERIALS
SUPPLY OFFICER
ESTIMATOR
CADET ESTIMATOR

activity Time taken Dependent on
Workshop plan 3 weeks
Approval plans 1 week
fabrication 6 weeks
Inspection of steel prior to
delivery
1 week The fabrication of steel
Site establishment 1 week
Bulk excavation 1 week
Bore and pour piers 1 week
Trench excavation and pour
ground beams
1 week
Therefore, the main float activity is the fabrication of steel. The activity can be omitted or
rescheduled without affecting the overall time required for completion of the
project.Therefore,the nominal time to be taken for the project to be completed=14 weeks.

Question 4
The critical path method is a tool of management that the manager as well as the planners need to
grasp for effective management of the construction process. In this, he/she needs to identify the
shortest and longest time periods that the component activities need for completion. Basically,
he/she needs to identify the critical as well as the float activities.
activity Type Dependent on Shortest time
period
Longest time
period
Site clearance critical 2 weeks 3 weeks
Setting out critical 3weeks 4 weeks
Excavation and
site works
critical 8 weeks 10 weeks
Setting out of the
formwork
critical 4 weeks 5 weeks
Reinforcement critical 6 weeks 8 weeks
Concrete
placement
critical 3 weeks 5 weeks
compaction float Concrete
placement
2 weeks 3 weeks
Curing and
protection
critical 4 weeks 5 weeks

Structural
steelwork
float reinforcement 6 weeks 8 weeks
finishes critical 4 weeks 6 weeks
As per the above data, there are a number of critical as well as float activities. In this regard, it is
important to note that altering the date stipulated for the critical activities has an impact on the
overall project completion. However, the float activities are basically dependent on the critical
but have no effect on the general progress and competionof the project. From the above table, it
is described that compaction and structural steel work are the only float activities. Furthermore, it
has been indicated that they depend on concrete placement and reinforcement respectively. In
this, rescheduling the completion dates of these two activities has no effect on the overall
progress of the project.
SITE CLEARANCE:
3 WEEKS
SETTING OUT: 4
WEEKS
EXCAVATION AND SITE
WORKS: 10 WEEKS
REINFORCEMENT: 8 WEEKS
CONCRETE PLACEMENT: 5 WEEKS
CURING AND
PROTECTION: 5
WEEKS
FINISHES: 6
WEEKS

Therefore, the critical path is that indicated and the total time that will be taken for the project
completion=3+4+10+8+5+5+6=41 weeks. It can be noted from the above flowchart that the two
float activities have been left out. The main reason is because they can be rescheduled without
having an effect on the stipulated completion date. The critical path basically focuses on the
longest time taken to complete each activity.
On the other hand, the project can be completed within the shortest time. Basically, this will
require the project planning team to consider the shortest time periods required for the
completion of each activity. Regardless, the float activities can be omitted since they can be
rescheduled without affecting the overall completion date. The shortest time taken for the
completion of the project=2+3+8+4+6+3+4=30 weeks.
The grant chart
The grant chart is a pictorial description that tries to describe the overall progress of the project.
Basically, the chart indicates the activities alongside the time taken and the progress. According
to the data above, a grant chart may be described as below.
Activity/time 3 weeks 7weeks 17
weeks
25
weeks
30
weeks
35
weeks
41
weeks
Site clearance
Setting out
Excavation
and site works
Reinforcement

Concrete
placement
Curing and
protection
finishes
The chart above provides a pictorial description on the overall progress of the project. It is
basically used by many project management teams.
Question 5
Following the testing of the footing beams, it is stated that 4 precious weeks have been lost and
there is no possibility of recovering this lost time Therefore, a review of the plans is necessary.
activity Time taken
Workshop plan and the
approval of the plans
3 weeks
Site establishment 1 week
Bulk excavation and the
fabrication of steel
6 weeks
Bore and pour piers and
trench excavation with the
pouring of ground beams
1 week